On the Radar: October 25–31, 2026

Halloween week in Miami is not a single night — it is a full seven-day run that starts right now and does not let up until Friday. The city is in costume from Sunday through Friday, and the calendar underneath the costumes is genuinely stacked. Steve Lacy plays the waterfront Monday night. The Miami HEAT host the Mavericks the same evening. Adam Grant is in Pinecrest for a conversation worth the drive. NWS Spooky Symphony for Kids closes out its run today. Carnaval on the Mile takes over Coral Gables. Katt Williams is on book tour. The Zombie Run is back in Pinecrest. And every room in the city has a costume party on the calendar. Here is the full playbook for the week.

The Concert Pick — Last Chance: New World Symphony: Spooky Symphony for Kids at New World Center, 500 17th St, Miami Beach (2:00 PM and 4:00 PM). Costumed conductors, a program built for young ears, and a room that makes classical music feel like an event. Tickets are $15–$35 and this is the final day of the run. If you have kids between 4 and 10, this is the Sunday move.

The Festival Pick: Fall for the Arts Festival & Street Food Event takes over the Omni District today — free entry, live performance, street food vendors, and the kind of neighborhood energy that reminds you why this part of Miami is worth paying attention to. The Omni corridor has been building momentum and this is a good reason to go see it. Free, no ticket required.

Carnaval on the Mile: Miracle Mile in Coral Gables hosts its annual Carnaval on the Mile today — free street festival with live music, food, and the kind of afternoon that turns into an evening. One of the better free outdoor events of the fall season. Bring the family.

The Zombie Run: The Zombie Run returns to Pinecrest today — a 5K obstacle course with zombie actors, mud pits, and full costume chaos. Tickets required. Registration at zombierun.com. This is the family-friendly Halloween event that actually delivers on the premise.

The Cultural Picks: Cuba en la Memoria: Música, Arte y Poesía at Coral Gables Museum — a multi-disciplinary exhibition exploring Cuban cultural memory through music, art, and poetry. ICA Miami Family Fest: We Are Miami at the ICA Miami Expansion Space — free family programming celebrating Miami's cultural diversity. 3rd Festival de Bomba y Plena at Miami Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Ave — free Afro-Puerto Rican music and dance festival.

The Sports Pick: Miami Dolphins at New York Jets — NFL Week 7. The Dolphins are on the road at MetLife Stadium. Watch parties citywide. Messi Cup 2026 at Inter Miami CF Stadium — a youth soccer tournament with Messi's name on it. Miami City Ballet: American Rhythms (Fall Mix) at Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center — the company's fall program opens its run.

Free Moves: Lincoln Road Farmers Market — every Sunday, free, all morning. Free Community Yoga on Lincoln Road at Euclid Courtyard — every Sunday, free. Deering Estate Free Admission Day — Bank of America cardholders get free admission today. Halloween Harvest Farmers Market at Vizcaya Village — free, family-friendly, with corn husk art workshops running alongside. Puptoberfest at Tropical Park — free fall festival for dogs and their people.

The Concert Pick: Steve Lacy: Oh Yeah? Tour at FPL Solar Amphitheater at Bayfront Park, 301 Biscayne Blvd, Miami (8:00 PM). The outdoor waterfront setting is right for him — the bay behind the stage, the city lit up, and a catalog that rewards a crowd that actually listens. Apollo XXI and Gemini Rights both hold up live. This is worth the Monday. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

The Sports Pick: Miami HEAT vs. Dallas Mavericks at Kaseya Center, 601 Biscayne Blvd (7:30 PM). Early-season home game with opening-week energy still in the building. Luka and company make for a legitimate test. The crowd will be loud and the stakes are real. Tickets at heat.com. Read our feature on the Voice of the HEAT, Gale Nelson.

The Conversation Pick: An Evening with Adam Grant at The Hub at Temple Beth Am, 5950 N Kendall Dr, Pinecrest (7:30 PM). The organizational psychologist behind Think Again and Hidden Potential in conversation at one of South Florida's most thoughtfully programmed venues. His live talks are sharper than the books and the audience tends to be the kind of people worth being in a room with. Worth the drive south. Tickets at hubmiami.org.

The Book Event: Midnight ACOTAR 6 Release Party at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables. If you know, you know. If you don't — this is the midnight release of Sarah J. Maas's sixth book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. The Books & Books team does these release events right.

The Candlelight Option: Candlelight Halloween Classics at Fontainebleau Miami Beach — a candlelit concert of Halloween-themed classical music in one of Miami Beach's most iconic rooms. Atmospheric, seasonal, and genuinely beautiful. Tickets at feverup.com.

Free Moves: Coconut Grove Book Club at Coconut Grove Library — free, open to all. Mini Monster Monday at Miami Children's Museum — Halloween-themed family programming. Maki Mondays at Tanuki River Landing — $11 select maki rolls, every Monday on the Miami River.

Halloween Week Parties Begin: Tuesday is when the costume parties start in earnest. R House Wynwood launches its Villains Party series — one of the most reliably well-executed Halloween events in the city. Hoy Como Ayer at 2212 SW 8th St runs its Halloween costume night with live salsa and the full Little Havana atmosphere. Both are worth booking ahead.

The Pumpkin Carving Social: Halloween Pumpkin Carving Party at Kiki on the River — what starts as a pumpkin carving event at one of Miami's best waterfront restaurants tends to evolve into something more interesting. The setting alone justifies the reservation. Kiki on the River is at 450 NW North River Dr.

The Style Pick: Real Style: An Evening with Kristen Naiman in Conversation with Emme Parsons at Books & Books, Coral Gables. A fashion industry conversation with two people who actually have something to say about style, craft, and the business of clothing. Free with RSVP.

The Comedy Pick: Katt Williams: On Book Tour! at Wells Hall at The Parker, 707 NE 8th St, Fort Lauderdale. Katt Williams is doing something genuinely unusual — a book tour that is also a stand-up show. The pre-show experience at The Haller Club and The Place To Be runs before the main event. Tickets at theparker.org. This is a rare format and a rare performer in a room that fits him.

The Rock Pick: Brand New at Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood. The cult indie rock band in a proper arena room. Tickets at ticketmaster.com. If you know their catalog, you already have your ticket. If you don't — this is the week to find out.

The Dia de los Muertos Layer: Wynwood Día de los Muertos Ofrenda Trail is active all week through November 2 — a self-guided walking trail through Wynwood connecting decorated ofrendas at participating venues. Free, no ticket required. The trail map is at wynwoodmiami.com.

The Lincoln Road Block Party: The Lincoln Road Halloween Block Party is one of the city's best free outdoor events of the year — costumes, live music, street performers, and the full Lincoln Road pedestrian mall energy. Free, no ticket required. This is the Thursday night move for anyone who wants to be in the middle of it.

The Nightlife Circuit: Thursday through Friday is when the Halloween nightlife circuit peaks. Sounds of Screams at multiple Miami venues runs its haunted experience programming. Ladies Love Halloween: An Old School Brunch Party at Cru Lounge Wynwood — free entry, old school R&B, and a full costume situation. Diwali Day Party at Ghee Indian Kitchen Wynwood — $15 entry, a cultural celebration that runs alongside the Halloween calendar.

Halloween Eve: Friday is the city's main Halloween night. Every venue has something. The picks: R House Wynwood Villains Party — the full production, full costume, full drag performance. Hoy Como Ayer Halloween Night at 2212 SW 8th St — salsa, costumes, and the best Halloween energy in Little Havana. Kiki on the River Halloween — waterfront, costumed, and reliably well-executed. Black Lagoon Pop-Up — the seasonal Halloween cocktail bar that appears in Miami every October. Check their Instagram for the location.

The Family Halloween Move: Boo at the Zoo at Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd St — trick-or-treating through the zoo grounds with animal encounters and Halloween programming. Free with zoo admission. LEGOLAND Florida Brick or Treat continues through the weekend — the Brightline + park combo makes this a clean day trip from Miami.

Halloween Day: Saturday is the actual day and Miami handles it well. The Wynwood Día de los Muertos Ofrenda Trail is at its peak. The Lincoln Road area runs costume programming all day. Vizcaya Village has its Halloween Harvest Farmers Market. The city is in full costume from morning through midnight.

The Night Circuit: Halloween Saturday in Miami is one of the city's best nights of the year. Every major venue is running a costume event. The South Beach circuit — Ocean Drive, Collins, Washington — is at full capacity. Wynwood is the alternative for those who want the art district energy. Brickell runs its own circuit. Pick your neighborhood and commit to it — trying to move between them on Halloween night is a losing strategy.

Navigation Note: Rideshare surge pricing on Halloween Saturday in Miami is significant. Plan your route before you leave, identify your pickup spot, and budget extra time. The Brightline runs late on weekends — it is a legitimate option for the Fort Lauderdale circuit.

Sunday: New World Symphony: Reich, Stravinsky & Glass (Night 2) at New World Center — the second night of a program that pairs three of the 20th century's most important composers. This is the serious music pick of the week and it will be half-empty because everyone is at the Halloween events. That is your advantage.

Sunday: Slow Burn Theatre Co: Come From Away at Amaturo Theater at Broward Center — the Tony Award-winning musical about the 38 planes that landed in Gander, Newfoundland on September 11, 2001. One of the most emotionally effective shows in the Broadway canon, in a mid-size venue that fits it perfectly.

Sunday: Wildlife Kayak Adventure at Deering Estate — a guided kayak through the Deering Estate's coastal hammock and mangrove system. $25–$45, limited spots, and one of the genuinely rare outdoor experiences in South Florida. Book at deeringestate.org.

Monday: Ride and Dine with Big Bus Tours Miami at Hard Rock Cafe Miami — a hop-on hop-off bus tour combined with dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. Sounds touristy. It is. But if you have visitors in town for Halloween week, this is a clean, low-effort way to show them the city before the evening events.

Before you head out: Always verify the essentials — dates, times, ticket availability, and venue details — directly with the organizer. Things change, and the venue has the final word. We cover what we know at time of publication.