The Best Things to Do in Miami This Weekend

Rolling Loud is set to return to this weekend at its new location, Hard Rock Stadium, with headliners J. Cole, Travis Scott, and Future. Fifth Harmony will play its final South Florida show Friday, and there a host of Mother's Day events will happen around town, including festivals at Churchill's and Bayfront Park Sunday.

Here's a look at these and more of the best events happening in Miami this weekend.
Apparently, Rolling Loud was too loud for downtown Miami. (But somehow Ultra has been just fine for 20 years.) It has a new home at Hard Rock Stadium, where its monstrous lineup can be as loud as it wants. Headlining this year's spectacle are J. Cole, Travis Scott, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, N.E.R.D., Migos, Wiz Khalifa, Post Malone, Lil Wayne, and many other members of hip-hop royalty. If you can't handle the noise, wear earbuds or stay home. Friday, May 11, through Sunday, May 13, at Hard Rock Stadium, 347 Don Shula Dr., Miami Gardens; rollingloud.com. Three-day tickets cost $299.99 for general admission and $699.99 for VIP.

No matter how many times you've strolled or biked through the streets of Wynwood, you've likely never seen an art installation quite like this one. RAW is a three-day multi-sensory pop-up experience merging the worlds of art, music, and technology at the Moore Building in the Design District. Artists like Millionyoung, City of the Sun, and Lipstick Gypsy will perform, and the event concludes with "Ode to Mom," a program celebrating women on Mother's Day. 8 p.m. Friday, May 11, at the Moore Building, 191 NE 40th St., Miami; eventbrite.com. Tickets are $20 to $30.

African Heritage Youth Theatre, an apprenticeship program at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, is set to zoom in on the social issues that plague our society. Through acting, monologues, and songs, its Chain ReACTion variety show tackles modern-day bullying, racism, poverty, colorism, and other themes in a thought-provoking way. 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 11, at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, 6161 NW 22nd Ave., Miami; ahcacmiami.org. Admission costs $10.

Mozart’s Masonic Opera The Magic Flute comes to a Miami venue tailor-made for its themes: the historic Scottish Rite Masonic Temple downtown. The Magic Flute is fully staged by Emmy-winning director David Grabarkewitz and conducted by Orchestra Miami’s Artistic Director Elaine Rinaldi, with costumes designed by Marina Pareja. Orchestra Miami has also teamed up with the Chinese Cultural Association, which has provided its 17-man dancing dragon for the production. Audiences can check out two full opera productions or an abridged children's matinee. 8 p.m. Friday, May 11; 2 p.m. Saturday, May 12; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 13, at the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, 471 NW Third St., Miami; orchestramiami.org. Tickets cost $20 to $65.
Unless you're under the age of 17, you might not be able to name the group that spawned the skyrocketing career of "Havana" singer Camila Cabello. That group is Fifth Harmony, one of the most successful female groups of all time. You may not have known them while they sang teen-pop fare, but Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane, and Lauren Jauregui will soon go their separate ways and launch what are almost sure to be successful solo careers. The fierce ladies will play one final concert in South Florida before officially splitting at the end of the tour. 8 p.m. Friday, May 11, at Hard Rock Event Center, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood; ticketmaster.com. Tickets cost $38.75 to $68.75.

Miami's Haitian community celebrates Haitian Heritage Month in May. Whether or not you have Haitian roots, it's incumbent upon all of Miami's diverse communities to learn about one another, and you might want to start with one of Haiti's most delicious traditions: the pumpkin-based joumou soup prepared each year on Haitian Independence Day. Black Lounge Film Series will present a screening of the documentary Liberty in a Soup by Miami artist and filmmaker Dudley Alexis. The film is an exploration of joumou's origins and its significance to the Haitian people. 4 p.m. Friday, May 11, at Culmer Overtown Branch Library, 350 NW 13th St., Miami; 305-579-5322; mdpls.org. Admission is free with RSVP via eventbrite.com.

You won't need a cortadito for an energy kick this Friday. Instead, check out the Cuban Classical Ballet's annual gala performance. On the program are the famed numbers Paquita and Fire Bird, as well as newly choreographed pieces. The performance will also honor the ballet's founder and artistic director, Pedro Pablo Peña, who passed away earlier this year. 8 p.m. Friday, May 11, at Colony Theatre, 1040 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach; cubanclassicalballetofmiami.org. Tickets cost $25 to $35.
There's only one place you can mingle with real cougars and other awesome animals over some brews. New Times' Brew at the Zoo is back for another round at Zoo Miami. Enjoy more than 100 local, international, and craft beers as well as a sure-to-be-stellar performance by the iconic New Wave band A Flock of Seagulls. 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd St., Miami; newtimesbrewatthezoo.com. Admission costs $40 to $80, and discounts are available on four-packs of tickets.

The YoungArts Plaza will soon become a swamp. Don't blame the rising sea level. The culprit is director, filmmaker, and choreographer Yara Travieso, who will present the multisensory experience El Ciclón. The work is billed as a "wild neo-feminist mythology trapped inside a 1950s B-movie psychological thriller with singing, dancing, and just enough alligators." 7 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at National YoungArts Foundation, 2100 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-377-1140; youngarts.com. Admission is free with RSVP via eventbrite.com.

The Miami Workers Center continues to host its crucial Femme Saturdays discussion series, addressing pressing issues affecting our community's most vulnerable marginalized populations. Anika Starr, a queer black social worker, will lead this Saturday's discussion, De-Stigmatize Mental Health. Starr will address the disproportionate levels of depression, PTSD, and other mental-health conditions affecting people of color. 10 a.m. Saturday, May 12, at Miami Workers Center, 745 NW 54th St., Miami; 305-759-8717; miamiworkerscenter.org. Admission is free.
The 24-member National Arab Orchestra brings Layali al-Andalus, or “Andalusian Nights,” to the Olympia Theater for the closing of MDC Live Arts' 2017-18 season. This year, the organization has spotlighted Muslim arts in order to foster and strengthen bonds with the local community. Listen as violins and cellos blend with traditional instruments such as the oud, qanun, nay, and riqq — it's a fitting metaphor for the ways in which different cultures can blend to create something beautiful. 8 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at the Olympia Theater, 174 E. Flagler St., Miami; 305-374-2444. Tickets cost $35 to $65.

Calling all kids of badass moms: Take her to the Black Market Mother's Day Special at Churchill's Pub. You'll be able to peep the bar in daylight — the party starts at 5 p.m. — and if you didn't get Mom a gift, you can just let her choose one there. The all-ages event will be filled with music, food, drinking, and shopping. Catch live performances by Koffin Varnish, Miss Michigan, Battle Funk, and other acts. There will also be a drag show featuring Charlotte Shottgun, Kat Wilderness, Daviana, and Jackie Jae. Snag one-of-a-kind clothing items, records, zines, collectibles, and other goods from 25 vendors. 5 p.m. Sunday, May 13, at Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami; churchillspub.com. Admission costs $5.

It's Haitian Heritage Month, so celebrate Caribbean culture while you honor your mom this Mother's Day at Bayfront Park. MUCE, the Downtown Development Authority, Little Haiti Cultural Complex, and GMCVB Art of Black Miami will host Lakou Lakay: In My Own Backyard. It's free, and BYO seats. You can grab food and fresh juices from vendors such as Mimi's Juices and Tap Tap, score duds from the very cool Little Haiti Vintage Shop, and listen to DJ Mack spin vibes. Interactive art stations, a pop-up exhibition, and Caribbean-inspired minigolf will keep the whole family busy and, thus, make Mom very happy. 11 a.m. Sunday, May 13, at Bayfront Park, 301 N. Bayside, Miami; muce.org. Admission is free.