Regarded as the best carnival in North America – Miami Carnival is the perfect culmination of energy and spirit. Miami Carnival occurs from October 3 – October 9 this year.
Miami Carnival is simple to coordinate as a first time carnivalist. All you need to do is
- Purchase your flight
- Book your hotel accommodations
- Choose a band & register for a Carnival costume
- Decide which parties you want to attend & purchase event tickets
- Shop for your party outfits & Enjoy
Traveling to Miami for Carnival
Miami is easily accessible providing travelers with many options. You can drive into the city from surrounding states. There are people who braved the 18 hour drive from New York City.
There are two airports to fly into – Miami International (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) International Airport. FLL is sometimes cheaper to fly into (especially if you are using airline miles
Accommodations for Miami Carnival
With accommodations, there are many options such as resort / boutique hotels, airbnb’s and short term rentals.
For quick access to events, stay in the Brickell / Miami Beach area. Staying in Miami will decrease cost regarding transportation. Feel free to reserve a car rental as you will need one in the Florida region. If you only attend events in the South Beach/Miami Beach area, Uber or Lyft are viable options.
Recommended Hotels:
- Kimpton Angler’s Hotel – Under $200 a night
- Novotel Miami Brickell – Under $200 a night
- Kimpton Epic Hotel – Under $300 a night
- *prices as of May 2023*
Where does Miami Carnival occur?
The parade will take place on October 8, 2023. The Miami Carnival parade will take place at Miami Dade Fair Grounds — 10901 SW 24 St • Miami, FL 33165.
While I recommend participating in the carnival experience by registering with a band, patrons can enter the park to spectate. Park tickets are $50USD.
Carnival Bands to Play Mas With
Unlike carnivals in the Caribbean, Miami’s carnival takes place in an enclosed park. There will no “lunch stop” or glamhubs along the way but meals & drinks are provided by premium bands. This is what you get:
- Your costume & goodie bag
- The band – Other masqueraders, vibes, trucks, DJs, speaker boxes
- Unlimited top shelf alcohol [some bands give chits for drink limits]
- Meals and snacks
Here is a list of 2023 Miami Carnival Bands:
- Revel Nation will launch their “The Way of Water” theme on TBA
- Mascots International
- Generation X Miami
- One Island Mas Band
- Freaks Mas
- Euphoria Mas
- D Junction Mas
- Jamborii Mas
- Bajan Fuh Evah Mas
- Party Room Squad
- Wassi Ones
- Dingolay Mas
- Ramajay Mas
Where to Party
Miami has one of the best Caribbean party scenes in the states with top Carnival promoters organizing events.
Encompassed in the carnival scene are different kinds of parties. There are (1) Beach fetes or Pool Parties (Involve a body of water) (2) All inclusive fetes (Premium event where people dress accordingly) (3) Cooler fetes (you can bring your own alcohol) (4) Boatrides (events on a vessel so you have to be on time) (5) All White events.
Here is a brief list of Miami Carnival events :
All Inclusive Event
- Oct 7 – Vale Vibe Breakfast Party
Oct 6 – Citrus Miami All Inclusive
Drinks Inclusive Event
- Oct 5 – Tribe Ignite
- Oct 6 – Big Phat Fish
- Oct 7 – Soca Brainwash Miami 2023
- Oct 7 – Caesar’s Army Mai Tai
- Oct 9 – Scorch Bacchanal Road
Cooler Fete (BYOB) Event
- Oct 7 – Scorch & Spice Cooler Fete
- Oct 7 – Viva La Carnival Cooler Fete
- Oct 8 – Indulge Cooler Fete
Touristy Things to Do
After carnival, feel free to check out Miami; it’s an amazing city. Here are some other things you can do if you have a free day or two:
- Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
- Visit the art walls in Wynwood
- Perez Art Museum
- Miami Beach Botanical Gardens
- Nikki Beach (for expensive cocktails & ambience)
- Hardrock Hotel @ Night for the guitar light show & drinks (for a quick date w/ bae or friends)
- Seawell Fish N’ Oyster (for fresh seafood & excellent customer service)
- Shooters (amazing for weekend brunch; MUST make reservations)