These are the best things to do in Miami this weekend

Wellness gets a serious upgrade at The Sacred Space on April 18 and 19, when WellNXT Fest brings two days of fitness, mindset, recovery and community to one of the city's most vibrant outdoor settings. The festival serves as the marquee event of Wellist Week — a citywide wellness gathering running April 13 through 19 across Miami Beach, Wynwood and beyond — and spans 50-plus programs, workshops and activations across eight curated time blocks each day, covering everything from outdoor workouts and cold plunge recovery to expert speaker panels, live podcasts and nutrition demos. General admission is free, while VIP passes ($95) unlock exclusive lounges, priority seating and a curated gift bag. 

Miami's own genre-bending orchestra takes the historic Banyan Bowl Amphitheater at Pinecrest Gardens for an evening of chamber orchestra and jazz under the stars. Founded by conductor Jacomo Bairos and multi-hyphenate musician Sam Hyken, both Juilliard-trained and deeply embedded in Miami's creative scene, Nu Deco has spent a decade redefining what an orchestra can do and who it can do it with. Their collaborator list reads more like a festival lineup: Jon Batiste, Jacob Collier, Wyclef Jean, PJ Morton, Angélique Kidjo. The Banyan Bowl setting, an open-air amphitheater tucked inside Pinecrest Gardens, is one of Miami's most atmospheric live music venues, so if you haven't been, this is the concert to experience it with.

Now in its 43rd edition, Miami Film Festival runs April 9–19 across more than ten venues spanning Little Havana, Wynwood, Coconut Grove, Miami Beach and beyond — spreading 160-plus films from 45 countries across 11 days. The program opens with Tuner, the narrative debut of Oscar-winning documentarian Daniel Roher (Navalny), and closes with Power Ballad, Irish filmmaker John Carney's music-laced comedy starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas. Steven Soderbergh's The Christophers and Maude Apatow's directorial debut Poetic License are the centrepiece selections.

The star appearances are worth knowing about: Severance's Adam Scott receives the Vanguard Award and sits for a career conversation at Wolfson's Chapman Center; Bob Odenkirk does a Q&A following a screening of his new film Normal; and John Waters shows up for his own 80th birthday celebration at the Arsht Center. Special screenings include Whiplash in Concert, the film accompanied live by an 18-piece jazz band conducted by composer Justin Hurwitz, and a 25th anniversary screening of The Princess Diaries at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.

The Made in Miami program is strong this year, too, with local titles spanning a Cuban-American dark comedy, a multilingual art-heist thriller, a documentary on Traz Powell Stadium and films tied directly to South Florida communities. The festival also returns to the historic Tower Theater in Little Havana, which is celebrating its centennial — the first Miami theater to add Spanish subtitles in 1960 and a cultural institution in its own right. Full program and tickets at miamifilmfestival.com.

Model Volleyball is exactly what it sounds like. Now in its 16th year, this beachside tournament pits over 250 models from ten of the top agencies against each other in a daylong competition on the sand at 9th and Ocean Front. This year, Club Space takes over the music, bringing CamelPhat and Prospa to headline across both days.

Doors open at noon, with agencies like Wilhelmina, Next, Elite, and Ford battling it out for the championship title. At 6PM the courts come down and Club Space opens the dancefloor, with DJs carrying the night through until 11. VIP tables sit right between the courts and the stage if you want to do it properly. Over the years it has drawn Travis Scott, Vince Vaughn, Joe Jonas, and Jamie Foxx, so you never know who you'll be rubbing shoulders with. Tickets start at $20 at modelvolleyball.com.

Mickey Mouse and friends take over the University of Miami's Watsco Center for Disney On Ice's Mickey's Search Party — a live show mixing world-class skating, high-flying acrobatics and a whole lot of Disney magic. The adventure follows a search for Tinker Bell through scenes from Coco, Moana, Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, Aladdin and more, with Stitch causing his usual chaos along the way. April 16–19 at Watsco Center. If you opt for the VIP Magical Pass, kids can meet all their favorite characters 45 minutes before the show. 

From the makers of Miami's legendary III Points Music Festival, III Joints celebrates its 10th anniversary as the city's most 4/20-friendly affair on Saturday, April 18. This year, the annual "high holiday" rager will sprawl through the labyrinth of repurposed industrial buildings known as Factory Town in Hialeah for another epic day-to-night of greenery-themed revelry.

The decade-anniversary packs in a massive lineup featuring more than 100 local DJs and musicians performing across seven stages (including the new Za Zone stage). SATURNSARii, Pressure Point, Berrakka, Ultrathem, Extra Andrew, Terence Tabeau, Sel.6, Mr. Brown, Hiltronix, Inbal and Richie Hell are just some of the names gracing the bill.

Beyond the music, this year's fair-themed fest includes fun interactive elements, from stoned side quests to game shows like a domino tournament and Frick Frack Blackjack. Compete for high-value prizes, including III Points 2026 tickets, Club Space memberships and exclusive merch. As in previous III Joints, the Infinite Eats & Trippy Market features a curated selection of local food vendors and artisan makers.

Miami sits on the front lines of climate change and has one of the most vibrant wellness cultures in the country — and somehow the two almost never talk to each other. Heal House was built to change that. The new platform, founded by entrepreneur Yadira Diaz and integrative health leader Larissa Macko, hosts its first public gathering at Ironside on April 17, with two fireside conversations tackling what the planet is doing to our bodies and what our choices are doing to the planet. Opening remarks come from Paula Lombardo, Director of Sustainability at 1 Hotel South Beach, and a village of wellness and sustainability partners fills out the evening. Free, as part of Wellist Week. April 17, 6–9pm at Miami Ironside, 7580 NE 4th Ct.

A 25,000-square-foot immersive experience dedicated to agave and tequila opens April 2 at Toledo Studios in Hialeah. Backed by the Beckmann family, the dynasty behind Jose Cuervo, 1800, Reserva de la Familia and Centenario, who have been making tequila since 1758, and developed in collaboration with Mexican-American multimedia artist Danié Gómez-Ortigoza, the experience begins with guests boarding a train that symbolically transports them from Miami to Mexico before moving through more than ten immersive environments tracing agave from seed to spirit. Along the way there are recreations of La Rojeña, the oldest distillery in Latin America and birthplace of Cuervo, and the home of Centenario's original master distiller — plus tastings, live performances and a mercado to close things out. 

The great Montreal contemporary-circus troupe brings its Luzia production to South Florida, performing cutting-edge acrobatics and tightly choreographed dance numbers amid lavish costumes and set pieces. This show, written and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, is inspired by the culture of Mexico. Running February 19 through April 25 at Gulfstream Park, Luzia takes audiences through a series of surrealistic scenes, from an old movie set to a smoky dance hall, an arid desert, and even a cenote. It's a dream-like, sensory exploration of Mexico's past and present, packed with awe-inspiring moments—including rain incorporated into acrobatic and artistic scenes (a first for a Cirque du Soleil touring production).

A perfume and a poem, made in the same afternoon. Part of the O, Miami Poetry Festival, this workshop at Tijon Perfumerie in Coral Gables invites participants to build a custom fragrance from scratch alongside a local perfumer — choosing top, heart and base notes rooted in Miami's sensory landscape — then write a poem about what they've created. A jasmine note might conjure a family kitchen; a particular base might anchor a whole childhood. The workshop closes with an optional sharing circle where everyone spritzs their scent and reads their poem aloud. You leave with a 60ml bottle and a piece of writing that explains it. $125. April 18, 3:30–6:30pm at Tijon Perfumerie, 1600 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Coral Gables.

The Beauty Boost Miami, a nationwide women's wellness and community platform, takes over the Moxy South Beach Saturday morning for a two-hour rotating wellness playground — sound baths, Reiki, guided meditation, hormone health consultations, adaptogen shots and scalp massages, all at your own pace. A breathwork and yoga kickoff sets the tone before the floor opens up. April 18, 11am at 915 Washington Ave.

Fever is a weekly Saturday night party at Sunkissed, Brickell's new lounge inside the iconically time-capsuled Four Ambassadors condominium, built around underground sound and a crowd that actually wants to dance. The genres spun here are disco and house, with the vibe largely inspired by David Mancuso's legendary invite-only loft parties in NYC, a precursor to Studio 54. This weekend, Daiq Daddy's is popping up at the bar, spinning up some serious frozen daiquiries to rival those of Fat Tuesdays. It's a low-key alternative to the South Beach circuit, and one of the more interesting things happening on a Saturday night in Brickell.

Miami's biggest night for improv comedy happens every Saturday at Villain Theater in the heart of Little Haiti. Enjoy original, spontaneous live performances from some of the fiercest improvisers across South Florida. Shout out a suggestion and become a part of the action as the theater's talented cast of actors spins hysterical yarns over the course of two Second City-style improv shows. Mingle and sip beers in the lobby lounge in between sets: A ticket grants you access to both the 8:30 and 10pm showtimes.

The man behind Hairspray, Sleepless in Seattle, South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut and Some Like It Hot comes to Pinecrest on April 19 to talk about his new memoir, Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner, covering five decades of Broadway triumphs, Hollywood absurdity and the personal highs and heartbreaks in between. Marc Shaiman, who has a Tony, two Emmys and two Grammys to his name, sits down with Miami New Drama Founding Artistic Director Michel Hausmann for what promises to be a candid and genuinely funny evening. A special performance by the Slow Burn Theatre cast of Hairspray is also on the bill. $40 includes a copy of the book. April 19, 7pm at The Hub, 5950 N. Kendall Drive, Pinecrest.

Live-draw aerial acrobats while building collective poems from the hidden words in their bodies — that's the pitch, and it's a good one. Raw Figs Pop-Up, South Florida's community figure drawing series, brings its all-skill-levels welcome format to Circensia Studio in Allapattah for an afternoon that combines figure drawing, circus performance and collaborative poetry. Materials provided, circus-inspired snacks available, popcorn presumably included. Free with RSVP, all ages. April 19, 2–5pm at 2120 NW 23rd Ave.

Wok Star Supper Club's Eleanor Hoh teams up with Wayan Miami for a one-night collaborative dinner on April 19, bringing together Chef Cedric Vongerichten and his wife Ochi Latjuba Vongerichten — the duo behind the acclaimed French-Indonesian sibling restaurants Wayan and Ma•dé in New York — for an evening rooted in Ochi's Indonesian heritage and Cedric's French technique. Guests are welcomed with a lychee martini or turmeric tonic mocktail and a sambal talk led by Cedric, guiding the table through housemade sambals paired with krupuk before a 10-dish tasting menu hits the table. Highlights include escargot rendang, black cod, caramelized beef tenderloin and pandan custard. Wok Star Supper Club, which has sold out more than 20 events across Miami's Asian dining scene since 2006, is a natural fit for Wayan's vibrant, shareable format. $88 per person; reservations via Resy at Wayan Miami, 50 NW 24th St, Wynwood.

The ICA Miami is devoting its third floor to the first U.S. museum survey of Harmony Korine, the filmmaker behind Spring Breakers and Kids who has spent three decades confounding and captivating audiences in equal measure. Perfect Nonsense brings together over 50 works spanning film, painting, photography, collage and drawing, tracing a career that has always resisted easy categorization, from his early Southern gothic explorations to recent films shot through gaming engines and iPhone footage. Korine has lived in Miami since 2015, and the city is woven into his recent work in ways the exhibition makes tangible. Beyond the films most people know, the paintings are the revelation here — particularly the "Twitchy" series, which combines iPhone-captured images with painterly techniques into something genuinely strange and new. The exhibition will be on view through October 4.