And We're Back!

The Culture Edit, January 4th-18th

Author

Susan Bannon
January 04, 2026

Zoetic Stage’s production of “The Inheritance, Part 1” opens January 8th.

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the break, because after a couple of light weeks over the holidays, our cultural calendar is back in full swing.

Headlining the first week of 2026 is Zoetic Stage’s production of The Inheritance, Part 1, one of the most acclaimed plays of our new century, opening this coming Thursday at the Arsht Center.

For music lovers, we have the 10th annual South Beach Jazz Festival, celebrating our beautiful winter weather with open air concerts at the Miami Beach Bandshell, Collins Park, and an all-day lineup on Sunday on Lincoln Road.

Finally, today’s newsletter marks the second anniversary of Cultured Miami Weekly! A huge “thank you” to my readers for giving me an excuse to write about the things I love. Here’s to 2026!

Let’s get planning…

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Music

Spanish Harlem Orchestra at the Bandshell

Headlining the 10th annual South Beach Jazz Festival, the three-time Grammy Award-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra lights up the Miami Beach Bandshell for a night of New York-style salsa dura. Acclaimed jazz master trumpeter Etienne Charles will join the SHO as a special guest, under the direction of legendary pianist and bandleader Oscar Hernández.

Saturday, January 10th, 8pm, Miami Beach Bandshell, $45-$76

Neighborhood: North Beach

NWS: Rhapsody in Blue at Arsht

Award-winning conductor Andrew Grams will lead the New World Symphony in Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”

The Gen Z musicians of the New World Symphony take a field trip over to the Arsht Center to present George Gershwin’s masterpiece, Rhapsody in Blue. Led by globe-trotting conductor Andrew Grams and joined by celebrated jazz pianist Marcus Roberts and his trio, the Fellows will also tackle two of Duke Ellington’s signature pieces for a one-night-only performance in the Knight Concert Hall.

Saturday, January 10th, 8pm, Arsht Center, $41-$205

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

More Upcoming Music Events:

Theater

The Inheritance, Part 1

Zoetic Stage presents The Inheritance, Part 1, the most honored American play in a generation (it won basically all of the “Best Play” awards in London and New York, including Tony, Olivier, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle). The play reimagines E. M. Forster’s Howards End as a contemporary portrait of New York’s gay community, with gay men from different generations standing in for Forster’s clash of social classes. *Note: this show contains mature themes and content, including depictions of nudity and explicit material as part of the story.

January 8th-25th, Carnival Studios Theater at the Arsht Center, $67-$73

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Dance

YoungArts Dance Showcase

Since 1981, the YoungArts national competition has helped thousands of talented teenagers from across the country find their way to a career in the arts, with mentorship, financial support, and the annual conference and showcase of their work here in Miami. You can catch the next wave of dance talent at their annual dance showcase on Day Three of National YoungArts Week at New World Center.

Wednesday, January 7th, 8pm, New World Center, $5-$15

Neighborhood: Lincoln Road

Nearby Eats: Casa Tua, Blue Ribbon Sushi, Pauline | Drinks: Little Torch, Water Lion at the Sagamore

Ailey II: The Next Generation of Dance

For over 50 years, Ailey II has operated as a springboard for some of America’s most talented young dancers and a showcase for emerging and boundary-pushing choreographers. These young artists are bringing their “off-the-charts energy” (The New Yorker) and signature Ailey technique to Miami for a one-night-only performance you don’t want to miss.

Friday, January 9th, 8pm, Arsht Center, $41-$94

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Art Events

Miami Beach A Million Years Ago

As part of its free “Third Thursdays” series, The Bass Museum welcomes local historian Malcolm Laredo for an immersive outdoor walking lecture on Miami’s geological and cultural past, featuring interactive wall projections and a “research tent” back inside the museum. *We Met in Miami, a group that helps foster new connections with friends or more, will be participating in this event.

Thursday, January 15th, 6-9pm, Bass Museum of Art, Free with RSVP

Neighborhood: Miami Beach

75th Annual Beaux Arts Festival of Art

A Miami tradition for 75 years, the Beaux Arts Festival of Art is a two-day juried art festival that features over 200 selected art exhibitors, plus live music, kids’ activities, a beer & wine garden, plenty of festival food, a marketplace for local vendors, and free admission to UM’s Lowe Art Museum. Each year, thousands of visitors come out to enjoy the art and the typically beautiful weather on UM’s gorgeous campus.

January 17th-18th, 10am-5pm, University of Miami campus, Free

Neighborhood: UM / Coral Gables

Nearby Eats: Vice City Pizza, Mamey, Daniel’s | Drinks: Fox’s Lounge, Titanic (of course!)

More Art Events:

Indie Cinema

Miami short Film Festival: Best of Fest 2025

“Lumen,” a Canadian film by Stéphanie Bélanger, was awarded “Best Comedy” in last year’s Miami short Film Festival.

The 24th annual Miami short Film Festival was this past November, but in case you missed it, you can catch “Best of Fest 2025,” a lineup of crowd favorites and critics picks from the festival. The six selected films include a drama from India, an animated short from Mongolia, and a documentary about Cuban-American artist Edel Rodriguez.

Sunday, January 11th, 7pm Cocktail Reception, 7:30pm Screening, Deering Estate Visitor Center, $20

Neighborhood: Palmetto Bay

Disposable Humanity: Screening with Director Q&A

Day Two of the Miami Jewish Film Festival brings us this southeast U.S. premiere screening of Disposable Humanity, with an introduction and post-screening talk by director Cameron S. Mitchell. A documentary two decades in the making, Disposable Humanity explores the little-known history of Germany’s pre-war Aktion T4 program, which murdered more than 300,000 disabled people between 1939 and 1941. Sponsored by the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach, this screening is free of charge.

Friday, January 15th, 6pm, O Cinema South Beach, Free

Neighborhood: South Beach

More Indie Cinema:

Planning Ahead

Miami's most anticipated events sell out and those new restaurants you want to try book up. Here are a couple of upcoming events to get on your calendar now…

January 24th-27th

Die Fledermaus

Florida Grand Opera presents Johann Strauss II’s glittering comedic operetta Die Fledermaus, bringing 19th century Vienna to life with sumptuous period sets and costumes, and featuring one of opera’s most challenging notes - the high D in Adele’s “laughing song." The plot follows an elaborate prank at a high-society costume ball that goes sideways and lands everyone in jail. (Typical Friday night.)

Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Arsht Center, $32-$357

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Nearby Eats: Brasserie Laurel, Casadonna, Klaw | Drinks: Klaw rooftop, ViceVersa

Wednesday, January 28th

Itzhak Perlman with the Cleveland Symphony

World-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman celebrates his 80th birthday season with Cinema Serenade, an unforgettable concert with the Cleveland Orchestra celebrating iconic film scores. With his legendary technique and rich sound, Perlman brings to life John Williams' stirring theme from Schindler's List and Ennio Morricone’s beloved Cinema Paradiso, among others.

8pm, Knight Concert Hall at the Arsht Center, $69-$291

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Nearby Eats: Eight Bar, Bunbury, Mignonette | Drinks: Yamashiro, ViceVersa

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