Beachfront Music Fests, Hip-Hop Art Shows, and More Fun to Fill Your April Calendar in Miami

April brings with it a sense of calm in South Florida, as the mania of March gives way to a relatively relaxing month where we enjoy our last pleasant days until Halloween. That’s not to say April is ever dull down here, as while we watch the snowbirds trickle out we can still enjoy everything from a backyard music festival at a brewery to a big-time country music concert on the beach.

With the return of a beloved upstairs speakeasy, Miami Marlins baseball action, some early Pride Month festivities, and the chance to play TV’s hottest show at a local hotel, there’s no better time to pack your weekends full of fun things to do in Miami.

Fridays and Saturdays all month, 9 pm to 3 am
Little Havana, Free entry
Remember that upstairs speakeasy in Little Havana, where you tucked behind a taco place and entered through a candy shop? It’s finally back up and running again as Los Altos returns with its weekly secret celebrations and a cool Spanish-music-and-craft-cocktail vibe.

Sundays, 2 pm
South Beach, Free entry
The stately Greystone hotel joins the growing roster of Miami’s best pool parties this month, launching its weekly Pink Flamingo soiree on April 7. The fun continues every Sunday at its Sora rooftop, where tropical environs and panoramic views pair with the sounds of DJ Lu and one of Miami’s top smashburgers.

Ongoing, Noon
Brickell, Prices vary
The people behind massively popular Paperfish are venturing into the realm of red meat, opening the new Asian-inspired steak bar Salty Flame. The concept varies a little from the usual lineup of Miami’s best steakhouses, with offerings like Korean fried chicken with gochujang glaze and a massive menu of sushi and sashimi too.

April 5, 5 pm
Coral Gables, Free entry
End the first week of the month relaxing like they do in Buenos Aires, as Graziano’s brings a little of the porteno spirit to its Lifetime Coral Gables location. The restaurant has paired with Tigre Sounds and Estrella Damm to create the perfect Friday vibe, with relaxing global sounds and two-for-one beers, alongside Graziano’s usual lineup of killer steaks and empanadas.

April 6, 7 pm
Coral Gables, $40
Omakase sushi is cool and all, but does it even include guacamole? Because that’s how your evening will start at Coyo Coral Gables’ Tacomakase. The BYOB event is hosted by sommelier and wine influencer Jacqueline Coleman, who’ll be leading guests on a taco-and-wine-pairing journey with four courses of creations from chef Scott Lindquist. After, everyone adjourns to the secret back room lounge, where bottles will be finished to the sounds of a live DJ.

April 6–7, 1 pm
Hollywood Beach, $105
If you’re already having beachside food festival withdrawals, make the trip out to Hollywood Beach this weekend for SAVOR SoFLO. The 25,000-square-foot oceanside tent will feature endless food samples, sprites, wines, and local beers, with cooking demos from Drinking Pig’s Raheem Sealy and others. You’ll also be treated to a special Charcuterie Extravaganza, courtesy of Publix and Boar’s Head.

April 7, 1 pm
Boca Raton, $150
Food and wine lovers in Palm Beach county have their Sunday plans set, as the Boca Bacchanal takes over The Addison for an indulgent afternoon. Sushi by Bou, Gallaghers Steakhouse, Bazille, The Seagate, and other Boca hotspots will be serving up special dishes, with wine pouring from more than 30 winemakers.

April 12–14, 11:30 am
Doral, Free to attend
SoFi and Brickell’s favorite burger spot is opening at Cocinas del Doral this week, bringing its stunning Smokehouse burger and spicy El Vato to a new takeout-only location. To celebrate, Burgermeister is offering BOGO burgers at its Doral digs, available all throughout its first week.

April 13, 11 am
Little Havana, $135
Nothing makes for a perfect afternoon in Little Havana like the combination of rum and cigars, and nobody pairs them better than at Cafe La Trova. The recently crowned fifth-best bar in America is hosting a day of drinking, dancing, and mojito-making workshops with Papa Doble himself Julio Cabrera. You’ll also get access to fresh-rolled cigars and samples of premium rums.

Friday through Sunday starting April 17, 6–8 pm
Downtown, Prices vary
Giselle—aka that restaurant on the roof of E11even—is introducing the rarest of rare things in Miami: a weekend happy hour. Kick off your big night with discounted drinks and a view of downtown as Giselle offers $11 cocktails, $9 spirits and glasses of wine, and special “caviar bumps” where a shot of tequila is paired with a smidge of caviar for $20.

Ongoing starting April 18, 12–3 pm and 6–10 pm
Brickell, Prices vary
Celebrated local chef Nina Compton makes her triumphant return to South Florida from April 18 to May 19, popping up at the Four Seasons in Brickell with Compere. The limited-run restaurant will be heavy on local seafood, featuring stuff like tuna tartare and Florida stone crabs. But lovers of her famous fried chicken won’t leave disappointed, as it headlines the menu along with blackened lobster with maque choux and sea bass with papaya and soft herbs.

April 20, All day
Little Havana, Prices vary
If you got a little too excited for the 4/20 holiday and find yourself jonesing for, say, chocolate, potato chips, and a Cuban sandwich, check out the NFT-themed Bored Cuban’s special 4/20 Munchies menu. The special boxed meal comes with a Cuban sandwich or other special wrap, plantain chips, soda, and a Frens Chocolate bar infused with potato chips, which will still sit in your stomach way better than Taco Bell.

April 21, 5 pm
Loxahatchee, $180
In addition to supplying produce to some of South Florida’s top restaurants, Swank Farms is also a licensed hemp grower. So for the 4/20 edition of its Swank Table dinner, it welcomes chefs from Meat Market, Crazy Uncle Mike’s, and the Seagate hotel to see what they can do with cannabis. No, you won’t be finding edibles like you do at the dispensary, but you just might find you have a new appreciation for hemp tea.

April 26, 6 pm
Hollywood, $150
Broward County’s best bars, breweries, and restaurants gather at the Hard Rock Hotel’s grand ballroom to raise money for children and adults with developmental disabilities. The evening kicks off with a violin-serenaded cocktail hour, then moves on to an epic feast featuring food and drinks from Abika, Burlock Coast, Funky Buddha, Anthony’s Clam House, Riverside Market, and more.

Weekends, 3 and 8 pm
South Beach, Tickets start at $46.50
Follow Edna Buchanan, the Herald reporter who chronicled the crime-filled excess of 1980s, as she investigates the brutal 1980 murder of Arthur MacDuffie in Miami New Drama’s Dangerous Days at the Colony Theatre. The play follows Edna as she uncovers blatant police brutality, launching a story that literally sets Miami on fire as it culminates in the city’s most notorious race riot.

April 5–14, Times vary
Venues vary, $15.50 and up
The Miami Film Festival kicks off Friday night with an opening party in the Alfred I. duPont Building and a special screening of the senior revenge thriller Thelma. It continues across 180 films from 30 countries, screening at Miami’s top independent theaters like Silverspot and the Coral Gables Art Cinema.

April 6, 11 am–4 pm
South Beach, No cover
Miami’s top pop-up for vintage clothes and local fashion makes the trip across the water to South Beach when the Little River Flea market lands in the breezeway at the Goodtime Hotel. Beach denizens who never leave finally have the chance to scope brands like Umalu Vintage, Decade Alchemy, Mpaz Studio, and more. And those who spend over $100 get 15% off for brunch at Strawberry Moon.

April 12, 7 pm
Little Havana, $40
If you know stand up comedy, you know The Stand in New York City, one of America’s landmark venues. The venue is testing the Miami waters April 12 with a one-night Stand at the Manuel Artime theater, headlined by Dominican comedian Carlos Sanchez. Known as one of the grandfathers of comedy in the Spanish Caribbean, Sanchez has started doing comedy in English as well and brings his new act to Miami at 7 pm.

Daily starting April 13, 10 am–5 pm
Coral Gables, $25
No, Fairchild Tropical Garden hasn’t cloned dinosaurs and allowed them to roam free among the flamingos. Admission would probably be more than $25 for that. But they do have a cool new series of dino-shaped landscape sculptures set throughout the gardens, as well as excavation experiences in the childrens’ garden for your little aspiring archaeologists.

April 20, 2 pm
Downtown, Free to attend, $20 to bring your dog
The sprawling, sun-soaked patio at the InterContinental Miami transforms into an epic food fest for dogs for the hotel’s Paws Patio Food Fest. Wander through vendors offering treat samples, organic dog foods, snacks, and Starbucks Puppuccinos. Humans can enjoy sounds from a live DJ, as well as craft cocktails and bites for sale.

April 26, 6:30–9:30 pm
Wynwood, Free
Famed West Coast hip-hop photographer Mike Miller stops by Art of Hip Hop for a lively discussion of his work with artists from Tupac to Snoop Dogg. The event marks the unveiling of NWA Outtakes, a new exhibition of shots from the pioneering rap group’s 10th anniversary album cover. Miller will also be signing posters of one of the exhibit’s most iconic shots, the “Devil’s Chariot” 1967 Impala.

April 5–7, 1 pm
Fort Lauderdale Beach, Three-day GA passes start at $335
South Florida’s biggest country music festival returns to the sands of Fort Lauderdale Beach, headlined by Jason Aldean, Hardy, and Lainey Wilson. You’ll also get some R&B flavor with sets from Boyz II Men and TLC, and even some nostalgia with Bret Michaels of Poison. Keep the fun going at the brand new Fort Liquordale On the Beach, who’ll have an epic after party with live sets and a free margarita if you RSVP.

Fridays starting April 12, 6:30–9:30 pm
Fort Lauderdale Beach, Free
Fort Lauderdale Beach’s Friday night free concert series starts up for the end of spring, returning some of the LOOP park’s favorite bands who’ve performed over the past eight years. April 12 brings Reggae act The Revolvers, indie-funk band Rogue Theory headlines April 19, and the ‘80s and Top 40 cover band Private Stock closes out the month on April 26.

April 13–14, 11 am–11 pm
MiMo, Prices vary
Magic 13 Brewery makes the most of its massive backyard, hosting a weekend long music-and-beer celebration. On both Saturday and Sunday, $75 gets you all-you-can-drink beer and cocktails at the bar, and live music from a bevy of local bands out back. On Sunday, the Gulf Coast comes to Miami as the brewery throws an old-fashioned crawfish boil, where you can suck the head off as many as you can for $35 a pound.

April 26, 8 pm
Hollywood, $100
The man who produced the soundtrack for your club nights of the mid-2010s hits the decks at the Guitar Hotel pool, headlining the Hard Rock’s night time pool party. Listen to hits that bring you back to your Set-and-Story glory days like “Clarity” and “Stay the Night,” as you enjoy a premium open bar all night.

April 4–6, 8 am
South Beach, $300
Is there a horse enthusiast in your life you’ve been dying to show a good time? Take them to the world’s premiere show-jumping series on the beach between 21st and 22nd streets as the Longines Global Champions Tour stops in Miami. Witness acrobatic feats of athleticism by some of the finest thoroughbreds on the planet, then mix and mingle with the upscale crowd with champagne and top shelf cocktails.

April 6, 11 am
Downtown, $30
When that post-workout smoothie simply won’t cut it, head to Biscayne Brewing. To kick off April, the brewery is offering the best workout class value of the weekend: A 50-minute strength training, flexibility, and cardio class with Nicolette Curcio that includes a cold beer once you’re done.

April 13 and 27, 2:10 pm
Little Havana, $30
Loan Depot Park is beckoning you for the baseball season, as the Marlins offer one of the best deals in the majors before every Saturday home game. For two hours prior to the first pitch, you can wander the left field plaza, three-ounce glass in hand, sampling stuff from some of South Florida’s best craft brewers. After, enjoy the game from a lower-level box seat as the Fish take on Atlanta on April 13 and Washington on April 27.

April 18, 10 am
South Beach, By donation
Think you can do more pushups than Udonis Haslem? Find out at Anatomy South Beach as it hosts its seventh annual Hour Push Up Challenge. UD will be on hand cranking out as many push ups as he can in one hour, securing pledges per push-up that go to Make-A-Wish Southern Florida. You can get in on the action too by getting pledges for your push-ups, and seeing how your score matches up to the Heat legend’s.

April 28, 7:30 am
Fort Lauderdale, $35
If your April skewed a little on the indulgent side, end the month by doing something that’s good for yourself and the world. Mothers Against Drunk Driving hosts its 13th annual 5K near Huizenga Plaza, where you and your team of walkers and runners can raise money to support the organization’s efforts. The run goes along the New River and downtown FTL, and finishes with an awards ceremony and live music.

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