The annual South Beach Seafood Festival runs Oct. 21st-24th. Photo courtesy of South Beach Seafood Festival and CI Management.
I was hoping to get a full newsletter out for you guys today, but the truth is I’m on vacation (in Morocco!) and I’d be a fool to spend too much of it tapping away in my hotel room. So below, you will find an admittedly brief rundown of upcoming events.
This week’s headliner: the annual South Beach Seafood Festival, which heralds the beginning of stone crab season like the Macy’s Parade brings Santa into NYC.
The four-day crustacean bacchanal on the sands of Miami Beach starts Wednesday, featuring two nights of tasting dinners, the VIP Chef Showdown on Friday, and the all-inclusive Seafood Slam finale on Saturday, where you can sample dishes from 50+ restaurants and vote for the Best of the Fest.
And don’t forget to grab your tickets for Miami Film Festival’s GEMS fest asap!
Let’s get planning…
Jump to: Music, Theater, Indie Cinema, Art Events, Book Talks, Dance, or Planning Ahead
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Indie Cinema
GEMS Fest Opening Night
A still from “Debut,” 2026, directed by Jesse Eisenberg.
The main Miami Film Festival is in April, but each fall, MFF presents GEMS, a “mini-fest” of films expected to make waves in the upcoming awards season. Opening night for this year’s fest is a screening of Debut, Jesse Eisenberg’s community theater comedy starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, giving two of the year’s most talked-about performances. *Tickets are still available as of this writing, but if you miss out, there are a ton of screenings to catch before the festival is over. Get your tickets.
Thursday, October 29th, 6pm, MDC Koubek Center Theater, $55
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 Upcoming Cinema:
Wednesday, October 28th: Filmgate Miami presents its annual Horror Festival, a Halloween selection of horror shorts from local creators, at Silverspot Cinema at 6:30pm.
Friday, October 30th: Fangoria Studios and White Elephant Group present a free open-air screening of two horror shorts by local filmmakers before they hit the festival circuit, projected on the wall of New World Center in Soundscape Park, at 7pm. BYOBlanket!
Music
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:
Friday, October 23rd: Acclaimed jazz pianist Gerald Clayton joins UM’s Grammy-nominated Frost Jazz Orchestra for an evening of contemporary jazz, at Gusman Concert Hall at 7:30pm.
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.
Friday, October 30th: The Arsht Center welcomes funky, soul-jazz locals Lemon City Trio for a concert on the plaza, at 7:30pm.
Theater
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
Picasso–Klee–Matisse: Masterpieces Art Talk
Photo credit: Loamis Rodriguez for World Red Eye, courtesy of PAMM
PAMM celebrates the opening of Picasso–Klee–Matisse: Masterpieces from the Museum Berggruen with a free community art talk exploring the themes of the exhibit’s collection of 20th century modernist masters. Consider it 20th Century Art History in a nutshell. If you can’t make the talk, the exhibit, which also includes groundbreaking works by Cézanne and Braque, will be up until November 28th. Get more info.
Thursday, October 29th, 7:30-9pm, PAMM, Free but space is limited so get there early
Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District
Nearby Eats: Verde at PAMM, Vice Versa, Yamashiro | Drinks: Verde, Vice Versa
More Art Events:
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.
Thursday, October 29th: Oolite Arts welcomes international curator and Director of the 2019 Venice Biennale, Ralph Rugoff, for a discussion about the state of the global contemporary art scene, at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex at 7pm.
Saturday, October 31st: Yes, it’s Halloween, but The Betsy Hotel chooses instead to celebrate the closing of From Venice With Love, their full hotel takeover by Haitian artist Edouard Duval-Carrié, with a paella party, complete with Haitian dancers and DJ, at 8pm.
Book Talks
The Hub at Temple Beth Am and Books & Books welcome organizational psychologist and author Adam Grant to celebrate the release of his new book, Vibe. In it, Grant offers a research-backed roadmap to deeper connections and tighter communities. Get tickets.
Monday, October 26th, 7pm, The Hub at Temple Beth Am, $40 (incl. one signed book copy)
Neighborhood: Pinecrest
Nearby Eats: Recoveco, Ghee Indian Kitchen, Beauty & The Butcher | Drinks: Fox’s Lounge, Ivy Rooftop
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.
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.
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
Nu Deco Ensemble with Common
Grammy-, Emmy-, and Oscar-winning artist Common collaborates Nu Deco Ensemble this November.
Nu Deco Ensemble, Miami’s genre-bending contemporary orchestra, is known for its fresh interpretations of popular music and A-list collaborators. This year, they’re welcoming groundbreaking hip hop icon, author, actor, and activist Common for a one-night only show at the Arsht Center. Both Common and Nu Deco radiate positive energy, so I think we can look forward to some inspiration along with full orchestrations of Grammy-winner “Love of My Life” and Oscar-winner “Glory.”
Thursday, November 12th, 8pm, Knight Concert Hall at Arsht, $70-$298
Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District
Nearby Eats: Cafe Fenicia, Bunbury, Giotto | Drinks: The Corner, Kaona Room
Thanks for reading, Culture Lushes! See you back here next week!
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