Miami-Dade County is home to a burgeoning cultural arts scene that reflects the vibrant, multicultural population of our community. Recognized by many as one of the world’s most dynamic cultural centers, Miami-Dade is home to more than 1,200 not-for-profit arts organizations, a variety of museums and the contemporary visual and performing artists, high-profile international arts events and exciting exhibits that brings some of the world’s best cultural offerings to South Florida.
Miami-Dade’s position as a global cultural center was solidified with the opening of the state-of-the-art Carnival Center for the Performing Arts. As Miami-Dade County’s largest ever public-private partnership, the $446.4-million center provides the local community with a world-class facility for the cultural arts featuring the beautifully designed Ziff Ballet Opera House and the Knight Concert Hall, a versatile Studio Theater, private lounges and public plazas. As the focal point of the cultural arts scene in Miami-Dade, the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts serves a showcase for the finest in established and developing cultural programs from around the world. The center helps to ensure the overall success of our community by offering sophisticated accommodations for artists and cultural organizations, providing a wide range of performing arts experiences, serving as an educational and cultural resource for under-served audiences, acting as a catalyst for the revitalization of its neighborhood, and enhancing Miami-Dade’s economic opportunities through its appeal to tourists and potential residents.
With a variety of local companies and associations, such as the Concert Association of Florida, the New World Symphony, the Miami Symphony Orchestra, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet and many more, there are a various performing arts shows for Miami-Dade residents and visitors to enjoy year-round. In addition, Miami-Dade regularly hosts Broadway shows and concerts at venues such as Miami Beach’s Jackie Gleason Theater and the Art Deco Lincoln Theater, the Miami-Dade Auditorium, and the renowned Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Miami. Coral Gables is home to a thriving theater district for live productions in The Actor’s Playhouse, the New Theatre and GableStage.
When it comes to museums, Miami-Dade is home to a plethora of facilities that feature impressive collections and exciting exhibits. The Bass Museum of Art, Lowe Art Museum, the Miami Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art provide our community with exposure to provocative works from local and international artists.
The cultural offering in Greater Miami also includes some of the world’s most recognized arts and film festivals. Established in Miami more than five years ago, Art Basel Miami Beach is renowned as the leading art show of the Americas and the favorite winter meeting place for the international art world. More than 35,000 visitors flock to our community to experience this special event, which is the only Art Basel event in the world hosted outside of Switzerland. Along with hemispheric arts events like ArteAmericas and Contemporanea, Miami-Dade also hosts the Miami International Film Festival, the Miami Book Fair International, and Carnival Miami, the nation’s largest Hispanic street festival.