If you want to see the Beyoncés and Taylor Swifts of the world, there are oversized venues like the downtown Kaseya Center and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. With a 2,700-seat capacity, the Fillmore Miami Beach is the perfect midsized venue for popular touring acts but perhaps not topping the charts.
However, when it comes to small venues, Miami needs more — a lot more. Luckily, spots like the Sandbox Stage in Miami Beach and ZeyZey in Little Haiti are helping fill the void.
So, if you are searching for live music in Miami, here are 11 concert venues that make the cut.
Björk performed with a 32-person string orchestra at the Adrienne Arsht Center.
Photo by Santiago Felipe
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami305-949-6722
arshtcenter.orgDesigned by famed architect César Pelli, the Adrienne Arsht Center was plagued with cost overruns before it officially opened its doors in 2006. During its first few seasons, it had to go dark during the summer months to stay within budget. But despite its rough start, the Arsht Center has become the cornerstone of Miami's cultural venues. It hosts operas, ballets, and Broadway musicals but often sees musical acts grace the stage. The Roots, Björk, Patti LaBelle, Morrissey, and B.B. King are some of the acts that have performed at the venue, with the Knight Concert Hall seeing the bulk of the live music performances. With the perfect acoustics, the concert hall is easily one of the best venues to see a concert.
Bar Nancy
2007 SW Eighth St., Miaminancy305.comThe Little Havana cocktail bar often gets overlooked as a music venue, but it hosts local bands regularly. The acts that grace its stage are often of the indie-rock, punk, and metal varieties, but jazz, acoustic, folk, and hip-hop musicians are no strangers to performing here. Bar Nancy often books more the established local acts, meaning if you are searching for the new blood of the Miami music scene, you'll have to look elsewhere. Still, it deserves props for being the only underground venue in the historic neighborhood.
The Fillmore Miami Beach
1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach305-673-7300
fillmoremb.comThe Fillmore Miami Beach has a long history. It opened in 1951 as the Miami Beach Municipal Auditorium, with comedian Jackie Gleason taking over the venue in 1964 to film his variety show. In 2007, Live Nation took over the venue, upgrading it to the current standard that suits touring acts. Since then, the 2,700-seat venue has hosted acts like LCD Soundsystem, Lizzo, New Order, Robyn, the Deftones, and many more. Live music fans love the Fillmore for its intimate setting that somehow manages to feel grandiose at the same time.
FPL Solar Amphitheater at Bayfront Park
301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami305-358-7550
bayfrontparkamphitheater.comLocated at Bayfront Park, unofficially the city's front lawn overlooking Biscayne Bay, the FPL Solar Amphitheater boasts a 10,000-seat capacity and picturesque views. While watching a concert here during the summer months is a gamble — afternoon rainstorms pose a big threat — it is still a great spot for live music. Performances by Nicki Minaj, Dua Lipa, the Cure, the Kid Laroi, and countless editions of Ultra Music Festival have taken place here. During the mild winter and spring temperatures, there's arguably no better place to watch a national touring act perform live.
Gramps
176 NW 24th St., Miami305-699-2669
gramps.comOne of the last remaining vestiges of the Wynwood that never was, Gramps regularly hosts local bands and visiting acts. Concerts occur under the outdoor, palapa-covered stage or Shirley's, the bar's backroom space. Acts range from experimental electronica and indie-pop to metal, punk, and hip-hop, but all have one thing in common: They're emerging acts with a cult following. Breakeven Booking and Endoxa Booking often book the shows here, with ticket prices averaging around $15. The maximum price I've ever seen for a show is $35.
The Ground
34 NE 11th St., Miami305-375-0001
thegroundmiami.comLocated in downtown Miami at Club Space's ground floor, the concert venue is perhaps one of the more underutilized venues in the city. Since its 2017 opening, the Ground has hosted various musical acts spanning genres from indie rock and metal to R&B and electronic. Some highlights include a before-she-was-big performance by SZA, Shygirl, Bikini Kill, Helado Negro, Jpegmafia, Wavves, and Overmono. It's the perfect indoor venue for touring acts that expect to pull around a crowd of 500.
James L. Knight Center
400 SE Second Ave., Miami305-416-5976
jlkc.com Part of the Miami Convention Center connected to the Hyatt Regency in downtown Miami, the James L. Knight Center often gets overlooked as a legitimate music venue, but the James L. Knight Center is a good midsized venue in the heart of the city. The venue comfortably fits up to 4,500 concertgoers, depending on the configuration. The venue has hosted performances by LCD Soundsystem, Lady Gaga, Lil Nas X, Morat, Jack White, and Playboi Carti. Its wedge-shaped layout means there isn't a bad seat in the house.
Kaseya Center
601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami786-777-1000
kaseyacenter.com Known for a long time as the American Airlines Arena — and then an embarrassingly short time as FTX Arena — the Kaseya Center's primary purpose is to serve as the home of the Miami Heat. Its secondary use is often to host arena-sized concerts. Since opening in 1999, the venue has hosted every pop act imaginable, from Britney Spears to Taylor Swift and Janet Jackson. It also hosted the MTV Video Music Awards in 2004 and 2005. If a chart-topping act will perform in Miami, you better believe the Kaseya Center will be where they play.
Miami Beach Bandshell was designated a historic landmark in 2022.
Photo by DubEra/Courtesy of North Beach Music Festival
Miami Beach Bandshell
7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach305-672-5202
miamibeachbandshell.comFormerly known as the North Beach Bandshell, the venue got its current name after the behest of the Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board. The venue was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022, and it's easy to see why. Designed by architect Normal M. Giller and opened in 1962, the Bandshell features a distinct Miami modern style. It fell into disuse and disrepair in the 1980s and '90s, but ever since the Rhythm Foundation took over the operations in 2015, it has hosted various events every week. It was recently retrofitted with awnings to protect the audience from the sun and rain.
The Sandbox Stage
6752 Collins Ave., Ste. B, Miami Beach786-763-2524
instagram.com/thesandboxstageLocated in the backroom of the Sand Bar + Kitchen in North Beach, the Sandbox Stage is a haven for the local music scene. While out-of-town acts play here occasionally, this venue is squarely for local acts. This is a no-frills space with a more-than-decent sound system and stage for acts to perform. If Miami musicians are going to grow and prosper, they will need more venues like the Sandbox to perform. It makes room for the city's more established acts and up-and-comers still fine-tuning their sound and style.
Since opening in the summer of 2023, ZeyZey has become Little Haiti's go-to outdoor venue.
Photo by World Red Eye
ZeyZey
353 NE 61st St., Miami305-456-2671
zeyzeymiami.comZeyZey, located at the eastern edge of Little Haiti, offers the outdoor venue space the area sorely needs. The venue has flourished thanks to its diverse music programming, booking everything from alternative Latin music and EDM to indie rock and hip-hop. It's hosted acts like Helado Negro, Poolside, Cimafunk, Dorian Electra, and La Dame Blanche. Its upcoming 2025 concert schedule is even more impressive — Sister Sledge, Santigold, Leisure, Future Islands — that ZeyZey might just take the crown.
