Miami Nightlife • A Complete Guide

Welcome to Miami’s #1 nightlife guide.

On this page, you’ll discover the vibrant and varied nightlife scene in Miami. You’ll find the perfect venue for you and your preferred night out. Whether you want to go all-out clubbing or if you’d like a more laid back dinner and drinks with a view, we’ve got your covered.

Enjoy!

From the Hollywood style beaches, to tall skylines and leg breaking dance floors Miami has got it all.

The city known for its tropical climate through the year definitely knows how to party. It is the cultural, economical and financial centre of south Florida.

Located on the south of United states this city is an ideal place if you want to see the best of United states from sky high buildings to white sand beaches to places where you can party all night. The city also has a prominent Latino culture and you can see traces of that in the party scenes as well.

Greater Downtown Miami has one of the largest concentrations of international banks in the United States and is home to many large national and international companies. The Civic Center is a major centre for hospitals, research institutes, medical centres, and biotechnology industries. For more than two decades, the Port of Miami, known as the “Cruise Capital of the World”, has been the number one cruise passenger port in the world. It accommodates some of the world’s largest cruise ships and operations, and is the busiest port in both passenger traffic and cruise lines. Metropolitan Miami is also a major tourism hub in the south-eastern U.S. for international visitors, ranking number two in the country after New York City.

The large number of locals and a great influx of tourists from all over the globe need a solid entertainment industry and Miami has that covered. It has some great restaurants, bars, pubs, clubs, discotheques among other options. The beach area in Miami is something that one should not miss when in the city. Let us look at the best of these places for nightlife in Miami.

Our Favourite Videos on the Miami Nightlife

We’re all visual learners nowadays 😉

Therefore here are two videos that do a superb job of giving you an overview of what you’ll expect on a night out in Miami as well as a few MUST-VISIT locations.

The first video is a classic top 10 list, enjoy:

The second video gives you a wonderful POV perspective on how the vibe is on a night out in Miami, defintely worth watching!

Nightlife in Miami

Some of the best things to do in Miami happen after dark and this is certainly true for Miami nightlife. This city comes alive when the lights are low, the music is up, and the drinks are flowing. Miami is a city known for amazing nightlife, and no wonder: the best clubs in Miami are among the best in the world, hedonistic havens where you can sway to Latin beats or throw down to thumping tunes from the world’s biggest DJs. But there’s more to Miami nightlife than that: There are also the best bars in Miami, which consist of late-night eateries, splashy cocktail dens and LGBT hot spots that keep us partying well after the sun sets on South Beach. So, don’t be afraid to get a little nocturnal. Our Miami coffee shops are here waiting for you in the morning.

Best Locations for Nightlife in Miami

Miami is extremely famous for its nightlife, and it’s no mystery as to why. The glitzy nightclubs of South Beach are imploding with excess every night, and there’s always a raging party in one of Wynwood’s many bars and outdoor lounges. Whether you’re planning an endless night out on the town or just in the mood for a drink, these are the best places to visit for the nightlife.

Brickell

When Brickellistas are done working in their suits all day, they loosen their ties and head for a happy hour at any of the nearby fancy places in their neighbourhood. The business district is teeming with cocktail bars, lounges, and cool hangout spots to meet a cute someone. Make a pit stop for delicious concoctions at RedBar, some Latin dancing at Sidebar, or spend the night jamming to ’90s mixtapes at Blackbird Ordinary. Drinks and all-around perfect views of the city’s skyline make this place a must-see. The area is primarily a luxury hotel zone, complete with the hotels J.W. Marriott and the Conrad along Brickell Avenue, but you can always find some individual var or another.

Downtown

Clad with charming 1920s architecture, Downtown Miami was once the home of the city’s oldest bar, Tobacco Road. The empty buildings are now seeing new development in the form of trendy hotels, bars, and co-working spaces that are bringing people back to the sleepy area. Pedestrian-friendly and within walking distance to the Metro mover and Metrorail, Downtown is great due to its proximity to Biscayne Boulevard, Brickell, and South Beach. A few nearby spots to visit are The Corner, the Langford Hotel’s rooftop bar, Club Space, and E11even—the club with its burlesque shows is open 24/7. There’s also a share of touristy spots worth a visit in the daytime, such as the Gesu Church—the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Miami is a perfect place to repent after a questionable night!

Wynwood

Surrounded by sketchy areas through which you wouldn’t want to stroll by yourself in the evenings, this up-and-coming neighbourhood is primarily made up of warehouses turned into lofts. Otherwise, it’s a nightlife paradise with plenty of low-key dive bars such as Gramps and Wood Tavern plus outdoor hangout spots like Wynwood Yard. In the daytime, you can meander and look at the graffiti murals and catch a coffee break at hipster coffee shops, including Panther and Vice City Bean.

Miami Beach

The king of nightlife is your place to stay if you want to party—hard. South Beach’s Collins Avenue is dotted with fabulous nightclubs such as LIV, Mynt, Wall Lounge, Basement, and many others, where rubbing shoulders with celebrities is the norm. Book a stay on Ocean Drive in South Beach to be near Mango’s, STORY, and Nikki Beach. And let’s not forget spots like Washington Avenue with a plethora of retro-cool cocktail bars, including the local favorite, Employees Only. Anywhere you stay on the island is certain to be within walking distance from a damn good time.

Coconut Grove

Edging towards the suburbs, Coconut Grove is south of Brickell but still packs in a good nightlife scene for cheaper than the beach. In between US-1 and Biscayne Bay, the forested neighbourhood is a scenic place to explore in the daytime, and in the evenings, it’s pulsating with fancy and low-key bars along Cocowalk.

So, these are the best places in Miami where one can enjoy the nightlife. Be it a fancy date or after work unwinding or to dance your feet off or to just grab a drink or two, these locations provide options for all of these. And make sure you stay in one of these locations to witness the nightlife.

No disrespect to the other magnificent parts of our city, but the best Miami beaches are probably the biggest reason so many folks travel all the way down to our distant corner of South Florida. Say the word Miami anywhere around the world, and most people will immediately picture a beach. The reason: Miami has some very beautiful ones. And they come in many different flavours too. Want to party after hitting up one of Miami’s best bottomless brunches? Head to South Beach. Looking for something more serene? Try Surfside. the truth is, regardless of the type of beachgoer you fancy yourself, Miami’s got the right beach for you. Plus, some are literal walking distance from the best tacos in Miami. Here is the list of best beaches in Miami:

• 21ST Street Beach is famous for its locations, just north of the south beach chaos. Has broad walkways along the beach where one can jog, walk or just sit and observe people.
• Lummus Park Beach is not the place to be if you are looking for a relaxed laid down experience. The place is bright and vibrant, this is the place that most people see in Hollywood movies.
• Haulover Beach A family friendly beach with clean sands and water. Ideal for someone who is looking to go and play in the water rather than just sit and watch the beach.
• South Pointe Park Pier Offers a rounded experience for anyone visiting the place. It has a playground, picnic area, fishing pier and great views of cruise ships.
• Surfside is a sleepy residential enclave less than a mile, Surfside exudes a small beach town vibe. Everyone knows each other and there’s a true neighbourhood feeling to the town.

Miami is almost synonymous with beaches and your visit to Miami would be incomplete without visiting any of these beaches. There are also tons of sea food restaurants, beach bars and star hotels that one can visit along these beaches. So, what are you waiting for, get your beach clothes ready and head to one of these gems!

Best Bars of Miami

The city of Miami loves to drink, which means the best bars in Miami hold a special place in our heart. We go to them in times of need, celebration and for almost all the special or wait even the not so special moments. Bless the best museums in Miami and, of course, the best beaches in Miami but—if we’re being really, really honest—we just couldn’t live without the bars in Miami. They’re where we go for first dates and right after work ends every Friday and to sip slowly on the best piña colada in the world. We know it’s going to take a while but if you consider yourself a bar connoisseur, you’ve really got to check out all of these spots.
Here is the list of the best bars in Miami:

Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Company

Sweet liberty drinks and supply company is located on the south beach side of Florida. This is the best bar in this city and—in fact it can be called the best bar in the entire state of Florida. How does Sweet Liberty so consistently earn this honour? Simply put: it’s fun. This bar has that special energy that makes you want to put down your phone, pick up your drink (some of Miami’s best, by the way) and relax. Happy hour runs daily from 4pm to 7pm and features 75 cent oysters and $5 drinks. And stop by anytime for the best piña colada in the south.

Lost Boy

This bar located on the downtown area of Miami is helping to put Downtown Miami back on the drinking map. Lost Boy—a former denim shop—doesn’t go out of its way to impress you or pander to the Instagram crowd. It’s simple, effective and delicious. In Miami, that’s a rare trifecta. The bar is famous for throwing darts and drinking gin and tonics.

The Broken Shaker

This bar showed Miami just how delicious cocktails could be. This intimate, tropical outdoor bar that lives inside the Freehand hostel has become a must-visit for any informed drinker passing through the city. Thankfully, the bar hasn’t lost any of its magic over the years and remains the North Star of Miami cocktail culture. The Broken Shaker’s insanely delicious punch bowls are perfect for small groups who don’t feel like trekking back and forth to the bar. It is located on the Miami beach area of the city.

The Anderson

This place has one of the best bar tending crews in the whole of Miami or even the whole of Florida. The drinks here follow a seasonally rotating menu and are out of the world material. Design buffs will also get a kick out of the retro space, which blends old-school piano bar, with upscale cocktail lounge and tiki hut. Somehow the place fits perfectly for anyone who visits this place. Also, Night owls should take full advantage of Anderson’s late-night happy hour Tuesday through Thursday from midnight to 2am.

Best Bar Restaurants of Miami

Sometimes after a long tiring day after work or even just sightseeing you might need to grab some good food for your tummy and grab a few drinks for your soul. And what better place to go than a bar restaurants which provides good food along with some great drinks. Isn’t that a great combination? Miami has some great bar restaurants of different themes in almost all the prominent areas and here are our top picks:

27

Located on the Miami beach, this place with a short and sweet name offers an equally short and sweet drinks and food menu. Located near the famous Broken Shaker restaurant, this place has a restaurant on the first floor and a full-fledged bar on the second floor. The place is air conditioned and offers cosy interiors. Ideal for a romantic date.

Drunken Dragon

Let’s take a moment and analyse the name of this bar restaurant “Drunken Dragon” – when drunk is in the name of the place then it is kind of given that the place ought to have a good bar and dragon refers to the food that this place serves, food from the land of the dragons. It’s one of the few places in town you can get an authentic tiki drink, which pair perfectly with its Korean inspired eats. The place is located on the Miami beach.

Zuma

One of Miami’s swankiest dining programs also happens to have one of the city’s most progressive bar programs. The separate bar area inside Zuma is packed nightly with beautiful people sipping on equally as beautiful drinks. The menu is exotic and offers a brilliant treat for your senses. This place has great interiors and is ideal for anyone who is looking for a date night.

Yardside Southern Table & Bar

Located on the Miami beach. This place offers an open ambiance for its visitors. As Miami’s preeminent soul food inspired restaurant, Yardbirds’s popular bar is an ode to all thing’s bourbon — the elixir of the South. Think mint juleps, old fashioned’s and bourbon-spiked lemonade. If you want to get an authentic taste of south, then this is the place to be.

Edge, Steak and Bar

Edge because it is located at the edge of the city of Miami. Steak because this place serves the best steaks in the whole of the city. And bar because the drinks here are so damn good. That brings us to the place edge, steak and bar. The place is ideal for anyone planning to feast on a few steaks and down a few drinks. The place is crowded for most parts of the day and night, so make sure that you get a reservation done before hand, after all who likes to wait?

Finka Table and Tap

This place proves that not all the good places need to be situated in the east side of Miami. Finka table and tap where one can grab some food on the fable and a few drinks from the tap. The place has a long menu for drinks and a huge variety of beers from around the globe. The menu is also rotated on a regular basis providing a nice variety for the customers visiting frequently.

Apart from the bar restaurants mentioned above there are also a large number of restaurants which are good here is a list of few of these places:

• Lure Fishbar
• Matador Room
• Michael’s genuine food and drink
• The river oyster bar

The eating scene in a bar restaurant in Miami would likely mean eating some excellent sea food. But these days the bar restaurants serve a huge diversity of cuisines from across the globe with some equally great cocktails. No one would mistake these spots for proper sit-down restaurants, but if one drink turned into a few, it’d be easy to make a meal out of their excellent dishes. These are the best bars for scoring a standout meal.

Major Events in Miami

Miami is a city known for its party culture and the city is blessed with some of the best beaches in the world. There are events happening through the year in the city of Miami and Some of these events are so spectacular we keep them on the books each and every year. Below is the list of annual events you can always count on coming back. From a mango festival to the PGA Tour, you’ll find something that will make your trip to Miami an annual affair.

January:

• Art Deco Weekend
• Fitbit Miami marathon and half marathon

February:

• Miami international boat show
• Coconut grove arts festival
• Gay8 Festival
• Food network and cooking Chanel south beach wine and food festival

March:

• Carnival Miami
• Calle Ocho
• Miami Open
• Ultra-Music festival

April:

• Miami Beach pride
• Miami outshine film festival
• Miami beach polo world cup

May:

• Miami Rolling loud

June:

• American black film festival

July:

• Miami’s funkshion swim week

September:

• Aqua Girl

October:

• Celebrate Orgullo

November:

• Miami international auto show
• Miami Book fair
• Nascar’s ford championship weekend

December:

• Art Basel Miami beach

As you can see most of these events are centred around the beach and they offer a good sneak peek into the culture and traditions of Miami. Make sure to visit a few of these fests whenever you are in Miami during any of the above months. These fests will provide a tourist an opportunity to experience the culture, vibe and the energy of Miami in its true sense. And most of these fests are organized in a particular location of the city so if you are planning to visit these fests make sure to book your hotels accordingly in the locations. And these fests are full of music, dance, drama, food, drinks and fiesta off course, Miami at its best.

What time does the nightlife peak in Miami?

The city of Miami is bustling with energy and activities through the day. The city being the hub for various industries and office houses witnesses some busy pathways, metros and underground subways in the world. There are tons of activities going on through the day that one can be part of. These activities start early in the morning till the sun sets in the city. Most of these events are in the beautiful beaches that is almost synonymous with the word Miami. These beaches offer freshness and calm to any visitor.
But, once the sun sets and the city is engulfed in artificial lights that is when the other side of Miami, the night life face of Miami comes alive. Though most of the pubs, bars, bar restaurants are open through the day, they offer special settings or events for the evenings. These events could include a live music performance or an instrument show. These are held mainly in the evenings.
Wait, if partying hard is what you are looking for then you got to have patience my friend, because they start late in the night and go on till the early hours of the morning. These parties peak around midnight, they witness maximum crowds around this time with the best line-ups of the evening. So, it would always be a good idea to visit one of the bars where you can grab some food and a few drinks in the early evenings and then head to these party places during the midnight. That way one can experience the best of both the world that the city has to offer. Put those dancing shoes on, loosen your clothes and get ready to dance your way off in Miami.

Best Night clubs of Miami

Join the party on the dance floor and find out first-hand why Miami is world-renowned for its high-energy nightlife. Whether you’re looking for a mega club with headlining DJs, a chill lounge to let loose or a funky Latin spot to test your salsa skills; Miami’s got a dance club for you. So, put on your dancing shoes and get ready for a night in the city of Miami.
Here is the list of best night clubs in Miami:

Liv

When it comes to an epic party in Miami, there’s no place like LIV nightclub. Located inside the legendary Fontainebleau resort, the 18,000-square-foot mega club boasts a domed ceiling, impressive light shows and VIP tables lining the dance floor and mezzanine. World class DJs such as David Guetta, Steve Angello and Tiësto are regulars here, laying down the beats that make the crowd bounce. That’s when the confetti starts flying and glow sticks come out. Bring your A game, this is one of the toughest velvet ropes in town.
Story
Story is even bigger and has an emphasis on the electronic underground. This sexy and circus-style party playground plays host to subversive artists like Guy Gerber, Dubfire and Lee Foss; but mainstream DJs like NERVO, Steve Aoki and Calvin Harris are also regulars here. The enormous space features a massive DJ booth, pulsating lights and live entertainers to complement the state-of-the-art infinite Hybrid Sound System beats.

Rec Room

Rec Room is a cool, subterranean lounge at the Gale Hotel, and has been a perennial hotspot ever since it opened. The wood-panelled design, with various knick-knacks and stacks of old records for décor, is a welcome contrast to all that glitters in South Beach. As for the soundtrack, it’s a refreshing mash-up of throwback hits from the Eighties and Nineties, lending an air of light heartedness to the party and lots of smiles on the dance floor.

Basement

A hip new hangout inside The Miami Beach EDITION hotel, Basement takes nightlife to another level. There’s a place to dance – dubbed Discobox and created by Ian Schrager of legendary Studio 54 fame (he’s also the mastermind of the hotel). And there are a couple of very cool concepts that you won’t find anywhere else, like a four-lane bowling alley and an ice-skating rink. Discobox’s sound skews towards nu-disco, and they host a variety of themed parties throughout the week with both visiting and local DJs on the decks.

El Tucan

El Tucán is a Brickell hotspot bringing back a bygone era of dinner clubs, a Lá Tropicana. Here, guests can enjoy dinner and a show by famous Latin music artists like Tito Puente Jr. and Afrobeta, as well as the El Tucán house band, led by Grammy Award-winning pianist and composer Marlow Rosado. Serving a Latin fusion menu with drinks by Bar Lab (the masterminds behind The Broken Shaker), El Tucán is a sophisticated option for Miami entertainment. With two dinner seating, dance the night away to live music and stay late when the DJ takes over after midnight.

Mango’s Tropical Café

For an “Only in South Beach” experience, stumble into Mango’s Tropical Cafe on Ocean Drive, belly up to the bar and order whatever tropical libation suits your fancy. Day or night, it’s only a matter of time before dancers dressed in feathered headdresses, colourful flamenco-style skirts, and skin-tight glittering spandex scale the bar to perform. At night, the crowd joins in the dance party surrounding the bar for a fun night out.

E11EVEN

One of Miami’s new nightlife hotspots, E11EVEN is found inside a massive entertainment complex in Downtown Miami open 24-hours a day. A self-described “immersive” experience, E11EVEN is part-cabaret and part-night club featuring dancers, DJs and other performers as the main event. The club also boasts a rooftop restaurant and lounge, Touché by Top Chef alum Carla Pellegrino.

you should certainly head to one of these destinations. One can see the energy of Miami in these places.

Live Music Bars in Miami

The best live music venues in Miami occupy a broad spectrum of tastes. Like so much in this city, the diversity will make your head spin. Want sweaty punk mosh-pits? You got it. Would you rather sip wine and listen to jazz? No problem. Is it authentic Cuban sounds you’re after. Obviously, we’ve got that. Sure, Miami has a national dance music reputation thanks to the best clubs in Miami, but our music scene is nothing to sneeze at. We have given this world Miami bass, the Estefans and plenty more still to come. Here are the clubs and venues where you can see the best concerts in Miami:

Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theatre for the Performing Arts

The Fillmore is a historic venue that has been in Miami Beach since 1950, at one point used for the filming of The Jackie Gleason Show. Today it’s controlled by Live Nation and hosts some serious touring acts such as Father John Misty, Janelle Monae and more. The Fillmore is Miami’s live music sweet spot, hosting acts not big enough for an arena but too large for local clubs. Thankfully, the venue is a pleasure to use, operating smoothly and quite easy on the eyes too.

Las Rosas

A rock bar with just the right amount of grime. Las Rosas sits in Allapattah (a short jaunt from Wynwood) and frequently hosts live, local music with a stellar sound system and plenty of booze. Las Rosas is a kind of music venue that is not all that common in Miami anymore. Free, local music is a dying breed in this city, but you can find it here, loud and proud. There are mosh pits, queer parties and more surprises every night.

Wynwood Yard

Wynwood yard is a bohemian outdoor music venue bordered by food trucks and other local vendors. The music here is generally pretty chill—everything from reggae to folk music—and makes for a solid date night. You need to visit this place because it’s a nice night out and the Wynwood Yard has everything you need: food, drinks, scenery and live (mostly free) music.

Hoy Como Ayer

Hoy Como Ayer is little Havana’s home for authentic Cuban music. This place is snug, loud and hosts the best Latin music you’ll see in Miami. Dance skills will be put to the test here, for sure. No bar in this city transports you to another country as convincingly as Hoy Como Ayer. English speakers may find themselves miming to their servers but that is part of the fun. This place should be on the top of everyone’s Miami bucket list.

Frequently Asked Questions about the nightlife in Miami

Conclusion

Miami located in the southern side of the United states of America is in the state of South Florida and is economical capital of the region. The city is the sixth largest in the united states and one of the most densely populated in the country. Miami enjoy a nice tropical weather almost through the year.

The city is synonymous with its beaches and it has some of the most beautiful, pristine beaches in the world. These beaches are a must visit for anyone as they also offer other fun activities along their coasts. There are also a large number of beach bars, pubs and restaurants around these beaches.

Miami is also one of the highest visited cities in the united states and also has a strong local population, this has given rise to a huge entertainment industry in Miami. The nightlife here is very vibrant and it has a good mix of pubs, bars, bar restaurants, nightclubs, discotheques and live music bars amongst other attractions. The city has something to offer for everyone.

There are events happening through the year in the city of Miami and one can visit the city to witness any of these events. These events are mostly related to history, arts, seasons or modern-day events. But, be assured all these events are celebrated with a lot of fanfare and charm.

The nightlife in this city starts generally late in the night and peaks around mid-night and goes on till the early hours of the mornings. Most of these places get very crowded during the weekend so make sure to grab those tickets early and get to the venue.

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