Run, Don't Walk

The Culture Edit, March 16th-29th

Author

Susan Bannon
March 15, 2026

The 43rd edition of the Miami Film Festival runs April 9th-19th.

Every year, as soon as the Miami Film Festival announces it’s lineup, the tickets just disappear. This year, there are more showings booked in the historic, 1,500-seat Olympia Theater, which is pretty hard to sell out, but why risk it? Tickets went on sale this past Wednesday, so now’s a good time to check out all the festival offerings and nab a seat before they’re gone. Celebrities receiving awards or coming for talks include Matt Bomer, Bob Odenkirk, and Adam Scott.

Coming up this week, Gablestage opens an award-winning play by Joshua Harmon (Bad Jews, Admissions) that tackles rising antisemitism in France, and the 12th edition of FilmGate Interactive brings a truly immersive cinema experience to the giant dome at Frost Science Planetarium.

Let’s get planning…

Jump to: Music, Theater, Indie Cinema, Dance, Art Events, Book Talks, or Planning Ahead

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Theater

Zoetic Stage: Merrily We Roll Along

If you aren't on the Musical Theater Nerd Alert System (MTNAS), you may not know that Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning musical Merrily We Roll Along is getting a production by Zoetic Stage at the Arsht Center this month. If you are, I don’t have to tell you how this complicated, bittersweet work flopped in its Broadway debut only to become a cult classic, with iconic Sondheim songs like the achingly romantic Not a Day Goes By. You’ve only got three weeks to see it, so get those tickets!

Through April 5th, Carnival Studios Theatre at the Arsht Center, $78

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Gablestage: Prayer for the French Republic

From celebrated playwright Joshua Harmon (Bad Jews, Admissions), Gablestage presents a regional premiere of Prayer for the French Republic, a darkly funny exploration of history, identity and survival. The story follows the Benhamou family, who are forced to question the safety of their home in Paris, and wrestle with 1,000 years of Jewish history, in the wake of an antisemitic attack.

March 20th-April 19th, 7pm evenings, 2pm matinees, Gablestage at the Biltmore, $40-$60

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

More Upcoming Theater:

  • March 17th-22nd: As part of its Broadway in Miami series of touring shows, the Arsht Center presents Moulin Rouge! The Musical, bringing Baz Luhrmann’s visual masterpiece to life with Tony Award-winning songs.

Indie Cinema

Filmgate Interactive 12: RESONANCE

FilmGate Interactive is Miami’s biggest immersive media and creative technology festival, bringing together filmmakers, artists, and technologists to explore the future of storytelling, artificial intelligence, and human connection. The big kick off is an immersive screening on the huge Frost Planetarium dome of two Miami-Taiwan co-produced films that promise to be a full body experience, with a Taiwanese-inspired cocktail reception.

Wednesday, March 18th, 6:30pm Opening Reception and Screening, Frost Science Planetarium, $50-$100 ($25 for subsequent screenings through March 24th)

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Nearby Eats: Verde at PAMM, Vice Versa, Maple & Ash | Drinks: Verde, Yamashiro

Miami Climate Week Screening of Yanuni

Film Still: Yanuni, directed by Richard Ladkani, executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio

Miami Film Festival presents a special screening of Yanuni, the 2026 Oscar shortlisted documentary about an Indigenous couple on the frontlines of the fight to save the Amazon rainforest from illegal gold miners, land-grabbers, and multinational corporations, putting their lives at risk every day. This film was selected to close last year’s Tribeca Festival, but still doesn’t have US distribution (mysterious!), so this may be your only chance to see it.

Thursday, March 19th, 7pm, Silverspot Cinemas, $14.50

Neighborhood: Downtown

More Upcoming Cinema:

Dance

Rubberband Dance Company at Moss

Back in 2002, Victor Quijada founded RUBBERBAND Dance Company in Quebec to bring together his dance origins in LA b-boying with his later ballet career, and has since toured and taught the athletic RUBBERBAND method around the world. The company’s latest work, Ever So Slightly Redux, is coming to the Moss Center this month for a one-night-only performance.

Saturday, March 21st, 7:30 evenings, 3pm Sunday, The Moss Center, $25-$45

Neighborhood: Cutler Bay

Nearby Eats: Not much! Grab dinner at Platea or Golden Rule Seafood on your way down there and have some rooftop cocktails at Ivy Rooftop or martinis at Fox’s on your way back.

MCB Spring Weekend: Carmen & Jewels

Well, this is something new! Instead of one program performed all weekend, Miami City Ballet is presenting two very distinct options for their spring ballet showcase: Balanchine’s iconic triptych, Jewels, and an encore performance of last year’s world premiere of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s reimagined Carmen. Tough choice, but there’s nothing stopping you from buying two tickets and seeing both!

March 26th-29th, 7:30 evenings, 2pm matinees, Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Arsht, $45-$235

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Nearby Eats: Mignonette, Yamashiro, Casadonna | Drinks: Klaw, ViceVersa

More Upcoming Dance:

  • Sunday, March 29th: LA-based, globetrotting World Ballet Company lands at the Moss Center with over 50 dancers and a full orchestra for a performance of Swan Lake, at 6pm.

Music

Jazz at Faena: Stella Cole

As part of its 8th annual Jazz Series, Faena Theater presents an evening with up-and-coming vocalist Stella Cole. Known for her refreshing interpretations and clear tone, Cole brings modern sparkle to the Great American Songbook. Seating at the Faena is mostly two-by-two, and tables can be upgraded with fancy bottle service, so this is definitely a date-night booking.

Wednesday, March 18th, 8pm, Faena Theater, $70-$225

Neighborhood: Mid Beach

Nearby Eats & Drinks: Make it an all-Faena night, with dinner at Pao or Los Fuegos and drinks at Living Room or The Saxony Bar.

The Cleveland Orchestra: Rite of Spring

Conductor Rafael Payare. Photo courtesy of the Arsht Center.

The Cleveland Orchestra welcomes charismatic Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare for a performance of Stravinsky’s epic Rite of Spring, which famously started a riot at its 1913 premiere, thanks to its (at the time) shocking experiments with percussion and dissonance. Celebrated violinist Sergey Khachatryan will also be on hand for a performance of Sibelius’ beloved Violin Concerto.

8pm Friday & Saturday, Knight Concert Hall at the Arsht Center, $41-$221

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

More Upcoming Music Events:

  • Friday, March 20th: Seraphic Fire, South Florida’s Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble, presents their annual fan-favorite candlelight concert, featuring a mix of ancient and contemporary masterpieces, at St. Philip’s Episcopal at 7pm.

  • Friday, March 20th: Spectacular open-air venue Zey Zey welcomes King of Latin Soul, Joe Bataan, and his 12-piece band for an evening of latin boogaloo to disco, at 8pm.

  • Saturday, March 21st: Acclaimed Cuban singer and multi-instrumentalist Yusa plays the Miami Beach Bandshell as part of Miami Light Project’s Global Cuba Fest, at 8pm.

  • Sunday, March 22nd: The New World Symphony Fellows present a chamber concert of boundary-pushing works by modern masters, including John Cage and Charles Ives, at 2pm.

  • Wednesday, March 25th: The XXIX New Music Miami ISCM festival continues, with avant-garde guest composer Alex Burtzos joining FIU’s NODUS ensemble for an evening of adventurous new work, at The Betsy Hotel at 7pm.

  • Wednesday, March 25th: 1970’s British funk-soul-reggae outfit Cymande, whose chill tracks were sampled all over 1990’s hip hop, have reformed forty years later and are hitting the Miami Beach Bandshell on their new tour, at 8pm.

  • Thursday, March 26th: Music at McBride Plaza presents a free outdoor concert by The Wire Jays, a contemporary “Newgrass” band, at downtown Coral Gables’ McBride Plaza, at 5:30pm.

  • Sunday, March 29th: The Cleveland Orchestra pays tribute to the late, legendary director Rob Reiner with a special screening of The Princess Bride, backed by a new symphony arrangement of composer Mark Knopfler’s unforgettable score, at the Arsht Center at 3pm.

Art Events

PAMM Opening: Get in the Game

Get in the Game (installation view, SFMOMA); photo: Matthew Millman, courtesy SFMOMA

This month, PAMM opens Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture, a huge new exhibit featuring over 100 works of art exploring the dynamic interplay between athletic performance and artistic expression. To celebrate, the museum will host two full days of talks with artists and sports personalities, screenings, poetry readings, and parties.

March 19th-20th, Pérez Art Museum Miami, Free with Museum Admission ($18)

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Nearby Eats: Verde at PAMM, Eight Bar, Yamashiro | Drinks: Verde, Vice Versa

More Upcoming Art Events:

  • Thursday, March 19th: As part of its free Third Thursday’s series, the Bass Museum welcomes sculptor and installation artist Kennedy Yanko for a discussion of her process, at 6pm.

  • Friday, March 20th: Bakehouse Art Complex hosts an open studios reception to celebrate the opening of Shared Printmaking Facilities at the complex, with some zine-making activities and printmaking demonstrations, from 6-9pm.

Book Talks

An Afternoon with Mikhail Zygar

Books & Books welcomes Russian journalist, writer, filmmaker, and founding editor-in-chief of opposition news channel Dozhd, Mikhail Zygar, to discuss his new book, The Dark Side of the Earth. The product of ten years of research and literally hundreds of exclusive interviews (with the likes of Mikhail Gorbachev), the book presents a new read on the forces that pulled Russia back toward totalitarianism after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Saturday, March 28th, 5pm, Books & Books Coral Gables, Free

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

More Literary Events:

Planning Ahead

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

Saturday, April 11th

MFF26: Normal Screening with Bob Odenkirk

This year’s Miami Film Festival welcomes actor, producer, screenwriter and comedian Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Nobody) for a screening of his new film, Normal, followed by a wide-ranging career conversation and award presentation. The film should be a fun one, reuniting Odenkirk with John Wick creator Derek Kolstad and Nobody producer Marc Provissiero for another story of a nice guy in a bad situation.

5:30pm, Olympia Theater, $45

Neighborhood: Downtown

Friday, April 17th

MFF26: In Conversation with Adam Scott

Actor and comedian Adam Scott joins the Miami Film Festival to talk about his new film, Hokum, and reflect on an extensive career that includes roles in Parks and Recreation and Severance, the latter garnering him Emmy, Golden Globe, and Critics’ Choice awards.

7:30pm, MDC Wolfson Chapman Center, $35

Neighborhood: Downtown

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