Thursday
There aren't many events that can claim they're hosting William Shatner, Tara Reid, and American Horror Story's Jyoti Amge over the course of a weekend. But Florida Supercon totally can. The four-day anime, comic, and gaming show attracted a whopping 50,000 attendees last year and is aiming for 60,000 this year. Outside of tons of celebs, count on cosplay, exclusive screenings, and gaming tourneys, too. Thursday through Sunday at Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; floridasupercon.com. Single-day tickets range from $20 to $50; multiday tickets cost $80 to $275.
Miss America may be getting rid of the swimsuit, but Miami Swim Week sure as hell isn't. The week features a gazillion different shows focused on every type of swimwear imaginable. Some events are open to the public and some you'll just have to dream about attending. Among the things you can check out
Bruno Mars. Michael Phelps. Anna Kendrick. The International Hispanic Theatre Festival of Miami. What do they have in common? They're all turning 33 this year. The fest is going down over an 18-day span, with a good chunk of shows at the Arsht Center's Carnival Studio Theater. On the program this year are Rosa Luisa Márquez' Hij@s de la Bernarda from Puerto Rico, Carlos María Domínguez' La
Friday
It may be hurricane season in Miami, but there's a typhoon coming to town. "Typhoon Coming On" at the ICA is the latest exhibit from New Jersey-bred interdisciplinary artist Sondra Perry. The exhibit celebrates its grand opening on Friday and runs through November 4, boasting video, media, installation, and performance exploring power, black identity, and our digital culture. 7 p.m. Friday at ICA Miami, 61 NE 41st St., Miami; icamiami.org. Free and open to the public.
You'll never be able to see Whitney Houston live again. But you can see one heck of a tribute that's hitting a big-time local stage. The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Show features South African singer Belinda Davids as well as a six-piece band and dancers. To quote the icon, you'll absolutely "Wanna Dance With Somebody" at this show. 8 p.m. Friday at Au-Rene Theater at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; browardcenter.org. Tickets cost $20 to $105.55.
Tackling your problems and bad memories head-on is pretty damn admirable. #Malditos16 is an onstage tale about four young people who do just that. They all met as teenagers after each tried to commit suicide in one way or another. And now, older and wiser, they're trying to help kids going through similar trials. It's a dramatic look at trying to balance being helpful while still fearing that past feelings will emerge. 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday at MDCA On.Stage Black Box Theatre, 2901 W. Flagler St., Miami; miamidadecountyauditorium.org. Tickets cost $34.
Saturday
For a second year, the Canine Film Festival is celebrating the movies that feature humans' best friends and the people who create such awesome films. Saturday's affairs, dubbed "A Day at the Movies With Your Dog," feature a red carpet where you and your pup can pose before watching a slew of pooch-inspired flicks and a subsequent awards presentation. Sunday's activities are anchored by a poolside brunch in Miami Lakes and a doggie fashion show. 11 a.m. Saturday at Cinepolis Movie Theaters, 3015 Grand Ave., Miami; eventbrite.com. Tickets and packages cost $25 to $100.
You know those gym rats you spot lifting 700-pound dumbbells while you eat cookies on a nearby bench? You may see 'em competing at the 2018 NPC Southern State Championships. These athletes are the cream of the crop in the bodybuilding and physique world. There are two sessions on Saturday to enjoy/gawk-up a storm: The prejudging sesh at 9 a.m. and the evening show at 6 p.m. 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday at the War Memorial Auditorium, 800 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale; npcsouthernstates.com. Tickets range from $30 to $50.
Easily one of the greatest free one-day music experiences ever, the Overtown Music and Arts Festival is back for another year. Headlining this year's cultural extravaganza are Grammy Award-winning singer Estelle (known for "American Boy," among other hits), Jon B, multiplatinum artist Ginuwine, Musiq Soulchild, and Vivian Green. In addition to the tunes, enjoy an art expo zone, interactive art installation, youth zone, and lots of yummy grub. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday in Overtown, NW Second and Third Avenues between NW Eighth and 10th Streets; overtownmusicartsfestival.com. Free.
A few years back, singer Sam Smith hit it big with the smash "Stay With Me." And he's been going strong ever since. Smith is set to swoon and croon at AmericanAirlines Arena on Saturday, bringing all the hits including "Money on My Mind," "Lay Me Down," and "Writing's on the Wall." His latest album, The Thrill of It All, dropped last year, and this stellar tour bears the same name. 8 p.m. Saturday at AmericanAirlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; ticketmaster.com. Tickets cost $31 to $121.
The gay underground has risen! Catwalk: A Night of Vogue is bringing the best of 305 ballroom and vogue nights to 1306 Miami in cahoots with the House of Lords. The event will feature MC Tr'e Ma'at Tabu and DJs Gooddroid, Bonnie Beats, and Get Face. If you think you can hang, enter to win money with categories like Virgin Vogue, Realness, and Best-Dressed Spectator. 11 p.m. Saturday at 1306 N. Miami Ave., Miami; facebook.com/pg/catwalknyc. Admission costs $8 presale and $10 day of. 18+.
Dogs and baseball go pretty well together. Dogs themselves largely like baseballs, for instance. So fans of both will be thrilled that Bark at the Park is going down at Marlins Park. You can head to the stadium with your furry companion to watch the Fish play the Philadelphia Phillies. It'll be one hell of an old ball game! Some of the ticket proceeds will go to support Broward County Humane Society. It's a win-win whether or not your team triumphs. 4:10 p.m. Saturday at Marlins Park, 501 Marlins Way, Miami; mlb.com. Admission costs $16 for humans, $10 for dogs.
In a world where a new Marvel film is released practically every other week, it's nice to take in the classics. For one day only, The Wizard of Oz will own the Arsht Center stage for two unique showings. In addition to seeing Dorothy, Toto, and the whole gang on the big screen, a full symphony orchestra will play new transcriptions of Harold Arlen's brilliant tunes. 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; arshtcenter.org. Tickets cost $35 to $85.
Miami may look all sunny and filled with flamingo patterns and palm trees, but deep down, its soul is brooding. There's a long tradition of inner darkness in this bright Southern city, one that celebrates goth and New Wave music and lifestyles. The Kitchen is a long-standing party night that rose from the dead some years back and is getting morose bodies to sway at Churchill's Pub. This Saturday, it's a New Wave vs. Goth party with Siouxsie and the Banshees tribute sets by 16 bit and Danny Bled, synth pop by Erotic Exotic, and lots of gothic two-step dancing and arms a-swaying '80s style. 9 p.m. Saturday at Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami; churchillspub.com. Admission costs $10.
If you're an old party hound, you might associate the Welsh DJ Sasha with John Digweed. The two men toured in 1993 as the biggest names in electronic music, dominating the worldwide music dance scene by taking others' music and making it their own. Sasha, AKA Alexander Paul Coe, is a Grammy Award-nominated musical remix mastermind who was voted the number one DJ in the world in 2000 by DJ magazine. He's worked with Madonna, the Chemical Brothers, BT, and so many others. He'll be spinning with DJ Three at an all-day Space show thrown by Link Miami Rebels this Saturday. 2 p.m. Saturday at Space, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; clubspace.com. Admission starts at $10. 21+
Summers can seem a bit too steamy and stagnant in Miami. But air conditioning is necessary to preserve art, so that makes Miami's hottest season the best time to check out its many museums. On Saturday, the Frost Museum at FIU is hosting an opening reception for its exhibitions "Connectivity: Selections from the Collection of the Frost Art Museum" and "Deconstruction: A reordering of life, politics, and art." With these shows, you'll explore recent gifts to the museum's collection and works dusted off from its vaults. You can also check out work from 12 Miami-based artists who deconstruct the way we see the world. 4 p.m. Saturday at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU, 10975 SW 17th St., Miami; frost.fiu.edu.
Sunday
Americans are increasingly divided by culture, economics, race, and religion. O Cinema offers some perspective with Awake and Aware, its cinematic series that aims to help viewers better understand relations between things, people, and processes. It also involves food because hey, everybody's gotta eat. So, this week, check out Becoming Who I Was, the spiritual journey of a boy who is the reincarnation of a Tibetan monk and his grandfather. The food for the evening will be prepared by Vedic chef and Ayurveda practitioner Sonia
Monday
Before work this Monday, head to Government Center for a cultural and creative awakening. Put on by PAXy, which seeks to connect people through the arts, Wake Up Miami is a summer series that features music by the Sean O Dibble Duo & Dancers. The 20-event series is supported by Funding Arts Network and the Knight Arts Challenge. They will certainly reach a wide audience with a little music and culture at this busiest of Metro stations. Stay tuned for more culture for the masses this fall and every other Monday this summer. 8:30 a.m. Monday at Government Center, 101 NW First St., Miami; paxy.org. Admission is free.
Tuesday
When you're a little kid and still learning words, numbers, emotions, and colors, you need things to be concrete. Your brain can't handle abstraction just yet. But there comes a time when you should be able to grasp more complicated concepts. Teacher and photographer Carmen Rivero
Wednesday
For 34 years, Cirque du Soleil has staged incredible shows that blow minds. And they keep making new ones. The newest is called Crystal. It was launched at the end of last year and involves all the usual artistic acrobatics of the Cirque shows you know and love — but this time, it's on ice. This is the first ice skating production from Cirque, telling an inspirational tale of a broken woman learning to live again. It launches at BB&T Center this Wednesday for only 15 performances, so get your tickets now. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at BB&T Center, One Panther Pkwy., Sunrise; thebbtcenter.com. Admission costs $43.
Kristen Hadeed is one entrepreneurial female. A Gainesville resident, she founded the cleaning company Student Maid when she was in college. She has an interesting and inspiring story — and her new book, Permission to Screw Up, tells it with laughs. With no experience and a lot of trip-ups, Hadeed somehow turned cleaning toilets into an empowering experience. Now, business leaders want her to teach them how to lead their companies. Listen to her story at Books and Books this week and get hyped to make some mistakes and do your own thing. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables; booksandbooks.com. Admission is free.