The best Miami Pride events, from drag brunches to gay roller disco

Back for its seventh year, the homegrown Wynwood Pride festival is bigger than ever before, serving four jam-packed weekends of scintillating events in Wynwood and beyond. Solar Flair kicks things off at the Arlo Wynwood rooftop, where FKA Twink (aka Miss Wynwood Pride 2024) will perform alongside Gia Gunn of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame. The leggy lip-syncing legend herself, Naomi Smalls, will headline a show on June 13th in partnership with Freddie, an online PrEP clinic with free healthcare services. Ballroom culture heads to Willy’s on Friday, June 27th, and a secret pool party rounds out the festival on Saturday, June 28th. 

Of all the fabulous happenings this year, the pièce de résistance is BIG WIG, a brand-new, two-day drag extravaganza that pairs Drag Race royalty with local rising stars and stellar live music. “One of our biggest strengths [at Wynwood Pride] is and always has been highlighting emerging talent,” says festival co-founder Jor-El Garcia. “We wanted to go back to our roots as a music festival, and local queer talent is heavily intrinsic to that. It’s what we’re built on, and honestly, the reason we started all of this, because there’s such a rich, clear talent here in Miami.” 

Catch the queens and all the debauchery June 1st to June 28th, and stay tuned to Instagram for more BIG WIG surprises.

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You never know what you’ll find at Supernatural Haus. Therein lies the charm of this Upper East Side haunt, a quasi discotheque that’s part creative studio, part membership club, and all-around playground for Miami’s queer community. Between the retail space and members-only lounge, Supernatural Haus plays host to events both freakish and familiar. There are Friday the 13th covens and beginners ballroom workshops, avant-garde runways and feral perreo parties that will have your thighs sore ‘til Labor Day, just to name a few.

Starting June 1st, there’s even more phantasmagoria: Supernatural Haus will open seven days a week, all summer long, beginning with its first-ever Supernatural Pride. The month-long spectacular leans into the occult with programs like Magic Hour, a happy hour ritual served 5:55pm to 11:11pm, and an After Dark series with late-night performances. On June 15th, resident designer and Project Runway alum Dope Tavio curates The Bizarre Bazaar, while local DJs host rotating parties throughout June. Also on the docket for Supernatural Pride, a mysterious Nightlife Awards Show, a hyperpop night, and a fierce drag battle that sends the crowned winner to New York City Pride. Check Instagram for ticketing info and more. 

On Sunday, June 8th, boogie on down to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the ninth annual CommuniTEA Dance party, a kid-friendly kiki with live entertainment, happy hour specials, a Pride Marketplace and more. The free all-ages event kicks off at 4pm with performances by local drag artists, including Domink Trixx, Ariesela, and Sagittae, the back-flipping queen of Palace brunch, all leading up to a dazzling performance by VINCINT, a powerhouse vocalist and pop star diva on the rise. 

The marvelous Vizcaya Museum & Gardens will host an evening Pride soiree on Wednesday, June 4th, from 6 to 9pm, complete with collage art, interactive games, and an after-hours tour that highlights Vizcaya’s LGBTQ+ history. Vizcaya Late: Pride Edition is family-friendly and open to all ages. Tickets are priced at $15 for adults and $5 for children ages six to twelve. Free admission for ages five and under. 

By night, Pressure Point is a genre-bending DJ and producer of the underground. By day, they’re Akia Dorsainvil, founder of the Black queer collective, Masisi, and steward of Afro-Caribbean culture in Miami’s diasporic communities. 

On Thursday, June 19th, Akia and the Masisi collective will stage an immersive Juneteenth experience at The Bass Museum, set within a kaleidoscopic wonderland by Brazilian artist duo, asume vivid astro focus. Live DJ sets, local cinema and Masisi’s signature flair will transform the gallery into a full-sensory celebration of Black identity, queer joy, and soulful Caribbean style. Admission is free with RSVP via The Bass Museum’s website.

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Tucked inside an alleyway on Normandy Isles, La Poubelle is a pocket-sized theater with big personality; a place for piano bar sing-alongs and soulful jazz as much for comedy shows and Broadway tunes. On Wednesday, June 4th, La Poubelle presents a special Pride Cabaret featuring South Florida legend Tiffany Fantasia and international songstress Gingzilla, known for appearances on Queen of the Universe, America’s Got Talent and The X Factor. Pianist Christopher Hamblin serves as musical director while neighboring partner Silverlake Bistro takes care of the food and drinks. Tickets start at $25 for general admission, with an additional food and beverage minimum of $25 per person. 

This one’s for the ladies! On Sunday, June 22nd, SHELIFE is teaming up with Wynwood Pride for a sapphic pool party at the Arlo Wynwood hotel. While details have yet to be announced, guests can expect a rowdy afternoon of music, dancing, and live entertainment that centers the South Florida lesbian scene. General admission tickets start at $25 per person. Groups that splurge on a VIP couch ($450) or a VIP cabana ($500) enjoy extra perks with their premium seats, including bottle service and prime vantage points of all the dancefloor debauchery.

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Husbands Owen Bale and Rocco Carulli opened their Wynwood restaurant, R House, in 2014, with the intention of creating a fine dining concept that offered friendly hospitality to the LGBTQ+ community. Eleven years later, it’s one of the longest-standing restaurants in the ever-changing neighborhood, thanks in no small part to that fabulous hospitality. 

Pride Month at R House continues the trend with fun local collabs and their signature boozy drag brunch honed by the venerable Athena Dion. On Saturday, June 7th, pulse it out with a Pride Pilates class led by Studio Three. Real Housewives of Miami-friendly, Carmen Carrera, hosts a viewing party on June 11th. And the sixth annual Miss Wynwood Pride pageant returns to R House on Friday, June 6th with happy hour specials served 4pm to 8pm. 

UNFOLD: the PRIDE plays are provocative, and purposefully so. Across three one-act plays, local playwright Ricky J Martinez wrestles with complex themes of identity, parenthood, and abuse as a means to spark dialogue and broaden perspectives on important LGBTQ+ issues. The Latino-centric work will be staged in nature, at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, with an 8pm evening show on Friday, June 7th and a 2pm matinee on Saturday, June 8th. Admission is free with RSVP on Eventbrite. 

It's a Sunday funday served Pride-style this weekend as drag brunch takes over The Key Rooftop at The Citadel. On June 8 from 12:30 to 3:30pm, Miami queens AtsH D’Witshes Venom, Jellika Boom and Angie Ovahnees Pryce will preside over the terrace, giving us high energy, high hair and high heels, with beats by DJ Sabi. There will be specials on food and drinks, too. The event is free, but you should reserve in advance to guarantee your spot. June 8

Fancy a good old-fashioned movie? Head to the Coral Gables Art Cinema for a dose of nostalgia and ‘90s cult classics. Screenings on the Pride-themed lineup include favorites like The Birdcage, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar, as well as a 4K restoration of Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls. Various dates in June

Is there anything more fun and free than a gay roller disco? We'll wait. As Pride Month nears its conclusion, the Miami Design District teams up with All Skates Go to Heaven to host a glitter-packed party under the stars. Lace up and roll on over to Jungle Plaza on Saturday, June 28th, where the community is invited to dress the part and glide to the music from 7 to 10pm. The event is free with RSVP, and limited skate rentals are available.

Bonnie Builder brings all the laughs to Wednesday night trivia at The Gaythering. This cozy gay hotel is a Miami Beach staple, not just for its men-only sauna but also for its friendly neighborhood bar. Everyone is welcome here. “It’s like gay Cheers,” says bar manager Marcus Fontenot. Along with fabulous drinks and happy hour specials, The Gaythering hosts weekly events like Bingo Thursdays and Karaoke Mondays, plus rotating art shows every third Saturday of the month. 

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For many a Miami gay, getting to Wilton Manors can be a logistical nightmare. Enter the Bad Habits Bus, a new shuttle service offering flat-rate rides from Wynwood to Wilton Manors. Founded by real-life couple Alexander Puga and Santiago Diaz Giral, the Bad Habits Bus is a dancefloor on wheels with cozy booth seating, a BYOB cooler, and even a live DJ to keep vibrations high during the 40-ish minute drive. Unlike a traditional shuttle, Bad Habits offers single rider fares and does not require advance reservations (though space is limited, and pre-purchased tickets are strongly recommended). One-way rides from Willy’s Neighborhood Bar to Wilton Manors start at $32.50 per person, each way. Check out their Instagram for ticket specials and Pride Month happenings.

“Miami’s girliest drag show” is turning the narrative on trans storytelling every Friday night at Villain Theater. With a cast of glamorous women calling the shots on stage, Doll Linkup is decidedly joyful on its quest for trans visibility.  We’re just having fun together, co-host Ariesela tells me, but it’s also healing. “A lot of our girls, many of them, don’t necessarily live super safe lives as trans people in Florida. When we’re at Villain Theater for those two hours together, it’s honestly pure bliss.”

Rae Jenae originally started LEZCHIC to find more lesbian events in Miami, her new hometown. Not unlike a Yellow Pages directory, LEZCHIC became a go-to guide for South Florida sapphics, eventually spawning into a namesake party of its own. 

Today, LEZCHIC hosts several events each month across Miami and Wilton Manors. Get in on the action at Flesh Fridays, a clubby nighttime party with sultry dancers (free before 10pm), or raise a glass at Bubbles & Babes, a daytime Sunday Funday affair with drag, burlesque, and live DJ sets tailored for Gen Zers, Baby Boomer babes, and everyone in between.

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Photographer Karli Evans got her start in Miami’s early queer scene, documenting parties and local creatives who pushed the boundaries of queer expression. Asked for her favorite parties of late, Witches of Miami, Objects Don’t Dance and Out of Service come to mind. “Perreo Del Futuro has been doing parties at The Corner recently and that’s always been a very queer friendly space. Also, Call to Action, which has been helping [to] raise funds for trans folx.” And don’t miss the leather parties at Domicile. 

Born and raised in Hialeah, Karla Croqueta is the brains (and the beard) behind Gramps’ Double Stubble, the longest-running queer show in Wynwood, as well as OG experimental parties like Corner Culture at downtown’s Corner bar.

A hilarious blend of drag and artistry, Double Stubble goes down every Thursday with guest performers and open stage, providing a platform for baby queens to hone their creativity and benefit from direct financial support. In other words, bring your dollar bills, darling!