The best things to do in Miami this week

The College Football Playoff concludes with an epic championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, featuring the Fiesta Bowl Champion versus the Peach Bowl Champion. Leading up to the finale, partake in all-ages shenanigans at the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! at Lummus Park in South Beach. Headliners across the free, two-day festival on the sand include Calvin Harris, John Summit, XANDRA, Peso Pluma, Latin Mafia and Greeicy. Gates open at 6pm on Saturday, January 17 and Sunday, January 18 and no ticket is required for entry.

The College Football Playoff concludes with an epic championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The showdown will feature the Fiesta Bowl Champion versus the Peach Bowl Champion and will be streamed live on ESPN, with tailgating kicking off bright and early at 11am. Leading up to the finale, partake in pre-show shenanigans all around town, including the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! at Lummus Park in South Beach. Headliners across the free, two-day festival on the sand include Calvin Harris, John Summit, XANDRA, Peso Pluma, Latin Mafia and Greeicy.

In tandem with the holiday season, Jungle Island's enchanting festival of lights returns for a fourth year with a new production featuring more than 37 monumental, handcrafted silk lantern scenes created by a global team of artisans, graphic designers, seamstresses and more. This year, Luminosa takes visitors on a vibrant trail of themed vignettes representing different ecosystems, from the Amazon rainforest to African savannahs, complete with cutting-edge animatronics, holograms and interactive storytelling. The popular Holiday Village also makes a return this year (through January 4), featuring Christmas trees, holiday treats like churro donut holes and coquito, a seasonal bazaar and a 30-foot Christmas tree centerpiece.  When is Luminosa 2025? Luminosa runs from Friday, November 14 through March 7, 2026. The hours of operation are 5:30 to 9:30pm Sunday through Thursday and until 10:30pm on Friday and Saturday. The Holiday Village will also open on November 14 and run through January 4, 2026. This outdoor experience operates rain or shine, with covered areas available throughout the venue.  How much are tickets? Adult tickets range from $30.78 on weekdays to $46.88 on weekends. Child tickets (ages four to 12) range from $21.58 to $33.08. Family bundles and group rates are available, with discounts for seniors, students and military personnel.

Art meets science at "Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius," a sweeping exhibition presented by Frost Science and produced by Grande Experiences in collaboration with Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci. On view through April 5th, 2026, the show explores da Vinci's multidisciplinary legacy with interactive displays, rare artifacts and life-size replicas of his machines, alongside immersive projections of iconic works like The Last Supper and Mona Lisa. Explore 16 themed sections, from anatomy and flight to engineering and optics, plus hands-on installations like the Vitruvian Man interactive station and the Mona Lisa Revealed exhibit, featuring the world’s only exact 360-degree replica of the painting.

The NYC arm of London's pioneering queer collective Horse Meat Disco lands in Miami for a night of cheeky beats and hot, sweaty bodies on the dancefloor. Horse Meat Disco and Rimarkable provide the soundtrack, while hosts Camal Correa, Ejim, Christian Gonzmart, Marcel Kaufmann, Linux, Cesar Romero and Naim Zarzour curate the crowd at MAD Live in th heart of Wynwood. 55 NE 24th St

Few brunches in Miami rise to the level of an "event," but the Sunday brunch at Novikov is assuredly one of them. After a brief sabbatical, this buzzing sunlit feast makes a return to its luxurious perch along the Downtown Miami waterfront, featuring two hours of unlimited grazing from an extensive Market Table spread. Choose from a raw bar, endless sushi and sashimi, a salad bar, dim sum and robata-grilled favorites, plus a decadent dessert bar and signature brunch cocktails. Premium add-ons take the party to another level, including a honey truffle king crab leg, wagyu ribeye and roasted peking duck. Of course, it wouldn't be one of Miami's hottest brunch propositions without a live DJ spinning beats that pair perfectly with Novikov's bayfront views and a glass (or two) of bubbles.

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.

This bustling vintage market enters its 34th year on South Beach's famed Lincoln Road. Approximately every other Sunday (check their calendar for exact dates), 125 vendors convene along the promenade to showcase their wares and barter with discerning shoppers. Find everything from mid-century furniture to Art Deco decor and more. The long-running weekend social presents a solid mix of 19th and 20th-century memorabilia and unique collectibles. While you're there, stock up on locally grown produce, fresh flowers and artisanal goods from the Lincoln Road Farmer's market, which occurs every Sunday from 9am to 6pm.

This long-running, weekly farmers’ market is well stocked and well attended, featuring a bounty of produce from nearby farms in the Redlands and Homestead, live music and a free yoga class at 8:30am. Vendors set up in the beautiful tree-lined parking lot of Pinecrest Gardens, which makes a weekly shopping trip pretty idyllic. Don’t miss the selection of local honey, tropical blooms and other specialty items, including cheese from independent dairy farmers and homemade guacamole. While the market takes place year-round, some growers opt to only participate during the fall and winter seasons, so consider this the best time to go. 11000 South Red Rd, Pinecrest

This moody live music series has been popping up in some of Miami's most intimate and iconic locales for years now. But the Candlelight Concerts at the historic Scottish Rite Temple just might be the most stunning yet. Set in a grand, atmospheric example of Egyptian Revival architecture built in 1924, these dimly lit performances transform the space with hundreds of glowing candles and live orchestral interpretations of modern music by local talent. What began as a classical series featuring composers like Mozart and Chopin now includes tributes to artists like Queen, Coldplay and BTS, plus themed shows featuring jazz, flamenco, film scores and more. Find the full schedule of upcoming performances below. Candlelight Concerts at the Scottish Rite Temple Schedule Friday, January 9 6:30pm - Candlelight: Best of Bridgerton on Strings9pm - Candlelight: Tribute to Adele Sunday, January 18 6:30pm - Candlelight: Tribute to Coldplay on Strings8:45pm - Candlelight: Tribute to Bruno Mars Saturday, January 24 6:30pm - Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer8:45pm - Candlelight: Tribute to Queen Friday, February 6 6:30pm - Candlelight: Best of Bridgerton on Strings8:45pm - Candlelight: Tribute to Adele Saturday, February 14 6:30pm - Candlelight: Valentine’s Day Special8:45pm - Candlelight: Valentine’s Day Special Saturday, February 21 6:30pm - Candlelight: Tribute to Adele8:45pm - Candlelight: Tribute to Queen Friday, February 27 6:30pm - Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer8:45pm...