Schools have been back for a month and the mangos have fallen, but Miami’s official cultural season hasn’t quite gotten rolling yet.

Your trusty weekly culture newsletter is back, though, to tell you what’s happening in the meantime (book talks, art openings, and some early concerts) and get everyone hyped about the new season (see last week’s Highlights of the Fall issue, in case you missed it).

On the restaurant front, two well-received spots have opened near the Arsht Center, which is great for this newsletter writer and anyone who needs a bite before a show. Giotto, a solid Italian spot from an Italian mother-and-son team, got a glowing writeup in the Miami Herald. (I can attest that their beef carpaccio and artichoke salad are delicious.) And Cafe Fenicia, just a block from the Arsht, is already a legit hot spot, with rave reviews and also, apparently, hookah smoking.

Let’s get planning…

Jump to: Music, Theater, Indie Cinema, Art Events, or Book Talks

The Miami Chamber Music Society, best known for their springtime Mainly Mozart Festival, has started an interesting new series called Sound & Word that brings together musicians and authors for reading, performance, and conversation. This one features violist and author Richard Fleischmann, pianist Marina Radiushina, violinist Nathan Meltzer, and cellist Vicky Wang, drawing on Fleischmann’s writing to explore the music and human stories behind works by Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms. Learn more.

Saturday, September 19th, 4:30-6pm, The Gallery at The Betsy Hotel, $13-$40

Neighborhood: South Beach

Nearby Eats: The Drexel, Tropezón, La Leggenda Pizzeria | Drinks: The Piano Bar at the Betsy, Mac’s Club Deuce

UM’s Frost School of Music welcomes legendary a cappella group Take 6 for a unforgettable collaboration with the school’s Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra. Winner of 10 Grammy Awards, and celebrated worldwide for their unmatched vocal artistry, Take 6 will lead the orchestra through their repertoire, seamlessly integrating gospel, R&B, jazz, and pop. Learn more.

September 25th-26th, 7:30pm both nights, Gusman Concert Hall at UM, $40-$65

Neighborhood: UM / Coral Gables

Nearby Eats: Pla-Tu Sushi Thai, Mamey, Daniel’s | Drinks: Fox’s Lounge, Titanic (of course!)

More Upcoming Music:

Gablestage comes blazing into the new season with Weather Girl, a day in the life of an oversexed, underpaid meteorologist whose daily diet of cocktails, teeth whitening and wildfires devolves into a true global climate catastrophe. Can she save us all? Named a Best Play of 2025 by the New York Times, this blistering one-woman show from the producers of Fleabag and Baby Reindeer is going to be fire. Learn more.

September 25th-October 18th, 7:30pm evenings, 2pm matinees, Gablestage at the Biltmore, $60-$75

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Nearby Eats: Zitz Sum, Buccan, Luca Osteria | Drinks: Bar Zorro, Sospiro Wine Bar

More Upcoming Theater:

The Bass Museum throws a free party to celebrate the opening of three new exhibits. Unviolated Imperfection, the first US museum exhibit for Tokyo-based artist Yuko Mohri; Lecturas Posibles, a chalkboard library by artist Amalia Pica; and an immersive textile environment by artist Sarah Zapata. Learn more.

Thursday, September 17th, 6-9pm, The Bass Museum, Free with RSVP

Neighborhood: Miami Beach

Nearby Eats: Blue Ribbon Sushi, AVIV, Sweet Liberty | Drinks: Sweet Liberty, Greystone Bar

More Art Events:

Miami Book Fair and Books & Books team up to welcome international bestselling author Richard Osman, whose lighthearted murder mysteries are just about everyone’s cup of tea. His Thursday Murder Club series was adapted by Netflix with some heavy-hitting talent: Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, and Ben Kingsley. Osman will be discussing We Chase Shadows, his latest novel in the We Solve Murders series, with true crime novelist and editor Dwyer Murphy. Learn more.

Tuesday, September 22nd, 7pm, MDC Wolfson Campus, $36 (for 1 or 2 guests with one book copy)

Neighborhood: Downtown

Nearby Eats: Tâm Tâm, Mangrove, NIU Kitchen | Drinks: Lost Boy Dry Goods, Over Under

The Hub at Temple Beth Am welcomes an interesting triumvirate of influential experts on relationships and wellness. Dr. Shefali Tsabary - clinical psychologist, bestselling author, and founder of the Conscious Parenting movement - will be discussing her latest books: Raising Conscious Daughters and Raising Conscious Sons. “Dr. Shefali” will be in conversation with New York Times bestselling author, relationship coach, and podcaster Jillian Turecki; and with trainer to the stars and fitness entrepreneur Tracy Anderson. Learn more.

Thursday, September 24th, 7pm, The Hub at Temple Beth Am, $38-$68 (incl. copies of one or both books)

Neighborhood: Pinecrest

Nearby Eats: Recoveco, Ghee Indian Kitchen, Beauty & The Butcher | Drinks: Fox’s Lounge, Ivy Rooftop

More Literary Events:

One of the cinematic masterpieces of the 20th century, 1956’s The Searchers is simultaneously one of the greatest Westerns ever made and a complete subversion of the genre, with its complex anti-hero and disturbing exploration of racial hatred. Coral Gables Art Cinema celebrates the film’s 70th anniversary with a special screening on 70mm film, so you can see the groundbreaking cinematography (it was filmed in Technicolor in Monument Valley) as it was meant to be seen. Get tickets.

Sunday, September 27th, 2:30pm, Coral Gables Art Cinema, $25

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Nearby Eats: Sra. Martinez, Luca Osteria, Eating House | Drinks: Bay 13 Brewery, Cebada Rooftop

More Indie Cinema:

Thanks for reading, Culture Lushes! See you back here next week!

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