This holiday season, experience a series of dazzling spectaculars of music and light as the Miami Beach Holiday Festival of Lights returns to South Beach December 13 through December 22.
Presented by the Miami Beach Classical Music Festival (MMF), a nonprofit dedicated to providing affordable, world-class musical instruction and groundbreaking performance experiences to young artists and the South Florida community, with the support of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority and the City of Miami Beach, the festival will feature live musical performances with a full orchestra and cutting-edge projection-mapping technology where intricate lighting designs and captivating visuals will take over The Betsy Hotel, one of South Beach’s most iconic buildings, turning the property and the 1400 block of Ocean Drive into an interactive exhibit of vibrant imagery and sound. Every surface during this awe-inspiring production will become a living canvas as the projections play off the buildings’ various shapes and textures in perfect unison with the rhythm of the music.
Performances will take place over two weekends at the following times:
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December 13, 14 & 15 at 6, 7:30 and 9 p.m.
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Attendees can expect beloved holiday characters, including Santa Claus, the Grinch and Elsa; snow for kids to play with; a live orchestra; and more.
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On December 14, the show will be followed by the City of Miami Beach’s Annual Holiday Drone Show on the beach.
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December 20, 21 & 22 at 6, 7:30 and 9 p.m.
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Enjoy a captivating holiday show featuring a blend of music, lights and project mapping, plus special appearances from Santa Claus and holiday characters, as well as snow.
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Produced by Michael Rossi, MMF founder and artistic director, the Miami Beach Holiday Festival of Lights will span a diverse range of genres, promising to captivate audiences of all ages while celebrating international holiday traditions.
“We are thrilled to bring this magical experience back to South Beach, where music, light and holiday spirit come together,” said Michael Rossi. “Our goal is to create unforgettable memories for families, locals and visitors by blending world-class performances with innovative projection mapping. We hope this festival becomes a treasured tradition for the community. A special thank you to the City of Miami Beach, The Betsy Hotel, Ocean Drive Association, and the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority whose support has been instrumental in bringing the festival to life.”
For over a decade, MMF and The Betsy Hotel have shared a vision for creating world-class performances by bringing high quality live classical music to South Florida. As the anchor for the arts in Miami Beach, The Betsy soon became a ‘home’ for MMF, making the case that arts and culture can create a purposeful sense of place. The Betsy and MMF champion Miami Beach as a world-class destination for arts and culture: where locals and visitors can experience a rich tapestry of creative initiatives in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Since 2013, the hotel has hosted MMF’s artists in residence; presented wide-ranging, year-long programs; and hosted a state-of-the-art project-mapping performance for Valentine’s Day.
“As a Miami Beach resident and business owner, I am thrilled to be welcoming Michael Rossi and The Miami Beach Holiday Festival of Lights back to Ocean Drive for this holiday-rich, family-centric event,” said Jonathan Plutzik, co-owner of The Betsy Hotel. “The Miami Beach Holiday Festival of Lights is quickly becoming the standard for other cultural celebrations around the world.”
MMF is South Florida’s first immersive symphony and opera experience and the first theatre company to implement 360-degree projection mapping technology in a live performance.
The Miami Beach Holiday Festival of Lights is free and open to the public, with the option to reserve a VIP seat by visiting www.miamimusicfestival.com/
Founded in 2013, the Miami Beach Classical Music Festival (MMF) is a local nonprofit providing affordable, world-class musical instruction and groundbreaking performance experiences to young artists and the South Florida community. Since its inception, the organization has helped establish Miami as a premier destination for elite young classical musicians to train and perform. While the next generation of classical artists comes to Miami to receive instruction from an assembly of world-class faculty, the community benefits from accessible public concerts featuring top talent alongside many of classical music’s greatest living performers rarely heard in South Florida. Recently, MMF became the first nonprofit organization to utilize innovative projection-mapping technology, transforming its already-stellar performances into immersive, awe-inspiring productions of music and light. For more information, visit miamimusicfestival.com.
