Look out, Art Basel. There is a new full-fledged party week in South Florida that may have already taken your crown. The F-1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix officially arrived in 2022 and has gone full throttle with a South Florida flair ever since.
This year’s action will go down on May 3 through 5, with Miami Gardens’ Hard Rock Stadium serving as the course’s undeniable epicenter. With this location, it’s not quite the logistical challenge as F1’s debut on the Las Vegas Strip was in November 2023. In fact, being 15 miles from Collins Avenue means that the festivities don’t generally add to Miami’s already crawling traffic.
Still, the entire region comes alive for the weekend, including neighboring Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach. Amid concerts, hotel options, culinary pizzazz and all the in-between, these are the spots that will get any racing fan’s engines going.
How to See the Race
If you’re looking to go VIP status while you watch Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in action, booking a package with F1 Experiences is the best way to go. Its bundle includes climate-controlled club access with libations and delicious food, guided pit-lane tours, meet-and-greets with drivers and an opportunity to stroll the track.
Other top-tier tickets include the Red Bull Energy Station near turn 11, which promises gourmet catering, driver appearances, surprise sessions by musical acts and, yes, an abundance of free-flowing Red Bull.
The Hard Rock Beach Club — with views of turns 11 and 12 — is also a winner. In addition to pools and cabanas to relax in, the entertainment slate this year dazzles with Steve Aoki (May 3), Ed Sheeran and Don Omar (May 4), and John Summit and Kaskade (May 5) all performing in the space. You can even park your yacht onsite again this year and watch the action zip by.
Campus passes for the Miami Grand Prix start at $150 per day. And remember, it’s a concrete wonderland, and highs in Miami can peak in the mid-80s to low 90s in May, so wear sunscreen and hydrate. Luckily, Liquid I.V. just signed on as the Miami Grand Prix’s hydration partner and will have samples across the grounds.
Where to Stay
Some Miami hotels are going all-out with packages tailored to F1 fans. Among them, Hotel AKA Brickell offers a Pit Stop Suite that is draped in racing memorabilia and includes an in-room driving simulator, a magnum of champagne and dinner at its stellar Mediterranean restaurant ADRIFT Mare.
Properties such as The Gabriel and The Cadillac are hosting viewing parties for hotel guests at their respective pools — with race car floats from Float Factory in the water included.
On Miami Beach, Eden Roc provides a Racetrack to Recovery promotion that includes a stay in a premium suite with an Oculus Quest 2 VR racing game set-up, a libation “pit stop” at the lobby bar and a recovery session at Esencia Spa, among other touches.
Forbes Travel Guide Recommended The Miami Beach EDITION may not have any F1-specific plans, but the fun property with a sculpture-like central staircase, an indoor ice-skating rink and bowling alley always finds ways to wow.
Five-Star Faena Hotel Miami Beach is another option that’s loaded with cultural panache and culinary masterpieces, including its own 150-seat opera house-like theater and a 22,000-square-foot wellness facility.
Four-Star 1 Hotel South Beach gives a nature-inspired retreat vibe with a newly constructed outdoor beach club. Stop by its rooftop Japanese-influenced bar/lounge WATR. One of Miami’s buzziest DJs, NÈMEKKO, was just appointed a residency there.
And if you’re looking to stay in Miami’s newest hotel, that would be Gale Miami Hotel & Residences. Slated to open May 1, Gale will have three restaurants and is a stone’s throw from some of the city’s biggest attractions, including Pérez Art Museum Miami, the Phillip & Patricia Frost Museum of Science and Bayfront Park.
What to See and Do
If you’re not looking to splurge on Miami Grand Prix tickets, there are spots to catch the race action and ambiance for free. The Racing Fan Fest, taking center stage in the graffiti-clad Wynwood neighborhood, is billed as the largest off-track fan festival during race week. More than 80,000 spectators are expected to attend the high-octane spectacle with a Red Bull Fan Zone, racing simulators, pop-up shops from Hugo Boss and New Era, and the Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 car for photos among the top attractions.
On the nightlife front, LIV (at the Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Fontainebleau Miami Beach), E11EVEN and Club Space are the see-and-be-seen clubs. Notable acts hitting the town for race week include 50 Cent (May 3 at E11EVEN) and John Summit (May 3 at LIV). You’ll want to keep an eye on their respective calendars as acts are often not announced until the week of.
For fans of electronic music, the world-renowned and Miami-bred Ultra Music Festival will host its RESISTANCE MIAMI club residency May 3 and 4 at M2. Headliners include Carl Cox and Italian sibling duo Mathame. Hollywood’s Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is also hosting some big acts, notably the aforementioned Ed Sheeran concert and the official Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix Pool Party (with Kaskade on May 4).
Beyond the clubs and confusion, Superblue, in the emerging Allapattah neighborhood, is a tranquil, immersive art reprieve. And if you’re in need of some muscle relief from all the walking, the Four-Star, 70,000-square-foot Spa at Carillon Miami Beach is one of the largest spa and wellness facilities on the East Coast.
Where to Eat and Drink
Miami is very much a foodie city, teeming with everything from mom-and-pop shops dishing out Latin favorites to the most luxurious of fine-dining establishments. A rumored favorite of F1 drivers in Miami Beach is Villa Azur, an elegant take on Mediterranean with a farm-fresh slant.
Edan Bistro, the North Miami brainchild of chef Aitor Garate Berasaluze, is serving an eight-course Race Week Tasting Menu (May 2 through 6), including a scallop tartare and Angus beef carpaccio. Korean steakhouse COTE Miami will also have a prix fixe tasting menu May 2 through 5, with A5, wagyu and USDA prime morsels along the way.
As for the most extravagant meals of the week, there are two front runners. Once Upon A Kitchen is a $2,500, six-course dinner at W South Beach on May 4, featuring heralded Italian chef Massimo Bottura paired with world-renowned Peru-based toque Virgilio Martinez in the same kitchen. American Express presents Carbone Beach is the other top ticket. Billed as a “Supper Club on the Sand,” the event (May 2 to 5) is literally happening on South Beach. In years past, Andrea Bocelli, LeBron James, Serena Williams and other big names have attended.
