Best Places to Find Music In Miami

Live music is never hard to find in Greater Miami and Miami Beach, and you’d be hard pressed to walk down a busy street without hearing salsa, reggaeton or bachata pouring out of a busy nightclub. The Miami music scene isn’t limited to dance floors, though. Theaters, performance halls and arenas throughout the area host everything from classical music to world-famous pop stars. Miami has a number of organizations devoted to live music, including symphony orchestras and a Grammy-nominated vocal group. So if you’re looking to hear some of Miami’s best musicians live, here are the best places to go.

New World Center

The state-of-the-art New World Center in South Beach isn’t just a place to watch one of the most exciting young symphony orchestras in the world. The concert hall is a leader in innovative new ways to introduce audiences to classical music, including late-night performances with live DJs and frequent parties. From October to May, the New World Center also hosts WALLCAST® concerts, where the evening’s performance is broadcast on the building’s 7,000-square-foot exterior wall and people watch from picnic blankets in SoundScape Park.

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Downtown Miami is Miami’s crown jewel for performing arts, home to the Miami City Ballet. In addition to its two resident companies, the Arsht Center also hosts touring Broadway shows in the Ziff Ballet Opera House as well as frequent concerts by artists from across the world. Next door, the John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall is an acoustic gem, a smaller space than the grand opera house where big-name touring acts play in a more intimate space. And Live on the Plaza features performances by an all-local lineup of artists, with cabaret-style seating on the outdoor Thomson Plaza for the Arts.

James L. Knight Center

Tucked inside Downtown Miami’s Hyatt Regency Miami, the James L. Knight Center has been hosting live music since 1982. The theater is ideal for smaller acts and niche genre music festivals, from throwback R&B concerts to Caribbean showcases. The Knight Center feels more like a large auditorium than an arena, providing a closer vantage point to catch artists that often play much larger stages.

Kaseya Center

Best known as home to the NBA’s Miami HEAT, Downtown Miami’s Kaseya Center (formerly the FTX and American Airlines arenas) also hosts some of the biggest names in popular music when they make their way through town. Everyone from Britney Spears to Bad Bunny has headlined the Kaseya Center stage. And with a location conveniently set a block from the Freedom Tower Metromover station, it’s an easy venue to catch a show without stressing about traffic or parking.

The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater

This Lincoln Road icon got its name from its role as the filming locale for "The Jackie Gleason Show, " which broadcast from the Art Deco gem during its run in the 1960s. Today, The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater is one of the most unique music venues in the nation, a perfectly preserved remnant from Miami Beach’s Rat Pack era that’s hosted awards shows, stand-up comedy festivals and world-famous musicians. You’ll also find the odd electronic music act coming through. Seats are removed from the theater’s main floor and it turns into a pulsating dance club.

FPL Solar Amphitheater at Bayfront Park

Set right on Biscayne Bay in Bayfront Park, just south of the Kaseya Center, you’ll find the FPL Solar Amphitheater, one of the most picturesque outdoor music venues in the United States. Artists perform against the backdrop of Downtown Miami’s colorful skyline, while concertgoers look out at the cruise ships at PortMiami and the glistening bay. It’s a popular spot for electronic music acts to play night performances with mesmerizing light shows, hosting groups like Rüfüs du Sol and headliners from the Ultra Music Festival. The amphitheater is also a favorite among touring indie bands, who opt for its balmy outdoor environs over smaller indoor clubs.

Live Music Organizations

Frost School of Music

Look no further than University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, which has produced music legends including Bruce Hornsby, Ben Folds and Jon Secada. Looking to discover the next generation of great musical talent? Performances from jazz ensembles, chamber music groups and everything in between are typically held at the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall on the Coral Gables campus, but the school recently opened a gleaming new concert hall at the Knight Center for Music Innovation.

New World Symphony

The New World Symphony straddles the line between student orchestra and professional company. It's a group of highly talented young musicians granted fellowships to hone their craft. The symphony plays in New World Center in Miami Beach, one of the most technologically advanced concert halls in America, and blends classical style with modern touches, often including live singers and DJs in their shows. 

Florida Grand Opera

Opera lovers need look no further than the Ziff Ballet Opera House stage, which Florida Grand Opera calls home from November to April. This season, FGO takes on “I Pagliacci,” the tale of the tragic clown, and “La Boheme,” the opera that inspired “Rent.” The company also does periodic SongFest concerts, bringing classical opera selections to local churches and community centers.

Cleveland Orchestra

Miami certainly has its share of seasonal residents, but only one of them is a world-renowned symphony orchestra. Winter’s most welcomed snowbird is the Cleveland Orchestra, which plays a series of shows at Downtown Miami’s Arsht Center when the weather in Ohio turns cold. 

Seraphic Fire

Best known for its rousing Christmas performances, Seraphic Fire has been Miami’s pre-eminent vocal performance group since its founding in 2002. Its awe-inspiring shows range far beyond the holidays, with themed concerts surrounding different composers and styles. The Grammy-nominated group is almost as lauded for its youth programs as for its performances, launching the Miami Choral Academy in 2009 that evolved into the Seraphic Fire Youth Initiative in 2016.

Orchestra Miami

No musical organization intertwines itself with the city and its residents quite like Orchestra Miami. Its signature event is Beethoven on the Beach, a free performance that has proven so popular, it now includes shows at Pinecrest Gardens and Gateway Park in Sunny Isles Beach in addition to the original at the Miami Beach Bandshell. Orchestra Miami’s goal of accessibility to everyone leads it all over Miami, offering family-friendly presentations everywhere from Zoo Miami in South Dade to Downtown Miami’s First United Methodist Church.

Miami Symphony Orchestra

The Miami Symphony Orchestra is the City of Miami’s official professional symphony, playing classical and chamber music for over 35 seasons. Most performances are in the acoustically spectacular Knight Concert Hall at the Adrienne Arsht Center, but you can also find the 90-piece orchestra at Peacock Park in Coconut Grove and Downtown Doral Park and enjoy chamber music shows at its Miami Design District home base.

Chopin Foundation of the United States

The Chopin Foundation of the United States was founded in 1977 to help support promising young musical talent through scholarships and public performance opportunities. Every five years, it holds the National Chopin Piano Competition, where young pianists compete to advance to the international competition in Warsaw, Poland. The foundation also produces an annual Chopin for All concert series, which showcases promising pianists at venues throughout the area.

Dranoff 2 Piano Foundation

2 Piano is a highly respected musical form with repertoires ranging from jazz to Latin and classical. Miami’s Dranoff 2 Piano Foundation is one of the world’s largest promoters of 2 piano, bringing the format to Miami-Dade schools through its annual Piano Slam. It also offers a full series of live concerts, which includes Opera Meets Jazz, West African Beats and Cuba 2024 this season.