The 17 Best Things to Do in Miami This Week

Monday, August 28

Calling all singles! It's time to get back into the dating game and take another chance at love. Every Monday, Kill Your Idol hosts the Dating Game, a game show-style meetup that challenges attendees to make new connections. Hosted by drag queen extraordinaire Shelley Novak, the event gives you the chance to win a $50 bar tab if you find the right match. Although the point of the night is to find love, not everyone is looking to get cuffed. You can still participate even if you're just looking for a new friend or a drinking buddy. 10 p.m. Monday, at Kill Your Idol, 222 Española Way, Miami Beach; 305-672-1852; sub-culture.org/locations/kill-your-idol. Admission is free. Sophia Medina

Tuesday, August 29

On Tuesday, Savor Cinema invites you to grab a seat, sip on a cocktail, and catch a screening of La Cage Aux Folles — all while helping out the LGBTQ community. The 1978 French comedy centers on Renato and Albin, a gay couple whose son is about to get married to the love of his life. The problem? The bride-to-be's father is a die-hard conservative. To ensure the marriage goes on, Albin dresses in drag to disguise himself as the mom. (If the premise sounds familiar, that's because 1996's The Birdcage is an English-language remake of this film.) Tuesday night's proceeds go toward the Pride Center and the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. 6 p.m. Tuesday, at Savor Cinema, 503 SE Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-525-3456; fliff.com. Tickets cost $10. Ashley-Anna Aboreden

Wednesday, August 30

How are your drawing skills? Is your sketchbook collecting dust? Then why don't you look for MILFD — Man I Love Figure Drawing? The pop-up drawing class invites artists of all skill levels to draw a real-life model in different venues across the city. On Wednesday, the class pops up at Unseen Creatures Brewing & Blending with a professional model ready to strike a pose and serve as your muse. Classes are donation-based and keep the program running, so give what you can. It's best to come prepared with all the materials you need, as supplies are limited. 7 p.m. Wednesday, at Unseen Creatures Brewing & Blending, 4178 SW 74th Ct., Miami; instagram.com/milfdpopup. Donation suggested. Ashley-Anna Aboreden

Hip-hop duo $uicideboy$ stop at the FLA Live Arena as part of their annual Grey Day Tour, and they're bringing the entire G59 Record$ along for the ride. Ghostmane, City Morgue, Ramirez, and Sematary are joining the real-life cousins. Made up of members $lick and Ruby Da Cherry, $uicideboy$ are known for lo-fi hip-hop beats filled with lyrical content that touches on topics like mental health and mortality. Their latest album is 2022's Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation, which peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200. Earlier this month, the boys also released their latest EP, No Longer Fear the Razor Guarding My Heel (V), the fifth installment in a series that started in 2015. 8 p.m. Wednesday, at the FLA Live Arena, 1 Panther Pkwy., Sunrise; 954-835-7000; flalivearena.com. Tickets cost $24 to $146 via seatgeek.com. Sophia Medina

Thursday, August 31

With the censoring of books becoming common practice in Florida schools, you might feel a bit hopeless about what the future holds. Cheer up because Books & Books is fighting back. Not going down without a fight, the local bookstore hosts its Banned Book Club on Thursday night, allowing young people to come together and discuss books that certain ideologically inflexible groups don't want the public to read. This will be the group's first meeting, so be prepared to discuss what books you're interested in reading in the fight against censorship. 6 p.m. Thursday, at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables; 305-442-4408; booksandbooks.com. Admission is free with RSVP via eventbrite.com. Ashley-Anna Aboreden

On Thursday, Third Horizon Film Festival partners with the Pérez Art Museum Miami to host the second part of the "Season of Caribbean Cinema" series. Each series showcases a full-length film and short by filmmakers from the Caribbean and its diaspora. This evening's screening includes Stones Have Laws (Dee Sitonu a Weti) by directors Tolin Alexander, Lonnie van Brummelen, and Siebren de Haan. The 100-minute documentary focuses on the life of the Maroon community in the former Dutch colony of Suriname. The short program features The Whisper of the Leaves, a work by Amir Aether Valen of Trinidad and Tobago. 7 p.m. Thursday, at Pérez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-375-3000; pamm.org. Tickets cost $16. Ashley-Anna Aboreden

The 1988 comedy musical Tokyo Pop, starring Carrie Hamilton, recently received a 4K restoration in time for its 35th anniversary with funding from Dolly Parton and Hamilton's mother, Carol Burnett. Hamilton stars as Wendy, a rocker disillusioned with her life in New York City who jets off to Tokyo after receiving a postcard. The Japanese capital proves to be just as challenging when she meets Hiro (played by real-life Japanese rock star Diamond Yukai). The forgotten indie classic is a time capsule of Japan's economic bubble and the American influence on Japanese pop culture. 7 p.m. Thursday, Coral Gables Art Cinema, 260 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables; 786-472-2249; gablescinema.com. Tickets cost $10 to $11.75. Jose D. Duran

Friday, September 1

It's finally college football season, and kicking this off Friday are the Miami Hurricanes going head-to-head with the Miami RedHawks — of Oxford, Ohio. After finishing 5-7 last season, the Canes are coming in this year unranked, with Mario Cristobal still as head coach. Can the team surprise everyone and take over the Atlantic Coast Conference? It will be a tough road ahead, with a schedule that includes matches against Clemson, North Carolina, and Florida State. 7 p.m. Friday, at Hard Rock Stadium, 347 Don Shula Dr., Miami Garden; 305-943-8000; hardrockstadium.com. Tickets cost $20 to $175 via miamihurricanes.com. Ashley-Anna Aboreden

Best known for her stint on the first three seasons of Netflix's hit Spanish teen soap Elite, Danna Paola is also an accomplished singer. In 2021, she released her sixth album, K.O., which has gone platinum in her home country of Mexico. Now, she's on the road in the U.S. as part of her Xt4s1s Tour, which stops at the James L. Knight Center on Friday. You can expect to dance and sing along to her hits like "1Trago," "Sodio," "Mala Fama," and "A Un Beso" when she takes the stage. 8 p.m. Friday, at the James L. Knight Center, 400 SE Second Ave., Miami; 305-416-5978; jlkc.com. Tickets cost $47 to $245 via ticketmaster.com. Jose D. Duran

Known for his shy demeanor, Ralph Barbosa mixes his laid-back style and sharp wit to great comedic effect. Barbosa is still in the early stages of his career, but his set for Don't Tell Comedy on YouTube has amassed more than a million views. The Dallas native also was at the center of a bit of controversy when comedian George Lopez chided his guest Steve Treviño after he brought up Barbosa's name during Lopez's podcast OMG Hi! "Nobody knows who that motherfucker is! Why do you keep bringing up his name?" he said. Lopez apologized, and now Barbosa is stopping at the Miami Improv starting on Friday for a three-night stint. 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, and 8 p.m. Sunday, at Miami Improv, 3450 NW 83rd Ave., Doral; 305-441-8200; miamiimprov.com. Tickets cost $25. Ashley-Anna Aboreden

On Friday, dive head first into teenage nostalgia when the Ground hosts Pop Punk & Emo Night. The party is an offshoot of the Gainesville event of the same name and is dubbed "the saddest party in the Swamp." In a profile of the party earlier this year, the Alligator's Loren Miranda proclaimed it "a hallmark of Gainesville's nightlife scene," which occurs monthly in the college town. So whether you were a fan of My Chemical Romance, Paramore, or Taking Back Sunday, go crazy with the black eyeliner and swept bangs, and don't miss the party on Friday night. 11 p.m. Friday, at the Ground, 34 NE 11th St. #2, Miami; thegroundmiami.com. Tickets cost $13.91 via dice.fm. Sophia Medina

New York party export Reggaeton Rave lands at M2 on Friday with the promise that this is not your average perreo. With a dress code of "dress to dance," the lineup is stacked with party starters, including Mr. Naisgai, Rosa Perreo, Kexxy, Negra Fabulosa, Dos Flakos, Kallaghan, Riobamba, Ronald SDP, and Saturnsarii. The event mixes up your favorite urbano cuts with dance music staples that will have you dancing nonstop. 11 p.m. Friday, at M2, 1235 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-771-0388; m2miami.com. Tickets cost $10 to $40 via posh.vip. Jose D. Duran

Saturday, September 2

Who needs rest during the long Labor Day weekend when you can party instead? On Saturday, Groove Society and Vice Ventures are promising one Epic Summer Pool Party filled with dance music, heavy beats, and refreshing cocktails at the Kimpton Epic Hotel. The poolside lineup includes Markem, Andreatens, Ella Romand, Muraa, and Peter Guzman, helping you say goodbye to another sweaty summer. 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday, at the Kimpton Epic Hotel, 270 Biscayne Blvd. Way, Miami; 305-424-5226; epichotel.com. Tickets cost $15 to $25 via eventbrite.com. Sophia Medina

It's the weekend of the Orange Blossom Classic, but before Florida A&M and Jackson State face off at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, the marching bands have their own battle. The Watsco Center hosts the Orange Blossom Classic Battle of the Bands on Saturday. Who will come away with the "Best Band in the Land" title? You're going to have to attend to find out. The event's grand finale also promises to give you a sneak peek of what's in store for Sunday's halftime show. 6 p.m. Saturday, at the Watsco Center, 1245 Dauer Dr., Coral Gables; 305-284-8686; watscocenter.com. Tickets cost $24 to $28 via ticketmaster.com. Jose D. Duran

Best known for his beats and Venitian joker mask, Boris Brejcha returns to the Magic City on Saturday, taking over Mana Wynwood with the help of event organizer Zamna. Ann Clue, Moritz Hofbauer, and Deniz Bul are joining him on the lineup. Brejcha is known for creating a unique style of dance music, often defined by the producer as "high-tech minimal." He has conquered dance floors worldwide and music festivals such as Tomorrowland and Coachella. 8 p.m. Saturday, at Mana Wynwood, 318 NW 23rd St., Miami; 305-573-0371; manawynwood.com. Tickets cost $56.65 to $101.97 via dice.fm. Sophia Medina

Sunday, September 3

On Sunday, III Points and Club Space take over Lot 11 Skatepark for Andrew Music Club, an all-ages dance music party. The lineup includes Fjaak, Boys Noize, and HorsegiirL, all producers out of Germany, along with local talent Elias Garcia, Radar, and SDVR. Fjaak and Boys Noize are practically household names, but the real reason to gallop to this event is the mysterious HorsegiirL, whose bio claims "she was discovered singing in the stables before a horse show by none other than legendary song-stallion Whitney Horseton." If you have no idea what you are getting yourself into, check out her gabber track with MCR-T, "My Barn My Rules." 4 p.m. Sunday, at Lot 11 Skatepark, 301-349 NW Second St., Miami; 754-300-9912; skatefree.org. Tickets cost $19.06 to $35.02 via dice.fm. Sophia Medina

Take a break from the Messi craze and go to DRV PNK Stadium on Sunday for an international friendly match between Guatemala and Honduras. The Central American rivals take the pitch ahead of their participation in the League A group stage of the CONCACAF Nations League. If you want to make it an entire day of fútbol, ticket holders can catch MLS Next Pro team Inter Miami CF II face off against Columbus Crew at 2 p.m. for no additional cost. 6 p.m. Sunday, at DRV PNK Stadium, 1350 NW 55th St., Fort Lauderdale; intermiamicf.com. Tickets cost $45 to $140 via ticketmaster.com. Ashley-Anna Aboreden