Miami, Florida guide: Best party spots in city

IT’S sun-drenched and full of sound —  a city built on rhythm. If you’re heading to the United States and love to party, this is the place to go.

Miami

Miami, Florida is sun-drenched and full of sound; a city built on rhythm.

On the far south-eastern tip of Florida, stretching out to kiss the Caribbean islands, Miami has absorbed the frenetic beats of Latin America and evolved into a modern Mecca for electronic music. The city embraces excess, and is known as one of the greatest party cities on the planet — home to the biggest EDM event in the world and the ultimate VIP bottle service. But there’s more than just the beats pouring out of the cars, cafes and super clubs; families will enjoy the peaceful resorts and sprawling outdoor parks, vinyl lovers will enjoy crate digging at its record stores and foodies will enjoy its upmarket restaurants set to the soundtrack of jazz.

THE ROOTS OF RHYTHM

Geographically, Miami is closer to Havana, Cuba than Orlando, Florida, and its large Latino population has roots that spread across Central America. The strongest influences come from Cuban immigrants, who brought traditional styles including mambo, Cuban son and the conga to Miami, while migrants from the Dominican Republic imported merengue and bachata. The melting pot of musical influences gave rise to various fusion forms including salsa and Latin jazz, and have over time seeped into the pop, R&B and hip hop heard on radio waves around the world.

The best way to sample Miami’s Latin sound is to head to Little Havana, west of Downtown Miami, where cigar stores and Cubano sandwich vendors pump Latin rhythms into the air, and hidden bars become salsa hot spots all night long. Along the famed Calle Ocho you’ll find Ball & Chain, a modern homage to the 1940s club that once hosted Count Basie and Chet Baker, and today hosts a nightly salsa party in a tropical garden under the stars. Down the street, Hoy Como Ayer presents a revolving door of Latin superstars in a more intimate setting, while locals in the know head just north to the Club Tipico Dominicano in the Allapattah neighbourhood, for authentic flavours (in music and food) from across the Caribbean. The key to a good night out is to be fearless and hit the dancefloor — don’t let the dazzling salsa dancers faze you, everyone is welcome — but if you need a primer, there are plenty of dance classes offered in Miami where you can learn the basics.

For jazz enthusiasts, head to cosy French wine cellar Le Chat Noir, one of downtown’s charming gems regularly hosting world-class talent. Sip on cocktails, nibble on good cheese and enjoy the soothing sounds of jazz. Tucked away on Coral Way is Neme, Neme Gastro Bar is another favourite local jazz haunt serving up live music, tapas and cocktails every night of the week. Hipsters meanwhile flock to The Corner, famous for crafted cocktails, cheap Chicago dogs and live jazz bands.

LAND OF THE LONG VELVET ROPE

In Miami, club culture is an art form, complemented by balmy nights and the spectacular blue waters of the Biscayne Bay. The Miami dance scene regularly hosts the world’s top DJs and producers, with marquee names playing multiple clubs every week, and local legends doing marathon sets into dawn (and beyond). The festivities typically don’t start until midnight, but it can last the whole weekend.

Some clubs are cavernous cathedrals with a visual spectacle to match the spectacular beats; others offer beautiful views over the bay so that heady nights can end with a glorious sunrise; some of the best club experiences happen around the pool at super luxe hotels. And yes, even though glitz is the dominant flavour of the Miami scene, there are also underground clubs where excellent music is all that’s on offer, and all you need.

They say that everyone in Miami is a VIP, but entry to the biggest, most exclusive clubs comes at the end of a long velvet rope. People dress to impress and party in supreme style, with a private table and bottle service at every music stop. If that level of indulgence is a little out of reach, the dance floor is still yours. Knowing that club-loving celebs Kim Kardashian, Diplo and Paris Hilton have breathed the same air is always a little thrill, especially when one of those famous faces turns up on the same night as you.

THE HOTTEST OF THE HOT SPOTS

Founded in the early 90s, the Miami club scene is always changing, but the South Beach strip remains the city’s epicentre of dance music. The granddaddy of the strip is LIV, with exploding confetti, lasers, strobes and a giant LED spider, plus weekly appearances from the hottest acts in EDM and hip hop, the likes of Calvin Harris, Deadmau5, Kanye West and Gucci Mane. The uber-exclusive 1000-cap venue has made various appearances in Hollywood movies and music videos, and remains one of the most mind-blowing club experiences Miami has to offer — frequently ranked amongst the best in the world. If you’re looking for a similar experience, there’s always the sister venue STORY, which adds aerial dancers to their sound and light shows.

If you want your beats with a breath of fresh air, head to Nikki Beach, where beats are carried on a cool breeze beach under swaying palm trees. The best pool-side dance party goes down at Hyde Beach, part of the oceanside SLS Hotel, though every hotel on the SoBe strip has both pool and party on offer. For a more intimate view of the Miami club scene, Do Not Sit On The Furniture is a small, dark, beautifully decorated church with serious house music sounds, while the Wall Lounge offers black and gold leather chic for an uber-exclusive clientele. Basement is a must-stop. In between dance breaks, you can go bowling in one of the club’s 10 lanes or take a spin on the in-house skating rink.

For big names and pyrotechnics, the American Airlines Arena hosts everyone from Katy Perry to Kendrick Lamar and Paul McCartney. Its waterfront setting offers a glittering backdrop. Also Downtown is the Klipsch Amphitheater, a waterfront venue where you can pack a picnic and throw a rug down on the grass to enjoy your favourite tunes with ease. For indie fans, The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater seamlessly blends Miami Beach art deco and rock and roll ambience and hosts bands such as Band of Horses or Rodrigo y Gabriela.

MIAMI MUSIC EVENTS

As if the year-round scene wasn’t enough, Miami is also home to a calendar of music festivals that draws fans from across the globe, as well as top-flight artists. Reggae lovers are catered to with the annual 9 Mile Music Festival (previously Marley Fest), while Miami’s Rolling Loud proudly reigns as the biggest hip hop festival in the world. The relatively new III Points festival is already a favourite amongst local electro fans, and Ultra Music Festival is a destination festival for every EDM lover on the planet. Ultra is the stuff of legend, with more than 150,000 people pouring through the gates of Bayfront Park each year to watch a long list of top tier artists —from Eric Prydz to Underworld, Skrillex to Tiësto, Major Lazer to Justice —  play against a stupefying backdrop of lasers, lights, confetti cannons and fireworks.

For EDM industry and artists, March’s Winter Music Conference is the key event on the Miami music calendar. It is also the largest EDM industry event in the world — SXSW for the electro set. Founded in 1985, the week-long conference draws thousands of record labels, producers, media reps and promoters for networking, talks and panel discussions, not to mention a week-long party that runs literally 24-hours a day. With the entire electronic music industry in one place, the Winter Music Conference is a cornucopia for music fans too, because the world’s best EDM artists take over the Miami club scene en masse. Every club has an epic headliner, every night of the week, and Miami’s already-supercharged music scene goes utterly supernova.