Abstract The cyclization reactions of naphthalene-fused azo–ene–yne compounds are explored both computationally and experimentally. Calculations reveal that naphtho-fusion to an azo–ene–yne scaffold does not significantly alter the transition state energies compared to the benzene-based systems; however, fusing the naphthalene in an angular fashion leads to lower energy intermediates due to the creation of arenes possessing ...