23 Things You Have to Do in Miami This Year
Plan your trip to Miami around these iconic annual events.
Depending on where you look, Miami could seem like a sports town, a party town, or a foodie town. But at its core, Miami is an events town. The city place knows how to throw a party (maybe that’s why its hosted more Super Bowls than any other city), and its slate of annual events are major affairs. The city hosts banner events like the South Beach Wine and Food Festival and F1, but those aren’t Miami’s only great annual traditions. You can also experience the local side of things at smaller fests like Calle 8 Music Festival and the Youth Fair.
Whether you’re headed to the 305 for sports, music, or to pretend you're into art, Miami welcomes visitors with lavish celebrations and celebrity-filled events. No matter what time of year, Miami’s got an event that’s worth traveling for, so here’s a look at the best annual events in Miami.
January
January 5, 2025
Coconut Grove
Though the Orange Bowl Parade may be no more, its satirical little cousin the King Mango Strut is still going strong. The annual roam around Coconut Grove is less a parade and more social commentary, where “floats” include topical groups like the League of Dead Voters and the Ukrainian Server Search Party. Last year’s theme was “I Can’t Get No Desantsifaction,” a slight jab at Florida’s controversial governor. The Strut is adult comedy that’s still family friendly, and one of the best ways to gain a sense of Miami’s authentic local culture.
Ready to go? This event is free.
January 9, 2025
Hard Rock Stadium
The Orange Bowl football game dates all the way back 1935, a New Year’s Day tradition that’s seen the crowning of many a national champion. Though the Orange Bowl stadium, annual parade, and related festivities have mostly fallen by the wayside, the game remains and is frequently part of the college football playoff. Even when the game doesn’t help decide a national champion, it’s typically a matchup of two top programs with long traditions, and draws die hard fans from around the country.
Ready to go? Book here.
January 10-12, 2025
South Beach
Long before we were known for our world class restaurants or sea of modern street art, Miami Beach was the art deco capital of the world. By volume, at least, we still are, as Miami Beach’s art deco district houses the largest collection of deco buildings in the world. Learn all about the city’s signature style during this annual celebration of all things art deco, with lectures, walking tours, live music, and walks where you can try sketching the stuff yourself.
Ready to go? Many events are free.
January 25, 2025
Gulfstream Park
In Miami, horse racing isn’t the genteel sport of kings you might see at Keeneland and Santa Anita. In Miami, horse racing is a celebrity-filled spectacle, where red carpets fill the paddock and A-list DJs perform between races. Such is the experience at the Pegasus World Cup, one of the richest horse races in the world and January’s biggest see-and-be-seen event. The massive purses draw some of the top thoroughbreds on the planet, though the races are secondary to the trackside parties.
Ready to go? Book here.
February
February 12–16, 2025
Miami Beach
People seem to think those of us who live in Miami spend every waking weekend out on a boat. The sad truth is, that privilege is generally reserved for a select few people who are either a) rich enough to afford a boat b) Instagram influencers or c) friends with someone who owns a boat. The first two aren’t happening for most of us, so my advice is to wander the aisles of the Miami International Boat Show and try to make some new friends. The biggest boat show in the world has thousands of boats and hundreds of thousands of people converging on the Miami Beach Convention Center, all looking for ways to get out on the water. In recent years, the show has combined with SuperYacht Miami to bring vessels of staggering size to the marina at One Herald Plaza, if you wanna aim for the moon in your search for newfound, boat-owning friendship.
Ready to go? Book here.
February 15–17, 2025
Coconut Grove
Long before Art Basel brought the art world to Miami, there was the Coconut Grove Art Festival, where local artists set up booths around Coconut Grove and showed the world what this city can create. More than 60 years later, Miami’s oldest and most accessible art fair is still a staple. You won’t find any exclusive parties or celebrity musical acts here, just some of the best unheralded artists in the area showcasing their talents. Though you will also find a music stage, cooking demos, and plenty of bars too.
Ready to go? Book here.
February 20–23, 2025
South Beach
While I might be known to, occasionally, bemoan the onslaught of traffic and tourists during big annual events like Art Basel and Boat Show, the one weekend a year it’s all worth it is the South Beach Wine and Food festival. Why? Well, the beachside bacchanal brings nearly every celebrity chef to the shores of South Beach, hosting everything from intimate dinner parties to thousand-person events featuring dozens of restaurants. It’s a chance to taste the stuff your favorite Food Network chefs create, while trying dishes from some of America’s best restaurants at events like Burger Bash, Best of the Best, and the Grand Tasting. I will warn you as someone who’s done this about a dozen times, though, SOBEWFF is a marathon not a sprint. So pace your stomach and your liver accordingly.
Ready to go? Book here.
March
March 1–9, 2025
Little Havana
Miami is a hotbed of Cuban and Latin American culture, and no event captures it all quite like Carnaval Miami. The festival includes a beauty pageant, golf tournament, and dominos championship in Maximo Gomez Park. But it’s showcase event is the Calle 8 Music Festival, a daylong parade and concert that fills Little Havana’s most famous thoroughfare. The afternoon is a celebration of all things Miami, with multiple stages showcasing top international artists, and food vendors offering bites from seemingly every Latin American nation. It’s a true immersion in Miami’s Spanish-speaking heritage, and a true way to capture the city’s immigrant spirit.
Ready to go? Many events are free.
March 13–April 6, 2025
University Park
Technically, Westchester’s cornucopia of carnival rides, midway games, and deep-fried food is called the Miami-Dade County Fair and Exposition. But anyone worth their 786 cell number knows it as the Youth Fair, a childhood staple for Miami natives and about the realest “Miami” experience a visitor can have. Spend a sunny spring afternoon taking whirls around the Gravitron and Mousetrap, trying desperately to win an oversized Minion doll from an absolutely-not-rigged game of pop-a-shot. Then sample culinary innovations like deep-fried Cuban sandwiches before setting into an evening performance from a Spanish music legend like Willy Chirino or hip-hop hall-of-famers like Nelly and TLC.
Ready to go? Book here.
March 16–30, 2025
Hard Rock Stadium
Ever-versatile Hard Rock Stadium becomes the center of the tennis world for two weeks in March. That’s when one of the largest non-Grand Slam tournaments on the ATP and WTA tours comes to town for the Miami Open. The first week is a tennis fan’s dream, where you can hop among the outer courts and watch top-ranked players compete from only a few feet away. Aside from the matches, you can while away the sunny afternoons at courtside bars, and enjoy everything from tacos to omakase from Miami’s top restaurants. Can’t afford tickets? Do what I did during college and volunteer at the tournament, where you can work as a stadium usher and see all the action for free—and possibly also get to tell a three-time Wimbledon champion to get off their phone during play.
Ready to go? Book here.
March 28–30, 2025
Bayfront Park
Nearly a quarter century ago, a few guys on my freshmen dorm floor told me about this little rave on the beach, headlined by some big name DJs who played Shadow Lounge, Crobar, and Liquid afterward. Little did I know that beach party I went to would grow into the largest electronic music festival in the world, as Ultra Music Festival now takes over Bayfront Park with hundreds of thousands of visitors. But over the years I’ve learned it’s far from the coolest part of Miami Music Week. The best part of the last week in March is seeing some of the biggest electronic artists in the world playing in tiny lounges and poolside bars, where guys like Calvin Harris and Fisher are spinning like it’s someone’s backyard birthday party.
Ready to go? Book here.
March 29–30, 2025
South Beach
Not that the usual collection of statuesque people playing pickup games at the nets in Lummus Park are ever lacking for aesthetic appeal. But for one weekend in the spring every player on the sand is literally a professional model. Big agencies like Ford, Wilhelmina, and Elite field teams, who square off in a two-day tournament in front of throngs of spectators who can enjoy the action for free. The Venn diagram between “model” and “expert volleyball player” has a pretty big intersection, so the competition is far more skilled than you might expect.
Ready to go? This event is free.
March 2025 dates TBD
Gulfstream Park
While the Pegasus World Cup is a showcase of celebrities and live DJs, for those of us who learned math by betting trifectas no race looms larger than the Florida Derby. It’s my annual chance to show my friends who know nothing about horse racing why the sport is so special, donning a light colored suit and interesting hat and explaining how to read a racing form. The Florida Derby might not draw Diplo to the stands, but it’s is one of the biggest run-ups to the Kentucky Derby, where you’ll see many of the same horses who’ll be running for the roses six weeks later. The race has produced a staggering 25 Kentucky Derby champs, more than any other race in the world. Names like Unbridled, Monarchos, Big Brown, and Always Dreaming have all gone from Gulfstream to the Churchill Downs winners circle.
Ready to go? Book here.
April
April 4–6, 2025
Fort Lauderdale Beach
The joke about South Florida is that you have to go north to get to The South. During the first weekend of April, you can just head east to the shores of Fort Lauderdale Beach where the biggest stars in country music take the stage at the Tortuga Music Festival. Headliners have included Darius Rucker, Luke Bryan, the Zac Brown Band and other Nashville heavyweights, though Tortuga’s not afraid to spice up the lineup with nostalgic favorites like Boyz II Men. No matter who’s on one of the festival’s three stages, the setting among swaying palm trees and turquoise waters is pure paradise.
Ready to go? Book here.
April 4-13, 2025
Miami Beach
Because a Pride parade in June is just a little too sweaty, even for Miami, our city celebrates the LGBTQ+ community when the weather is still pleasant. One of the most popular destination Pride festivals in the country takes over Miami Beach, with pool parties, musical performances, and a three-day festival in Lummus Park. The weekend culminates with the annual Pride Parade, where drag queens and shirtless revelers dance their way on Ocean Drive, culminating in a beachside concert that runs well into the night.
Ready to go? Many events are free.
May
May 2–4, 2025
Hard Rock Stadium
Miami’s Formula 1 race isn’t so much a sporting event as it is a weekend-long party with cars going by. The three-day event transforms the parking lots of Hard Rock Stadium into the Miami Autodrome, where you’ll find a makeshift marina packed with boat parties, a music stage, and dozens of brand installations. You could spend an entire day hopping from the Flor de Cana bar to the Herradura sample station to a tent filled with local restaurants and never see a car. Though if you’re lucky enough to score an invitation to a suite, the speed and sound of the cars is truly awesome, and the odds of standing next to a celebrity are pretty high. The race itself barely lasts an hour and a half, but the scene is really worth the trip.
Ready to go? Book here.
June
June 2025 dates TBD
Multiple locations
Miami might not be the fashion hub it was in the 1990s, but for one week during the summer, the eyes of the fashion world still turn toward South Beach. Hotel pool decks transform into couture runways, where top designers showcase their creations for the upcoming summer season. Of course, Miami Swim Week comes with the requisite roster of lavish parties, where you can rub elbows with supermodels, celebrities, and famous fashionistas. Many events and shows are open to the public too, so you don’t need to know anyone to be a part of the fun.
Ready to go? Book here.
July
July and August
Multiple locations
As a local, getting a massage at a South Beach luxury spa usually isn’t on my list of Tuesday afternoon activities. Lovely as they are, those $200 could usually be used towards some other frivolity, like an FPL bill. Then July and August roll around, when top spas around Miami offer some insane deals on treatments, and you can roll into spots like the Carillon and Esencia at the Eden Roc and get yourself pampered for $100 or less. It’s even better for visitors, who can add a little bit of a luxe to their Miami vacation and still walk away feeling like they got a deal.
Ready to go? Book with the spa.
August
August and September
Multiple locations
An outsider might assume that February’s South Beach Wine and Food Festival is the foodie highlight of the year in Miami. But the real experts know the best time of the year to explore food in South Florida is late summer, where the region’s best restaurants offer special, prix-fixe menus for as little as $45. It becomes a kind of social event among those who enjoy dining out, where we circle our top menus and send recommendations to our friends about which deals look more enticing. And if you’re visiting the city, it’s a chance to delve into some of Miami’s best restaurants without breaking your entire vacation budget.
Ready to go? Book with the restaurant.
October
October 24–25, 2025
Wynwood
Music festivals don’t get much more eclectic than III Points, which began as a small collection of indie artists playing in Wynwood and is now one of the year’s biggest musical draws. Artists are all over the board, ranging from Rufus du Sol to Rick Ross, Tyler the Creator and Erikah Badu. Acts have skewed more electronic in recent years, but every time you think you have III Points pinned down it adds an act you’d never expect.
Ready to go? Book here.
November
November 14–17, 2024
South Beach
You literally don’t need to know a Hook from a High Goal to appreciate the thunderous excitement of the biggest beach polo tournament in the world. Set on the sands outside Collins Park, the three-day event is free and open to the public to observe. Stand up against the fences and see the speed and precision of live polo and you’ll gain an entirely new appreciation for the game. It’s still a polo match, so there are also plenty of VIP areas where you can dress in your resort wear finest and enjoy shrimp cocktail and champagne.
Ready to go? Book here.
November 17–14, 2024
Downtown
Miami-Dade College’s downtown campus is covered in colorful tents for eight days each November, as books of all types and interests fill the streets. Bibliophiles can lose themselves in the maze of literature that fills the Miami Book Fair, though the week is about more than just browsing. Each day offers author panels discussing current trends in writing and world events, with a slew of celebrity authors on hand too. Miami’s own Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen are regulars at the book fair, who also welcomed Fight Club author Chuck Palanuik, Tom Wolfe, and even Henry “The Fonz” Winkler for special guest lectures.
Ready to go? Book here.
December
December 6–8, 2024
Multiple locations
I know it’s almost time for Art Basel when minor acquaintances from New York slide into my DM’s saying “Heeey! Long time!” in a shameless dry beg for party invites. You know who you are. Because Art Basel hasn’t been about art since the mid-2000s. It is, however, undoubtedly one of Miami's biggest party weekends and perhaps its most outrageous. Sure, if you’re hellbent on seeing art you can hit the main festival at the Miami Beach Convention Center, or peep the best in modern art at the Scope show. You’ll find plenty of other, smaller shows around the city in what’s sometimes dubbed “Miami Art Week,” and for the odd person in town for creative inspiration, you won’t be lacking. But the big draw of the weekend are the sceney parties and all-night escapades that come with Basel weekend. Just be advised: Your friends in Miami probably can’t get you in.
Ready to go? Book here.