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This article is part of FT Globetrotter. miami guide
Winter is one of the most exciting times to visit Miami, as the city hosts world-class art and design fairs, music and food festivals, and numerous sporting events. Below are some of FT Globetrotter’s highlights for the season, from Art Basel exhibits to Art Deco tours, celebrity chef demonstrations, and more.
Fairchild’s Night in the Garden
Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden illuminates with a mystical light show at dusk featuring rainbow-colored trails, as well as open-air holograms and projection mapping. The experience can be enhanced with the custom Fairyscope augmented reality app, while popular Miami food trucks offer refreshments. From $33.20, until January 12; thenightgarden.com/miami
‘Crossroads: the 60s of Rubem Valentim’, ICA Miami
The first American museum show dedicated to the late Afro-Brazilian painter Rubem Valentim explores how his modernist abstract paintings developed during the decade in which he lived in Brazil but also worked in Europe, settling for three years in Rome. Valentim’s works were characterized by a rich and colorful lexicon of symbols. “In creating my sign-symbols, I seek to transform into visual language the enchanted, magical, probably mystical world that continually flows within me,” he wrote in his 1988 manifesto. Until March 30; icamiami.org
Miami Design
This year’s theme at the world’s leading fair is “Blue Sky,” with the goal of showcasing “the boldest leaps of imagination occurring in design today.” Galleries from London to Los Angeles and from Melbourne to Mumbai offer their own individual take on the subject. December 3-8; designmiami.com/fair/miami-2024
Art Basel Miami Beach
The art world descends on the Magic City for the North American edition of the international art fair. Now in its 22nd year, it will feature 283 galleries from 38 countries, while the broader Miami Art Week offers a host of external events and satellite fairs. December 6 to 8; artbasel.com/miami-beach
South Beach Jazz Festival
Nonprofit Power Access’s signature event, the South Beach Jazz Festival, is a celebration of accessibility and inclusivity that brings together critically acclaimed jazz musicians from across the industry. Expect traditional, contemporary and Latin American performances from artists such as renowned pianist Eddie Palmieri, Miami native saxophonist Jesse Jones Jr, and the Bad Apples Brass Band. January 9 to 12; sobejazzfestival.com/
Fine Arts Festival
The 74th edition of Miami’s oldest juried arts festival will take center stage at the University of Miami, with more than 200 artists showcased during the two-day event. The Watsco Center on the campus grounds will be transformed into a marketplace, with live music, food trucks and children’s art activities along with artist booths. Beaux Arts, a women-led nonprofit that supports the arts in South Florida, is hosting the event, with all proceeds going to the Lowe Museum and local outreach programs. January 18-19; beauxartsmiami.org
Art Deco Weekend
Hosted by the Miami Design Preservation League, this annual event highlights a century of historic South Beach Art Deco buildings. The free cultural festival includes tours, lectures and performances, such as the Deco Nights and Neon Lights Tour on Ocean Drive. January 18-20; artdecoweekend.org
Miami Marathon for Life
Biscayne Bay welcomes 18,000 runners to take part in the Miami Half and Full Marathon – routes that take in stunning views of the ocean and cityscape and cross several bridges – but there’s entertainment for everyone. The day before the main event is the Tropical 5K (open to both walkers and runners), while the post-race festival features activities, food and live music. February 1-2; themiamimarathon.com
Miami International Boat Show
The largest fair of its kind, this is where manufacturers show off their latest aquatic inventions, both in and out of the water. Explore powerboats and catamarans or head to the family educational experience, where kids can learn about a wide variety of fish species. Upgrading to a VIP ticket will grant exclusive access to a site that is home to the world’s most elaborate superyachts. February 12 to 16; miamiboatshow.com
Coconut Grove Arts Festival
More than 280 juried artists come to artsy Coconut Grove to showcase their work on the streets of Biscayne Bay. Paintings, sculptures and photographs are complemented by food, cooking demonstrations and live music. February 15-17; cgaf.com
South Beach Food and Wine Festival
This four-day festival will bring together world-renowned wine and spirits producers and chefs. Celebrity chefs specializing in a variety of international cuisines will host lunches and dinners daily, and there will be wine tastings and seminars. Culinary personalities and industry experts will be at more than 100 events. All net proceeds support hospitality students at Florida International University. From $40, from February 20 to 23; sobewff.org
winter party festival
This wild, week-long LGBTQ+ event, which draws 10,000 visitors from around the world to Miami Beach, began in 1994 as a single dance party run by and in aid of the National LGBTQ Task Force (then known as the LGBTQ+ Task Force). National Gay and Lesbian Work). Since 2005, the organization has supported nearly 90 community groups in South Florida. February 26 to March 4; winterparty.com
Miami Open
The best tennis players in the world took to the hard courts of the Hard Rock Stadium to compete in the fifth unofficial Grand Slam. It is second only to the US Open in attendance for North American tennis, attracting nearly 400,000 spectators over two weeks. This year, Danielle Collins and Jannik Sinner took home the $1.1 million prize in women’s and men’s singles. March 17 to 30; tennistours.com/miami-open
‘Smita Sen: Incarnate’, North Miami Museum of Contemporary Art
The New York and Miami-based artist and “interaction designer” fuses sculpture, dance and technology to track how the body moves and adapts in various environments and emotional states. His drawings and sculptures “Feelings, Fossilised,” for example, use 3D modeling software to visualize the physical pain he experienced grieving the death of his father. Until April 6; mocanomi.org
What events in Miami would you recommend this winter? Tell us in the comments below. AND follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter
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