The Matrix Club closes, forcing Naperville proms to move

The Matrix Club has abruptly closed in Naperville, forcing organizers of high school proms and other events into scrambling mode.

The Neuqua Valley High School senior prom, for instance, will have a change in venue.

The Matrix Club was served with an eviction notice this week and is now closed, Neuqua Valley Principal Lance Fuhrer told families Friday. The club was the original host of the Class of 2026 prom.

“Prom is a paramount experience for students so it has been our top priority the last 48 hours to find a solution. Given our time frame, options were incredibly limiting,” Fuhrer wrote.

Still, officials managed to make it work: Senior prom will instead be held at the Embassy Suites in Naperville on Friday, April 17.

The Matrix Club opened in 2023 as a sprawling multicultural entertainment venue at the site of a former Sam's Club along Route 59. Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli said he was disappointed by the news of the club’s closing.

“In a short time, it became a place where people gathered for celebrations, performances, and meaningful moments and I’m thinking especially of the customers, employees, vendors, and families impacted,” Wehrli said in a statement.

He assured anyone with an event already on the calendar that the Naperville Convention and Visitors Bureau team is currently working with organizers to keep plans on track.

“The goal is to quickly match needs with available venue space, help secure new dates, and make the rebooking process as smooth as possible so the focus can stay on the guests, not the logistics,” the mayor said.

Wehrli added that Naperville remains the premier destination to host an event.

“From gatherings in need of a small, intimate setting to life’s largest personal or professional celebrations, more than 60 venues are ready to welcome you through their doors and help make it a great day for everyone involved,” he said.

Naperville Central also originally planned to host its prom at the club. Once it was notified of the venue's closure, Central found an alternative that would not disrupt plans, a district spokeswoman confirmed. A new venue is secured, and there will be no changes to the originally scheduled date or time for Central students.

Neuqua’s Fuhrer noted the new prom date is based not only on limited availability, but also on the size of the facility needed and considerations for athletes competing in the state series and AP testing in May. Saturdays in May are often reserved three to five years in advance, he wrote.

“We understand this decision cannot take into account every family schedule, and recognize that this new date moves up the date by three weeks, potentially creating new conflicts,” the principal acknowledged.

Neuqua Valley also had to shift prom to another site when supply chain issues delayed the opening of The Matrix.

The school is now preparing new timelines for ticket sales.

“Our goal is to ensure, in the best way possible, the best Prom experience for our students,” Fuhrer told families.