We take a look at the music options in Miami during the world-renowned art fair.
Art Basel Miami Beach is one of the world's premiere modern and contemporary art shows, alongside its partner events in the Swiss city of Basel (where it started, in 1970) and in Hong Kong. A fixture on Miami's cultural calendar, the annual event, which in its 15th year is set to take place from December 1st through the 4th, features well over 200 galleries and draws some 70,000 visitors.
With attendance like that, it comes as little surprise that the Miami club scene has embraced Art Basel with a hefty program of off-site events, making it a sun-kissed destination for art enthusiasts and music heads alike. Here's our survey of the week's party possibilities—and head here for all local listings.
Wednesday
RA is happy to be kicking off the fun with a mid-week soirée at The Factory at Magic City Studios, our first Art Basel event. We're collaborating with local promoters PL0T and Poplife to host this one, which will see DJ sets from Floating Points, Dâm-Funk and The Black Madonna, who we featured on our Between The Beats film series a few months ago.
Thursday
Life And Death are doing it big with their fifth annual bash during Art Basel—a four-room, 12-hour party at Little River Studios. More than a dozen names are on this all-star lineup, including Âme, Prins Thomas, Radio Slave, Rødhåd, Dorisburg, Tijana T and, of course, label founder DJ Tennis. Meanwhile, on a more intimate tip, minimal maestro Richie Hawtin headlines Trade.
Friday
As the weekend approaches, the options open up. Guy Gerber will preside over a Rumors party at 1 Hotel South Beach, where the lineup also includes Bill Patrick and Lauren Lane. This one will run from 4 PM to 11 PM and—in rare form for South Beach parties—admission is entirely free. (An afterparty is in the works, too, though details are still TBA.) At the Smashed Canvas pop-up space, Dubfire is booked for a live hybrid show—his first appearance for the project in North America, outside of festival sets—with Art Department confirmed as well.
Moving later into the evening, stalwart German label Diynamic will throw a ten-year anniversary showcase at Magic City Studios' Warehouse, featuring Solomun, Kollektiv Turmstrasse, Adriatique and Stimming, while Magic City Studios' Factory (across the street) hosts Todd Terje, playing live, along with Tim Sweeney. If you're up for a really late night, Nic Fanciulli headlines a 12-hour session at Heart that kicks off at 11 PM.
Saturday
The ambitious Where Are My Keys party (or parties, rather) is set to go down at what organizers describe as a car-accessible "secret island location." First is the Electric Pickle's Breakfast Club, running from 5:30 AM to 2 PM, with "special surprise guests DJs." Immediately after that is an All Day I Dream party, headlined by Lee Burridge, that will stretch until 10 PM. For some more day party action, a Dirtybird BBQ will take place at Smashed Canvas, with sets coming from Claude VonStroke, J.Phlip and more.
Back at The Factory at Magic City Studios, Tale Of Us will throw their first stateside Afterlife party, and joining them on the program is four more heavy-hitters in Marcel Dettmann, Recondite, Mind Against and Thugfucker. Meanwhile, beloved Northeast duos Soul Clap and Wolf + Lamb will bring their Crew Love party to Electric Pickle. Otto Von Schirach, Jubilee and Aquarian are booked for a Rinsed warehouse party called Mama Matrix, and intriguing options elsewhere include Luciano at Club Space's Terrace, Marco Carola at Story and Green Velvet at Trade.
Sunday
As Art Basel winds down, you can push across the finish line with a couple more events: back at that mysterious island location, Moodymann, Axel Boman and Horse Meat Disco are billed for the third and final Where Are My Keys event, stretching from noon to 2 AM, courtesy of A Club Called Rhonda and Electric Pickle. Brooklyn legend Danny Tenaglia, meanwhile, closes things out at Do Not Sit On The Furniture.
Âme, DJ Tennis, Diego Andres, Dorisburg, Job Jobse, Hernan Cayetano, HVOB, Prins Thomas, Rebolledo, Taimur, Fahad, Young Marco, DJ Three, Damian Lazarus, Radio Slave, Rødhåd, Tijana T