Tortuga Music Festival
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Tortuga Music Festival/Marc Serota
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Tortuga Music Festival/Marc Serota

The best Miami events in April 2025

Miami Beach Pride, fresh theater and festivals galore: Mark your calendars with our guide to the best April events in Miami.

Falyn Wood
Contributor: Virginia Gil
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With peak spring break behind us and the hottest days still ahead, April is a sweet spot to get out and explore all the amazing things to do in the Magic City. The best April events in Miami include everything from beachside music festivals to fresh museum exhibitions and family-friendly activities galore. Miami Beach Pride returns for another packed schedule this month, featuring drag shows, fundraisers and the epic parade as part of its spectacular 11-day program. It’s also a great time to mosey back into the best clubs in Miami and the best Miami beaches now that the wild co-eds and Ultra ravers have all returned home. Whether you’re looking for a low-key activity or some high-energy fun, our list of the best April events in Miami has you covered.

RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in Miami

Best April events in Miami

  • Things to do
  • East Little Havana
Tuesday and Saturday nights are prime times to get an authentic taste of Miami's vibrant salsa scene at La Pachanga, a free live music and dance party in the heart of Little Havana. The historic Calle Ocho venue opens up its doors, spilling the sounds of Miami's best salsa bands onto the streets as revelers sip excellent mojitos and take to the wooden dancefloor. Ball & Chain also hosts free salsa and bachata dance classes regularly (check their website for the latest schedule), so you can brush up on your moves—or just watch the pros do their thing as they twirl and gyrate around the crowds.
  • Things to do
  • Coral Gables
Chef Shingo serves up art on a plate, so it's fitting that his Michelin-awarded Coral Gables omakase restaurant is hosting an actual art event in its adjacent gallery space. On Sunday, April 13th beginning at noon, enjoy complimentary green tea, sake and bites from Chef Shingo while exploring a curated collection of traditional Japanese ceramics, including Bizen-ware, Asahiyaki and Tambayaki, with 25% off all gallery items. Beyond the art, visitors can also partake in a live matcha ceremony and ikebana flower arrangements, plus meet and interact with Chef Shingo during the free event.
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  • Things to do
  • Miami
Jimbo’s spirit lives on at Jimbo’s at Grampo’s, a heartfelt tribute to the legendary man behind Virginia Key's legendary Jimbo’s Shrimp Shack. On Sunday, April 13th, the 98th Royal Birthday Ceremony Celebration Holiday takes over Gramps Getaway from noon to 10pm with smoked fish dip aplenty, live music by The Jack Shealy Band (4 to 7pm) and a whole lot of love. Expect exclusive beer collab cans from Tripping Animals Brewery, limited-edition merch by Sun & Sons, a Jimbo’s look-a-like contest and a crowd as eclectic as the man himself. The party is all ages and free to attend, though RSVP is encouraged.
  • Things to do
  • South Beach
One of our favorite rooftops, Esmé Miami Beach, hosts a new Sunday sunset jazz night featuring healthy eats and drinks, soul jazz and rare grooves with DJ Travis Acker of Tiki Tumbao Records from 4 to 6:30pm and three sets of live jazz by Thee D3 Trio from 6:30 to 10pm. The free party kicks off at 5pm, and happy hour runs through 7pm with $8 cocktails, $6 wine and $5 beer plus discounted bites.
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  • Things to do
  • Wynwood
Rev your engines! The legendary RuPaul's Drag Race returns for its 17th season, and Willy's Neighborhood Bar in Wynwood is throwing weekly watch parties to catch all the action. Miami's own glam queen Patent Pending hosts on Friday nights with Drag Race Happy Hour kicking off at 6pm (giving you ample time to get lubed up before the show at 8pm). For a full-throttle night, stick around after the credits for F Word Fridays in the backyard.
  • Things to do
  • Performances
  • Wynwood
Laidback Wynwood watering hole Gramps keeps programming fresh and eclectic every day of the week. On Thursdays, the spotlight turns to some of Miami’s fiercest drag performers, from well-seasoned mainstays to emerging talent and more experimental characters. The well-attended weekly hosted by beloved bearded queen Karla Croqueta continues to turn out one of the city’s most consistently on-point live shows, drag or otherwise. Resident DJs Hottpants and Zehno keep the bodies moving in between sets.
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