The Best Arts and Entertainment in Miami

@afar
 on 2022.02.03
Multiple locations
9 Places
@afar
The best activities for art lovers are throughout Miami's downtown area. There's entertainment all over the city. Whether you consider yourself an artist yourself, of if you just appreciate creative passion, Miami's best cultural activities cater to everyone. Try a ballet performance, a boutique movie theater, a entertaining casino night, an art-focused baseball stadium or a dolphin show. The historic theaters downtown and the secret spots on the beach will never leave you bored in Miami. Credit: Collected by GiAnna Wyatt, AFAR Local Expert

1130 Washington Ave

Building · Miami Beach

"See a Film at a Boutique Cinema The Miami Beach Cinematheque is an intimate theater in South Beach that’s housed in the former City Hall, built by Carl Fischer in 1927. Now home of the Miami Beach Film Society, whichscreens independent and experimental movies and film classics to a seated audience of just 50, the space has been restored and renovated into an amazing cinema, gallery, bookstore, library, and café. The building also hosts art exhibitions, live performances, andmini movie festivals."

Photo courtesy of Miami Beach Cinematheque

New World Center

Live music venue · South Miami Beach

"Movies and Music on the Big Screen TheNew World Center, theSouthBeach home of the New World Symphony, was designed by starchitect Frank Gehry and is a cultural gem situated between the bay and the Atlantic Ocean, with views of both as well as multiple flexible performance spaces. It’s adjacent to the Miami BeachSoundScape Park, where you can see concerts andorchestra performances via innovative visual and audio technology on a soaring, 7,000-square-foot projection wall.These Wallcast concerts from the New World Symphony are free to the public, sobring a blanket and a picnic and watch iconic classical performances in a casual, fun setting."

Photo by Rui Dias-Aidos

Magic City Casino

Casino · West Flagler

"Get in the Game: Magic City Casino The Magic City Casino in Miami features over 800 Las Vegas style slot machines, an 18-table Poker Room, outdoor concert amphitheater, seasonal live greyhound racing, multiple food and beverage outlets, and diverse entertainment schedule. Casino highlights include game favorites such as Wheel of Fortune, Wizard of Oz and Quick Hits. There is also a historic racetrack onsite. For over 50 years, Flagler Dog Track has been the premiere greyhound racing facility in the Magic City, showcasing some of the world's finest greyhounds and simulcasting of live horse and greyhound racing from around the world. The casino is conveniently located less than three miles away from Miami International Airport."

Photo courtesy of Magic City Casino

Miami City Ballet - Official Site

Dance company · Miami Beach

"Classical Ballet with Art Deco Flair The Miami City Ballet performs at its home theater in Miami Beach, the large Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami, and throughout south Florida. The company is over 30 years old and has a repertoire of more than 100 ballets, performed by a top-tier group of highly skilled dancers led by artistic director Lourdes Lopez, who danced with the New York City Ballet for 24 years. Four repertory programs and The Nutcracker are danced annually."

Photo by Alexander Iziliaev, courtesy The George Balanchine Trust

FTX Arena

Arena · Downtown

"NBA Champs & More at the American Airlines Arena While strolling through bustling downtown Miami , be sure to stop into the city's main attraction, the American Airlines Arena. The stadium is a large concert/sports venue, hosting musical act such a Madonna, Taylor Swift and Laday Gaga. Other events include Latin singers and entertainers and world-famous acts like Cirque de Soleil. It's also home to the 2012/2013 NBA champions - the Miami Heat. Be sure to stop into the heat retail store to purchase your favorite gear, including collectable Heat memorabilia."

Photo by American Airlines Arena

Olympia Theater

Performing arts theater · Miami Jewelry District

"Live Entertainment at an Old-World Theater in Miami Downtown Miami’s Olympia Theater was built in 1926 as a silent movie palaceand still is a glamorous old soul onFlagler Street. Performers fromElvis Presley to B.B. King to Luciano Pavarotti have graced the stage, and today it continues to host concerts, movie screenings, and live performancesby world-renowned artists. Renovated to its former glory, the theater includes a grand staircase, statues, and a gorgeous ceiling painted to simulate the night sky, as well as an enchanting Mediterranean courtyard."

Photo by Amy Martz, courtesy Olympia Theater

LoanDepot Park

Stadium · Riverside Community

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game The state-of-the-art, 36,700-seat Marlins Park in the heart of Downtown is the home of the Miami Marlins baseball team. It has a retractable roof that takes just 13 minutes to go from fully closed to fully open, and there’s a floor-to-ceiling glass-walled concourse that overlooks glittery downtown Miami. The venue also houses a nightclub and several bars and restaurants—even one with a swimming pool. Take a group tour to see one of the country’smost high-tech baseball fields up close, including the field, the clubhouse, the batting cage area, the home run sculpture, the bobblehead museum—and the aquarium at home plate."

Photo by age fotostock

Miami Seaquarium

Aquarium · Virginia Key

"Under the South Florida Sea The Miami Seaquarium is a 38-acremarine entertainment park and 300,000-gallon reef aquarium inKey Biscayne that’s home to dolphins, sea lions, sea turtles, and manatees. Among the many activities on offer, you can book penguin and dolphin encounters, feed the sea lions, swim with harbor seals, and helmet dive in the reef aquarium. There’s also an aerial obstacle course and a playground for families, and you’ll learn about the Seaquarium’s efforts to rescue and rehabilitate endangered sea turtles and manatees and to protect the area’s reefs and oceans."

Photo by Jeff Greenberg/agefotostock

The Fillmore Miami Beach

Live music venue · Miami Beach

"Roll Up for Some Entertainment The Fillmore Miami Beach, located on famous Washington Avenue, opened in 1950 and was the home of The Jackie Gleason Show in the 1960s. It’s now one ofSouth Beach’s top live music and entertainment venues where you can catchJohn Legend, Janelle Monae, the Alabama Shakes, and many other stars, as wellas world-class comedians and Latin musicians. The theater is small and intimate, perfect for watching some of your favorite artists up close."

Photo by Johnny Louis/agefotostock