This is the 2025 update of our annual article, originally published in 2023.
A trip to Miami Beach in December to see art may sound serene and relaxed. And for many visitors, it’s a nice break from the cold of winter. But when you go all in at Art Basel Miami Beach and Miami Art Week, the days and nights are anything but calm and quiet.
They fly by in a whirlwind of hectic activity. And the week seems to get busier as more and more people flock to South Beach each year. First, it was all about art. Then celebrities started coming. Next was fashion and luxury goods, then music. A recent addition is the crypto world, along with many references to blockchain, NFTs, Web3, AI, and fintech. It is amusing when some of the newbies complain that the week is more about art than they expected.
Even in the early years, there were many “satellite” fairs, 21 one year. These were mostly Miami editions of established fairs, many from New York. They saw the value of being there when the international art world and their UHNW checkbooks arrived in Miami. Over time, locals put together other events and promoted their galleries, creating Miami Art Week.
Even our first year, 2007, it was impossible to attend or visit everything we wanted to, two or three events held at the same time. Now the options have multiplied, turning a good idea into a must: carefully planning your days at Art Basel and Miami Art Week.
Even if you are not attending this year, the tips below give a view of what goes on during Art Basel. And be sure to also read Get Ready for Art Basel Miami Beach 2024!.
Here’s How to Do It
Start by listing the categories of activities and places you want to cover, something like this:
- Art Basel Miami Beach (the main fair itself). Public days are Friday, December 5 – Sunday the 7th. Day ticket is USD $88. Premium passes giving earlier and more access and programming go up to $4,500.
- Conversations. These art world thought leader panels at Art Basel take place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday afternoons. Free with RSVP on the website at Browse Events | Art Basel
- Satellite fairs. Some of my favorites are Art Miami, Design Miami, Ink, Context, and Aqua.
- Museums. Like Rubell, Margulies Collection at the Warehouse, Bass, Wolfsonian, and Perez (PAMM).
- Receptions, breakfasts, tours, studio visits. Some are open to the public and free (Ink brunch and Pulp Party, Baker’s Brunch at Bakehouse Art Complex, Breakfast in the Park at the Frost Art Museum, Curator’s Brunch at Girls’ Club). Tickets can be purchased for others (Opening Reception at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tribeca Festival).
- Dinners and parties. Many are private, by invitation only. We are looking forward to adding the Founders & VIP Preview of the Nolcha Immersive Basel Edition at Club M2 this year.
- Public art installations, galleries, beach. It is only warm enough for swimming in the late afternoon.
Then get specific within the categories. Which Conversations, which fairs, which party invites have you received?
Next look up the times of events and the hours of locations; put them on a calendar. Some items span several days, like fairs and museums. So show Art Basel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday to Sunday, for example. But note that Conversations start on Thursday afternoon.
Look for overlaps and decide which place or event is most important. The multiday items give flexibility, but at some point, after being passed over for several days, they may be the highest priority on another day. Move things around until you get the best outcome. Yes, like putting a puzzle together.
This approach is all about organization, but don’t let it push out spontaneity. I’ve learned to be ready to make on-the-spot adjustments. Maybe I spent more time at a fair than I had planned to; maybe there is no way I can get through gridlocked traffic in time for the next event. While I’m there I may receive an email from a publicist inviting me to a reception or party that sounds great, so I get busy fitting it in.
Remember, there is no way to do everything you’d like to, so leave FOMO at home.
Locations of venues make planning even more challenging. Art Basel is at the Miami Beach Convention Center and several “hotel fairs” and museums are nearby. But most fairs and museums are in Miami, concentrated in the Wynwood area.
So plan on many drives or rideshares over two of the bridges between Miami and Miami Beach. The good news is that the views of architecture and water are spectacular both day and night. The Venetian Causeway bridge is a nice respite from the interstates.
Find the places you want to visit on a map. Group stops in the same area. And allow for travel time. You may have to sacrifice an event, say a Conversation, because it falls between two stops in Miami, and the drive to and from Miami Beach just wouldn’t be worth it.
So, the days will be full; nights will be too. Remember, you can rest when you get home.