Photo by Dennis Leupold
Audio By Carbonatix
Patience! Mariah Carey is still defrosting.
Each year around this time, as Halloween approaches, people start clamoring for the return of the Queen of Christmas. But earlier this week, Carey let us know she’s not quite ready to come out of hibernation and haunt the nightmares of every retail employee who will hear “All I Want for Christmas Is You” dozens of times a day for the next two months.
We have a return date, at least. Bucket Listers, a booking platform for experiential pop-ups, just announced it has teamed up with Mariah Carey — or, more specifically, with Black Irish, the singer’s Irish cream liqueur — for a set of immersive holiday experiences around the country, including Miami. Mariah Carey’s Holiday Wonderland Bar, also opening in New York City, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, will pop up at Ray’s Hometown Bar in Miami Beach on Thursday, November 20, where it will remain for a month.
Unlike other temp holiday bars, such as the popular Miracle, Mariah Carey’s Holiday Wonderland Bar appears to be a more immersive experience. It shares similar holiday decor, but there will also be photo-ops, a photo booth, and a station where fans can write letters to Carey. Oh, and you’ll hear “All I Want for Christmas Is You” every 30 minutes.
“Guests will be fully immersed in the Christmas spirit, with wall-to-wall Mariah-inspired holiday décor, interactive photo-ops throughout, and access to exclusive merchandise,” Bucket Listers announced in a statement. Limited-edition holiday-themed Carey merch will be available, as well as vinyls of her holiday albums and latest LP, Here For It All.
This is the second year the platform has offered such an experience. In 2024, Black Irish partnered with Virgin Hotels to bring the experience to properties in Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, New Orleans, and New York.
If last year’s pop-ups are any indication, every spare inch of Miami Beach’s Ray’s Hometown Bar will be festooned in lights, tinsel, and mistletoe — and plenty of plugs for Carey’s booze.
Seasonal cocktails featuring the Irish cream liqueur brand will include the Signature Espresso Martini with a candy cane rim, a White Chocolate Martini with cotton candy and glitter, and a Cocoa Coffee spiked with Black Irish and topped with red and green sprinkles.
Prospective guests can now sign up for the waitlist for the early-bird presale by submitting their phone number to Bucketlisters.
Mariah Carey’s Holiday Wonderland Bar. Opening Thursday, November 20, at 2727 Indian Creek Dr. #11, Miami Beach; raysbarnyc.com. Sign up for the waitlist and updates via bucketlisters.com.
