The best things to do in Miami this week

Stroll through Little Havana on any given day and you’re nearly guaranteed to hear Buena Vista Social Club. Cuba’s beloved music ensemble became an international sensation during the 1990s with hits like “Chan Chan” and “Tiene Sabor”. Decades later, their influence carries on with the Tony- and Grammy Award-winning musical, Buena Vista Social Club, inspired by the group’s legendary singer, Omara Portuondo. The show runs September 29 through October 4 at the Ziff Ballet Opera House, with tickets starting at $52.65.

Along with the production, the Adrienne Arsht Center is hosting Rhythm & Roots, a free outdoor concert series featuring live music, domino games, historic artifacts, and more. Grab your complimentary ticket in advance, and get there early to navigate parking.

A new citywide cocktail program is offering discounted drinks at some of the best bars and restaurants in Miami, all October long. Back for its second year, ¡Salud! is sort of like the Miami Spice program, but instead of prix-fixe dinner, you get happy hour pricing on exclusive ¡Salud! cocktail menus. The catch? Offers are only available ‘til 10pm. More than 50 local spots are participating this year, including old favorites like Macchialina, Grazianos, Fox’s Lounge, and Sweet Liberty. See what the hype is about at spots like ViceVersa, go for glamour at the Delano’s Rose Bar, or check out newer, curious spots like Lovecat by Bar Not Found.

There’s no musician quite like Thundercat. A virtuoso bassist, singer-songwriter, and anime superfan, the Grammy Award-winning artist brings his eclectic style and jazzy-funk prowess to The Miami Beach Bandshell on Friday, October 2, as part of his "Distracted AF" Tour. Tickets start at $75 for standing general admission. 

On Saturday, October 3, Zoo Miami hosts the first-ever Wild Fork Meat & Seafood Festival featuring live cooking demonstrations, animal encounters, and a dedicated kids zone. General admission tickets ($75 for adults, $25 for children) include all-you-can-eat selections of premium meats and seafood dishes, and unlimited wine and beer for guests ages 21 and older. Come for the delicious eats, stay for the tiger feeding and chance encounters with Ron Magill.

‘Tis the season for jump scares and gut-wrenching screams. In other words, House of Horror is back. The annual South Florida scare-fest returns for its 25th year, September 24 through November 1, at an all-new location: Tropical Park. Included with general admission, five haunted houses and unlimited carnival rides await, if you dare. Outdoor scare zones, live entertainment, and food and drink vendors keep things light between the action. Or, brave souls can test their nerves on Howie’s Blind Terror, a pitch-dark rollercoaster run by psychopathic clowns. Fun! Keep an eye out for weekday deals and special theme nights (October 13 is Country Night). 

Foodies, rejoice! Miami Spice has extended through October 31, offering special-priced three-course menus at over 300 local restaurants. Prix-fixe menus start at $40 for brunch and lunch, and range $50-$65 for dinner, excluding tax and gratuity. A new “Reserve” tier ups the elegance with $95 signature experiences. Check out a Michelin-starred darling in the Grove, savor Peruvian ceviche in Kendall, or see what’s newly opened in Doral. Or why not do it all? Explore the full list of Miami Spice 2026 participating restaurants.

Climate change is no laughing matter – well, maybe a little in Bryan Watkin’s Weather Girl. Running September 25 to October 18 at The Wolfson Family Theater, presented by GableStage, the one-woman show sees Ella Olesen star as a California weather girl whose picture-perfect world spirals into madness as she struggles to report on a growing climate crisis. See why this “blistering dark comedy” was named one of The New York Times’ best theater moments of 2025.

The ICA Miami is devoting its third floor to the first U.S. museum survey of Harmony Korine, the filmmaker behind Spring Breakers and Kids who has spent three decades confounding and captivating audiences in equal measure. Perfect Nonsense brings together over 50 works spanning film, painting, photography, collage and drawing, tracing a career that has always resisted easy categorization, from his early Southern gothic explorations to recent films shot through gaming engines and iPhone footage. Korine has lived in Miami since 2015, and the city is woven into his recent work in ways the exhibition makes tangible. Beyond the films most people know, the paintings are the revelation here — particularly the "Twitchy" series, which combines iPhone-captured images with painterly techniques into something genuinely strange and new. The exhibition will be on view through October 4.