Xanadu Roller Arts is a roller skating rink in East Williamsburg that opened in 2024 on a hand-painted 7,000-square-foot Canadian Maple floor, reviving New York's roller disco culture after years without a dedicated venue.
Xanadu opened on Starr Street in Bushwick on June 19, 2024, filling a void that had haunted New York skaters for years. The city watched as iconic rinks shuttered—the Roxy in Chelsea, Skate Key in the Bronx, Empire Roller Skate in Crown Heights. The rink's floor is a hand-painted work of art on 7,000 square feet of Canadian Maple, built by founder Varun Kataria, who also owns the Turk's Inn and Sultan Room nearby. Xanadu revives roller disco's 1970s and '80s golden age, when Empire Roller Disco in Crown Heights—where roller disco was born—created a radically inclusive, expressive and alive space. Its stage is curated by the team behind the Sultan Room, and the venue partners with community figures to organize dedicated events for skate subcultures like goth, metal and hardcore. It preserves an art form that has been a source of liberation for the Black community since the 1970s.
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