The best January events in Miami

The largest pickle ball festival in the world comes to Miami! Boasting up to 100 courts, vendor villages, musical performances, VIP experiences and brand activations, The Pickle Games Miami will take place on January 13 and 14, 2024 at the historic Miami Marine Stadium. Watch amateurs and pros whip balls back and forth on the court throughout the day with Biscayne Bay and Downtown Miami as the backdrop. 

New Orleans has Mardi Gras. Miami has the King Mango Strut. While incomporable in size and scale, this comical and locally revered parade returns on January 7th, 2024 to celebrate 40 years of "putting the NUT in Coconut grove" through satirical floats and eyebrow-raising subject matter.

This year's thematic umbrella is I Can’t Get No DeSantisfaction, to the chagrin of book ban proponents everywhere. Onlookers are encouraged to get into it by dressing the part, embracing the parade's ethos to “celebrate and skewer what’s weird and wonderful about Miami and the year that was.” And if you actually want to be in the parade, that's a possibility, too. Amateur comedians and performers can apply here. 

You don't have to believe in life after love to get tickets to this Broadway hit. The Tony-Award winning musical, The Cher Show, is coming to the Arsht Center this January – just in time to cure those post holiday-break blues. The costumes? Fabulously bedazzled and feathered. The music? Don't expect to stay off your feet. The musical follows the life of this pop culture icon from youth to now – and there's even a costume and look-alike contest on January 2nd. Curious to know more? Check out our full review here.  

South Florida's largest Porsche festival returns to South Miami, and the best part is you don't need to own one to attend. DRT (Das Renn Treffen) attracts thousands of automotive enthusiasts to enjoy hundreds of rare and unique Porsches over several days in Miami. For its 10th anniversary, the festival is going BIG. This year the main event returns to its original stomping grounds to fill the storefronts and passageways of Sunset Place with an incredible assortment of Porsches, ranging from vintage to modern 911s, Carrera GTs, rare race cars and more.

Not into The Groove Cruise lineup? Board the Norwegian Joy for Friendship 2024, five nights of sheer musical fun with a stacked lineup of EDM DJs. Big names include Bob Moses, Boys Noize, Skrillex and Chris Lake, not to mention a strip tease by Dita Von Teese. When you're not dancing your face off, there are other fun activities on board, like live comedy, double dutch speed dating, pro skating and even the chance to dial-a-DJ straight to your room. The highlight, however, is going to be the 24-hour private island party at Harvest Cay in Belize. 

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden dedicates two full days to the beloved cocoa bean for this annual event. The main star of the show—if you couldn’t guess—is chocolate. Don’t miss your opportunity to taste samples from artisan chocolatiers, indulge in chocolate pairings with wine and spirits, sit in on lectures and participate in all sorts of sweet demonstrations. Jan 21–22, 10am-5pm; $24.95 adults

The million-dollar horse race ($3 million, to be exact) returns to Gulfstream Park on January 27th. Not into horses? Come for the atmosphere at Carousel Club, which borders on South Beach nightclub thanks to a day party brought to you by LIV and Kygo's Palm Tree Crew – with complimentary food and drink. This year's headliner is Calvin Harris, which is sure to draw in a hyped millennial crowd. Gulfstream Park, 901 S Federal Hwy; Jan 27; Tickets start at $175

This 73rd annual arts event (Miami’s longest-running juried art festival) in support of South Florida’s first art museum, the Lowe, returns to the University of Miami’s campus. The event, encouraging an appreciation of the arts across Miami, features over 150 outdoor fine-art exhibits, local vendors, a beer garden, live music and lots of food. Watsco Center, 1245 Dauer Dr; Jan 13 - Jan 14

Want to catch your favorite artists? Maybe discover a new one? Check out one of the top 14 winter concerts in Miami. 

Relive all things Jazz Age at the Miami Design Preservation League’s annual festival, with free events and activities including the artisan and antiques marketplace, a classic car show, lectures, films, guided architectural tours and a variety of musical performances. The theme for this 47th edition is "Celebrating Florida's Historic Coastal Communities", which is appropriate considering sea level rise and impending affronts from the Florida legislature on our historic preservation laws. Fifth to 15th Sts and Ocean Dr, Miami Beach at various times

Every month, the Frost Planetarium hosts a night filled with laser light shows, featuring a different theme every hour. This month, the event kicks off with a family-friendly movie magic, and then continues with the '80s, Bad Bunny and The Weeknd. Refreshments and light snacks are available throughout the evening. Phillip & Patricia Frost Museum of Science, 1101 Biscayne Blvd; Jan 12; $10 adults, $8 children 

Immerse yourself in a journey through parallel universes at Faena Theater’s cabaret show, Allura. New York sensation Rocky Lanes will serve as a sexy spiritual guide, daring guests to peek behind the veil of the known to explore the divine matrices encoded within us all. Ultra-high-tech holographic architecture, interactive motion capture and body mapping converge with choreographed dancers, singers and musicians to explore themes of Futurism and seduction in this ethereal, high-energy production with a 1980s Latin-inspired soundtrack. Faena Theater, 3201 Collins Ave; Thurs – Sat; starting at $100

For 33 years, the Cavallino Classic has been a capstone event for Ferrari lovers in South Florida, dotting the great lawn at The Breaker's with the rarest and most beautiful classic models. 2024's edition promises a weekend filled with Italian style, especially at the 33rd Ferrari Concorso d'Eleganza on Saturday. This year's highlights include the 60th anniversary of the 275 and the 40th anniversary of both the Testarossa and 288 GTO. Tickets to the event are $480, however those under 25 are eligible for a 50% discount. And if you can't swing a ticket but still want to partake in the fanfare, line up along the A1A on Friday to catch iconic Ferraris driving down scenic roads during the Cavallino Tour d’Eleganza.