Emily Estefan teams up with Miami City Ballet for their season opener. Image credit: Ezra Hurwitz.
This weekend, Miami City Ballet leaps into its highly anticipated new season, the first under the full creative vision of new Artistic Director Gonzalo Garcia. Headlining the debut is Push the Buttons of the Civilized, a brand new work by Miami native and former MCB Principal Patricia Delgado, with music by Miami royalty Emily Estefan. That’s a lot of homegrown talent on one stage!
And tickets just went on sale for Miami Film Festival’s annual GEMS fest, running Oct. 29th-Nov. 5th, screening over 50 of the year’s most anticipated films, weeks before you could see them in theaters. The opening night selection, Debut, starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, is getting serious Oscar buzz. Celebrities in town for the festival include John Turturro and Kyle MacLachlan. I’d check out the full lineup and book your seats now because these tickets fly.
For those of you seeking an easy, affordable cultural outing this weekend, we’ve got three gallery openings on Saturday in Allapattah - at Mindy Solomon, KDR Gallery, and Baker—Hall. Make it a night with some of Miami’s best ribs at Hometown BBQ and some cheap drafts at iconic dive bar Las Rosas.
Last thing: if you’re not going to III Points this weekend, stay away from Wynwood!
Let’s get planning…
Jump to: Music, Theater, Indie Cinema, Art Events, Book Talks, Dance, or Planning Ahead
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Dance
Miami City Ballet: American Rhythms
Miami City Ballet dancers in Jerome Robbins’ “N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz.” Image credit: Ezra Hurwitz
For its season opener, Miami City Ballet presents American Rhythms, an exciting triple bill: the company premiere of Jerome Robbins’ N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz, a sparkling Balanchine, and the world premiere of a new work by former MCB principal Patricia Delgado. Delgado is a New Yorker now, having won a Tony for her choreography on Buena Vista Social Club (which coincidentally just played at the Arsht), but her artistic homecoming is sure to be an exciting one. Get tickets.
October 16th-18th, 2pm Sat. & Sun., Ziff Ballet Opera House, $45-$257
Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District
Nearby Eats: Cafe Fenicia, Bunbury, Giotto | Drinks: ViceVersa, Kaona Room
The 16th Annual Daniel Lewis Dance Sampler
Dance NOW! Miami company performance of “Forest Dreams.” Photo credit: Simon Soong
Now in its 16th year, the Daniel Lewis Dance Sampler presents a season opener for the Miami’s dance community, with short pieces from ballet to modern, contemporary to flamenco, performed by some of our best local dance companies - Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami, Karen Peterson and Dancers, and Dance NOW! Miami, among others. It’s a pretty unique chance to see what our local companies have in store for the season. Get tickets.
Saturday, October 18th, 8pm, New World School of the Arts, $25
Neighborhood: Downtown
Nearby Eats: NIU Kitchen, Fratesi’s Pizza, Pho Nam | Drinks: Right Hand, Over Under
More Upcoming Dance:
Thursday, October 22nd: Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida presents a one-night performance of Dracula, Roberto Forleo’s full-length ballet based on the Bram Stoker classic, at 7:30pm. Patrons are encouraged to come in “elegant Gothic” attire.
October 24th-25th: Spain’s Marta Gálvez comes to the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center with La Velada: An Alchemy of Past & Present, fusing flamenco’s past with contemporary expression. 8pm Sat, 2pm Sun.
Music
III Points Music Festival
III Points Music Festival photography by ADINAYEV
Now in its 13th year, III Points Music Festival takes over Mana Wynwood for two days of nonstop music, with almost 300 acts across 12 stages on the sprawling five-acre site. Unlike Ultra, the bands and DJ’s at III Points run the gamut from hip-hop to indie rock to electronic, with 100+ local Miami bands thrown in the mix. Headliners include hip-hop legend Lil’ Kim, uber-chill indie band Men I Trust, and techno queen Charlotte de Witte. You can check out the full lineup of artists here.
October 16th-17th, 4pm-4am, Mana Wynwood, $160-$475
Neighborhood: Wynwood
Nearby Eats: Lira House, Pari Pari, 1-800-Lucky | Drinks: III Points has you covered there
Violinist Jennifer Koh with New World Symphony
New World Symphony plays the giants of the late 20th century: Philip Glass, Steve Reich and Igor Stravinsky. Grammy-winning violinist Jennifer Koh joins the New World Fellows to take on Glass’s propulsive, swirling Violin Concerto. Get tickets.
October 24th-25th, 7:30pm Saturday, 2pm Sunday, New World Center, $25-$45
Neighborhood: Lincoln Road
Nearby Eats: Casa Tua, Blue Ribbon Sushi, Pauline | Drinks: Sweet Liberty, Water Lion at the Sagamore
More Upcoming Music:
Thursday, October 15th: Our nation’s oldest band, the US Marine Band, plays a concert at UM’s Knight Innovation Center, with the performance projected onto its floor-to-ceiling windows so you can bring a chair and enjoy the music under the stars, at 7:30pm.
Friday, October 16th: Seraphic Fire, Miami’s award-winning vocal ensemble, opens its season with a Serenade to Music, at the First United Methodist Church at 7:30pm.
Saturday, October 17th: Nu Deco Ensemble, our genre-defying contemporary orchestra, opens its season with a typically varied program of arrangements from Curtis Mayfield to Vivaldi, at Pinecrest Gardens at 8pm.
Sunday, October 18th: Acclaimed pianist Mackenzie Melemed plays a musical journey through 200 years of American piano music, at UM’s Knight Innovation Center at 4pm.
Friday, October 23rd: ZeyZey presents Australian artist Angus Stone, aka Dope Lemon, whose dreamy grooves have built a global following since his 2016 debut, Honey Bones, at 8pm.
Theater
Gablestage: Weather Girl
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. Get tickets.
Through October 18th, 7:30pm evenings, 2pm matinees, Gablestage at the Biltmore, $60-$75
Neighborhood: Coral Gables
Nearby Eats: Kojin 2.0, Buccan, Luca Osteria | Drinks: Bar Zorro, Bar Mini by Zitz Sum
Actors’ Playhouse: Jekyll & Hyde
Actors’ Playhouse kicks off its 39th season with Jekyll & Hyde, the rocking gothic musical thriller inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s timeless tale of ambition and obsession. Featuring musical theater showstoppers like This is the Moment and Someone Like You, the plot follows Dr. Jekyll, whose attempts to eradicate the evil in man instead unleash a super-id alter ego that rampages through London. Get tickets.
Through November 1st, 8pm evenings, 3pm Sunday matinees, Actor’s Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, $65-$100
Neighborhood: Coral Gables
Nearby Eats: Buccan, Francesco, Belluz Pizza | Drinks: Bulla, Maíz y Agave
Art Events
Tunnel Projects Open Studios
I took a friend to Tunnel Projects’ last opening and she joked it seemed like something SNL’s Stefon would recommend (“Miami’s hottest new art space is in the parking garage of a run down Little Havana strip mall. This place has everything…”). Twenty artists now call Tunnel home, including Reginald O’Neal, Alberto Checa, and TP founder Luna Palazzolo-Daboul, and they’ll be opening their studios to the public this Thursday. It’s a little hard to find, but just follow the crowd. Get more info.
Thursday, October 15th, Tunnel Projects (300 SE 12th Ave.), 7-10pm, Free
Neighborhood: Little Havana
Nearby Eats: Tín Tín, Lung Yai Thai Tapas (get a beer from the cooler while you wait), Ahi Sushi Bar | Drinks: Cafe La Trova, Ball & Chain
More Art Events:
Thursday, October 15th: PAMM presents a discussion with Bahamian-born ceramicist Anina Major on the opening night of The Sacred Mangrove, a new exhibit of her large-scale ceramic “baskets,” at 7pm.
Saturday, October 17th: KDR Gallery opens Mirage, a new exhibit by Ivorian-American artist Monsieur Zohore, with a reception from 5-8pm.
Saturday, October 17th: Baker—Hall Gallery celebrates the opening of I’ve seen a bird before, an immersive textile installation by artist Jen Clay, with a reception from 6-9pm.
Saturday, October 17th: Mindy Solomon Gallery opens exhibits for four artists, including local textile artist and Dimensions Variable co-founder Frances Trombly, with a reception 6-8:30pm.
Thursday, October 22nd: UM’s Lowe Art Museum hosts a public reception to celebrate the opening of Young, Gifted, and Black: The Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection, featuring 52 works by 49 leading contemporary artists, from 7-9pm.
Book Talks
Michael Lewis with Dave Barry
Books & Books welcomes internationally bestselling author Michael Lewis (Liar’s Poker, Moneyball, The Blind Side, The Big Short), whose nonfiction has shaped our national discourse for decades, to discuss his new book, Blockers, with none other than Miami comedy legend Dave Barry. Blockers examines the stories of six federal workers who believed they had a calling - that they were doing something the country couldn’t do without - only to get axed by DOGE. If Lewis’ previous work is any guide, he’ll make these stories positively Shakespearean. Free with RSVP!
Monday, October 12th, 7pm, Coral Gables Congregational Church, Free or $35 (incl. one book copy)
Neighborhood: Coral Gables
Nearby Eats: Luca Osteria, Zitz Sum, Rò Steakhouse | Drinks: Sospiro Wine Bar, Books & Books Café
More Literary Events:
Tuesday, October 20th: Former Congresswoman and U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services Donna Shalala interviews author and Presidential Advisor Raj Panjabi, M.D. about his new book, Safer: A Playbook, about navigating our current healthcare crisis, at Books & Books at 7pm.
Friday, October 23rd: Miami Beach Botanical Garden presents Folklore & Foliage: An Oddities, Arts & Literary Gathering, featuring author Thomas Smith, reading from his new book, Ghosts of the Florida Atlantic Coast, plus on-the-fly poetry by The Biscayne Poet, tarot card readings, live music and cocktails. 6-11pm.
Sunday, October 25th: The Betsy Hotel and Books & Books welcome bestselling historical fiction author Madeline Martin to discuss her latest book, A Time for Witches, at The Betsy at 4pm.
Indie Cinema
First Look at Palme d’Or Winner Fjord
“Fjord,” Palme d’Or winner at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve.
Coral Gables Art Cinema presents the Miami theatrical premiere of Fjord, winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, starring Sebastian Stan and indie darling Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value, The Worst Person in the World). This comes as a relief for everyone who missed out on tickets for Miami Film Festival’s sold-out “preview” screening two days earlier. People are psyched for this movie! Get tickets.
Friday, October 16th, 1:30pm, Coral Gables Art Cinema, $13
Neighborhood: Coral Gables
Nearby Eats: Belluz Pizza, Luca Osteria, Eating House | Drinks: Books & Books Café, Cebada Rooftop
More Upcoming Cinema:
Saturday, October 17th: The 4th Annual Greek Film Festival takes over UM’s Bill Cosford Cinema for a full day of features and shorts from Greece, 12:45-8:15pm.
Planning Ahead
GEMS Festival Closing Night: Club Kid
A still from “Club Kid,” 2026, directed by Jordan Firstman.
Miami Film Festival closes out its fall GEMS fest with a screening of Club Kid, the story of a hard-partying manchild whose 10-year-old son - a child he never knew he had - arrives suddenly in his life. Both hilarious and tender, this film was a sensation at the Cannes Film Festival. GEMS tickets sell like wildfire, so I’d book these tickets right now.
Thursday, November 5th, 7pm, MDC Koubek Center Theater, $25
Neighborhood: Little Havana
Nearby Eats: Tín Tín, Lung Yai Thai Tapas (get a beer from the cooler while you wait), Ahi Sushi Bar | Drinks: Cafe La Trova, Ball & Chain
Florida Grand Opera: Lucia di Larramoor
Florida Grand Opera opens its season with Donizetti’s bel canto masterpiece of love and insanity, Lucia di Larramoor, featuring one of opera’s most legendary, blood soaked “mad scenes” (see above). So what happened? Well, poor Lucia loves Edgardo, her family’s sworn enemy, but after her brother tricks her into a politically suitable marriage, she discovers Edgardo does still love her and bloodily murders the new guy. It’s all very romantic, apparently. Get tickets.
November 14th-17th, Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Arsht, $32-$386
Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District
Nearby Eats: Casadonna, Klaw, Yamashiro | Drinks: Rooftop by Klaw, Vice Versa
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