Best Places to Find Live Music in Miami

The Magic City hosts lots of cultural and music events throughout the year, and it’s also home to some fantastic live music venues. From salsa and EDM to jazz and punk rock, this multicultural city has it all. Read on for the best places to catch live music in Miami. Be prepared to dance until the sun comes up, or at least until last call.

Swing over to Le Chat Noir

Strum along to the beat at Le Chat Noir. Photo Credit: Le Chat Noir

Looking for a sophisticated evening of live music in Miami? Downtown Miami’s Le Chat Noir has an off-the-beaten path basement bar reminiscent of a New York City jazz club. The dimly lit, romantic venue offers wine and cheese, perfectly paired with live jazz from talented local musicians.

Treat yourself to art, culture and dance at Cubaocho Museum & Performing Arts Center

Feel Latin rhythms come to life in Little Havana at Cubaocho Museum & Performing Arts Center. Photo Credit: Cubaocho Museum & Performing Arts Center

A Little Havana staple, Cubaocho Museum & Performing Arts Center is the place for great rum (with one of the biggest selections in the city), people-watching and, of course, live music in Miami. If you want to get your salsa on, do it here. Cubaocho prides itself on bringing the community together with Cuban history and art and offering a rotating schedule of Latin musicians. The bar also hosts weekly salsa lessons and bachata dancing nights. Check their website for event dates and times.

Peek in on a hopping local dive bar at Las Rosas

Go where the locals go at Las Rosas. Photo Credit: Las Rosas

Located in Miami’s up-and-coming Allapattah neighborhood (just outside the more well-known Wynwood district), Las Rosas opened in November 2016. This venue (solely for the over-21 crowd) has quickly grown a strong reputation among the vibrant Miami music scene, with shows in its back room almost every day of the week. It draws more of an indie crowd but fills a need for fun that anyone and everyone in town can appreciate. Are you into punk music? What about movie nights? Las Rosas hosts them often, as well as a weekly Words & Wine event that features live music and spoken word.

See the stars in style at the Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater

Catch some of the biggest names in popular music at Fillmore Miami Beach.

This iconic art deco-style Miami Beach building, one of the finest places to catch live music in Miami, has been around since 1950, though it was once a place where TV specials, like The Dick Clark Show, The Ed Sullivan Show and the Miss America pageant, were filmed. Now the Fillmore Miami Beach welcomes headlining acts that draw crowds upwards of 2,500 people, regularly selling out the venue. Past performers include Janelle Monae, Miguel, Ray LaMontagne, John Legend, Fleet Foxes, Gipsy Kings and many other award-winning artists. Be sure to secure your tickets ahead of time, grab a bite to eat before the show and prepare to be wowed.

Time your visit with Miami Music Week and Ultra Music Festival

If you have the chance, time your visit during Ultra Music Festival, one of the more popular outdoor music festivals in the U.S.

Miami Music Week is one of the biggest and most anticipated music festival events in the world. This weeklong marathon of electronic music happens at a number of venues across the city and culminates in an outdoor, multiday event called Ultra Music Festival. Both are once-in-a-lifetime and worth attending if you’re into dance music. Plus, they’re perfectly timed during the spring so it’s not too hot, and it’s a great respite for those who’ve endured a long, cold winter. So, plan on saving your money and booking a Miami hotel room in advance. Tourists flock to Magic City in the hundreds of thousands for this event, and tickets often sell out quickly.