What did The Observatory announce?
The Observatory confirmed via Instagram, as reported by Mixmag Asia on 31 August, that it will close for good at the end of October 2026. The closure caps nearly 13 years of operation across three different addresses in Ho Chi Minh City, the last eight of which were spent on the 10th floor of 85 CMT8. No reason for the shutdown was given in the announcement.
How did a family-run project become Vietnam's house scene?
The Observatory didn't start as an institution. Per Mixmag Asia, it opened as a modest, family-oriented venture built to give Ho Chi Minh City's local scene somewhere to play. Founding resident Dan Bi Mong, known on the decks as Hibiya Line, set the club's house and techno direction alongside co-founders Nic Ford and Dan Lo. That foundation held: by the venue's tenth anniversary in 2023, its resident roster had expanded to 18 DJs, and the club had hosted more than 800 artists across its run, local and touring alike, in a country where rooms built specifically for underground house and techno are still rare.
What's still on the calendar before it shuts?
The Observatory's 2023 anniversary run pulled in takeovers from Giegling, Savage, Pawnshop and Siamese Twins, and the club later hosted Rainbow Disco Club's Vietnam debut in October 2025, evidence of how far its booking reach had extended beyond Southeast Asia. Two months of programming remain before the October close, with a September lineup still to be confirmed.
