The best things to do in Miami this week

If you grew up in a Cuban household in Miami, Álvarez Guedes was probably playing in the background. The comedian who became the Godfather of Latin Comedy through 30-plus albums of distinctly Cuban storytelling is getting the immersive treatment this spring. Debuting April 30 inside a custom-built venue at Tropical Park, Muerto de Risa is a three-hour cabaret-style production that moves guests through themed spaces — El Bar, El Cabaret, El Patio — as stand-up, live music and theatrical storytelling unfold around them. Less traditional theater, more like stepping into a night out at a classic Havana club. Learn more here. 

Every Wednesday night, Wynwood's PASTA opens its kitchen for a hands-on pasta-making class led by head chef Luis Jose. The restaurant — brought to life by acclaimed Peruvian chefs Juan Manuel Umbert and Janice Buraschi — blends traditional Italian technique with Peruvian influence, and the class reflects exactly that: you'll mix, knead and shape your own pasta before sitting down to eat what you made. A welcome cocktail, appetizer and dessert round out the evening.

Shakespeare and hip-hop have more in common than most people give them credit for, and The Bard in Bars makes that case in full at the Historic Lyric Theater in Overtown on May 15 and 16. Poet, playwright, and educator Darius V. Daughtry brings iconic Shakespearean monologues and scenes into conversation with hip-hop's rhythm and lyricism, backed by the 12-piece New Canon Chamber Collective live string ensemble. Evening performances include a VIP pre-show art exhibit featuring the work of Purvis Young, whose expressive pieces made from reclaimed materials remain some of the most powerful documents of Overtown's spirit and the broader Black experience in America. 

Gilded and crimson-draped Faena Theater is the ideal venue to experience OBSESSION, a new original production presented by Faena Live in collaboration with the Quixotic performance art collective. Nestled in Mid-Beach, the cabaret-style show blends live vocals, choreography and cinematic storytelling to take guests on a seductive 1.5-hour journey complete with lasers, projected visuals and plenty of theatrical haze. Helmed by emcee Sophia Bollman—whose credits include a stint on NBC's The Voice as part of Team Miley Cyrus and backup singing in Beyoncé's iconic Coachella performances—Faena Theater's 2026 headlining production also features the energetic stylings of Principal Violin and Musical Lead Kostia Lucky. Tickets start at $100 per person and include show admission only (food and beverages sold separately). Guests must be 18 or older, with a valid ID required upon arrival.

Art, sexuality and cultural taboos converge at the Museum of Sex with the debut of its latest exhibition, Hard Art: Unruly Selections from the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection. Explore decades of boundary-pushing works spanning the 1930s to today, pulled from the private collection of one of the world’s most dynamic collectors. From playful to profound and, at times, deemed too provocative for public display, the featured works include a wide range of media that challenges convention and invites conversation. Curated with the goal of amplifying underrepresented voices and celebrating uncensored expression, artists on view include Marco Brambilla, Jimmy DeSana, Bunny Yeager, John Kayser and others.

Sunset Harbour's a'Riva has made a habit of flying in some of the most interesting restaurant concepts in the world for limited-run collaborations, and its latest is Chinese Tuxedo, the NYC restaurant housed in a former opera house on Doyers Street in the heart of Manhattan's Chinatown. Named after Chinatown's first fine dining establishment, Chinese Tuxedo has built a reputation for reimagining traditional Chinese banquet dishes in a dramatic and welcoming setting, with executive chef Paul Donnelly behind the menu. Dishes like the Dan Dan noodles with soy-cured yolk, roast pork belly with hot and sour sauce, and stir-fried Snake River beef sirloin with Kampot black pepper give you a sense of the kitchen's approach: classical foundations, precise technique, and global ingredients. The team flies down to Miami for the occasion from May 12–16. Reservations required.

After sell-out runs in Paris, Rome, and Milan, From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce&Gabbana arrives in Miami, opening February 6 at ICA Miami and running through June 14, 2026. The exhibition offers a rare look inside the creative universe of designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, tracing how their ideas move from inspiration to execution—all by hand. Curated by Florence Müller and produced by MARI, the show brings together more than 300 Alta Moda pieces, set within immersive installations and shown alongside works by contemporary artists, celebrating the artisanry, excess, and exuberance of Italian aesthetics. 

Rave Party: A New Era screens at the Miami Beach Bandshell as part of Doc'N Roll, the UK-born film festival dedicated to music documentaries and subcultures. The film goes back to late-1980s England, where rave culture emerged as an outlet for a generation with nowhere else to put its energy, and traces how those underground warehouse parties and illegal gatherings eventually shaped the global dance music landscape. Orbital, The Prodigy, Goldie, and DJ Rap are among the voices in the film.

Stitch Lab, the Miami-born pop-up that champions independent Latin American designers, makes its Broward debut at W Fort Lauderdale for three days of resortwear, accessories, and lifestyle brands curated for the season ahead. The lineup highlights South American designers, with standout labels including Agua Bendita and Azulu from Colombia, Pitusa from Miami, and Charo Ruiz from Spain, alongside Venezuelan handbag designer Camila Canabal, who sold out her entire run at the last edition. More than anything, it's a great space to discover new, ermerging brands and stock up on unique items that'll have everyone asking, "where did you get that?!" Each day brings its own interactive moment: on-site embroidery customization Thursday by Palm Beach Embroidery Club, bag personalization Friday by Pop Ups Bags, and a charm bar Saturday by Cara O Sello, plus a wellness activation on the W Terrace with SQLPT Pilates. 

Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency presents Sepia Vernacular, an exhibition that places Overtown’s past back into public view. Drawn from the City of Miami Planning Department archives, the show features more than 80 rare photographs from the 1920s–1950s, including selections from Max Waldman’s 1947 Color Town series, documenting daily life across the streets, businesses, families, and social spaces that seldom make it into Miami’s official histories. The exhibition will be taking place at the newly restored Lawson E. Thomas Building, which once served as the office of Miami-Dade County’s first Black judge and a central figure in the city’s civil rights movement. A newly commissioned mural by Anthony Mojo Reed II adds contemporary context which, together with the archival photo exhibition, frames Overtown as essential to understanding Miami, not peripheral to it.