The Best Moments From Miami Race Week 2024

In case you haven't quite caught on just yet after three years, Miami Race Week is now a staple on the city's social calendar. It's a time when lux black Suburbans and Mercedes galore shuffle around VIPs en masse to the Hard Rock Stadium complex in Miami Gardens — with the kind of traffic snarl that rivals December's Miami Art Week.

But like everything that touches down in Miami, Race Week is more than just the Miami Grand Prix. It also includes unforgettable concerts, culinary exquisiteness, and late-night debauchery aplenty.

Whether on the track, off the track, or perhaps a little of both, here were some of the best moments from Miami Race Week and the 2024 Miami Grand Prix.

Living the Suite Life

'Twas sunny and hot AF — shocker. With temps peaking in the mid-80s all three days of action, the asphalt haven that is the Miami International Autodrome grounds reached 140-plus degrees. Liquid I.V. was a welcome newcomer, with a Liquid I.V. House serving signature mocktail concoctions and free Hydration Multiplier packs dished throughout the grounds.

To escape the heat, premium experiences were the way to go. The A/C was blasting strong in F1 Experiences' trackside Champions Club, which also gave guests tours of the Paddock, a grid walk, and photos with the championship trophy. Chase Sapphire Reserve had a lux lounge for cardholders, including a stone-crab buffet.

The Red Bull Energy Station was bumpin' all weekend with driver appearances, celebrities like reggaeton singer Arcángel in attendance, and flowing Red Bull vodkas. Offsite, the brand had a large footprint at the Racing Fan Fest in Wynwood, attracting tens of thousands of folks with watch parties, merch, and simulators all weekend.

Ginger Jesus Descends on Florida

If you saw a redheaded 'do with mobs around it this weekend, odds are it was Ed Sheeran. A true one-man-show performer — armed with a guitar and his signature Sheeran Looper — he rocked a sold-out Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Friday evening. He played for two-plus hours, capped off by walking into the middle of the crowd with his acoustic guitar, asking everyone to be silent so they could hear him, and ripping through a moving mash of "The Pairing Glass" and "Afterglow." Everyone was generally silent, minus the one dumbass drunk lady who kept yelling while recording with her phone, "They're being mean to me, Ed Sheeran! I'm going viral!"

Sheeran also played a six-song set at Hard Rock Beach Club at the Autodrome on Saturday. The club hosted DJ Steve Aoki and reggaeton king Don Omar throughout the weekend. During Sheeran's set, a fan gifted the musician a pair of Nikes adorned with the symbols of his mathematically named albums.

Beyond Sheeran, notable gigs included a high-energy set by producer extraordinaire Bizarrap at LIV on Saturday evening, with owner David Grutman and Tao Group co-CEO Noah Tepperberg cheering him on in the booth. A$AP Rocky also jammed into early Sunday morning at E11even.

Foodie Fixes Satisfied

American Express Presents Carbone Beach was the buzziest dining of the weekend, with an extensive classic Italian spread from chef Mario Carbone. Lebron James and Elon Musk were spotted in attendance Saturday evening, and surprise performers throughout the weekend included Ludacris, LL Cool J, and Pitbull.

Equally as pizzazzed was the $2,500-a-ticket Once Upon a Kitchen Affair from the GR8 Experience on Saturday evening at the W South Beach. Chef Massimo Bottura of three-Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, teamed up with Virgilio Martínez Véliz, chef of Central in Peru, the number-one restaurant in the world. The wild spread included "Lentils Better Than Caviar," which featured caviar-like fregola and an eel filet, as well as "Land of Corn" — five kinds of Peruvian corn with a smoked duck tartare.

No Way... Norris?

Oh, yes, there was racing, too. Leading up to the big race on Sunday, top-ranked driver Max Verstappen won Saturday's F1 Sprint race and qualifying. But 24-year-old, British-bred McLaren driver Lando Norris zipped by the rest of the field on Sunday to win his first Grand Prix. In second place and more than 7.6 seconds behind was Verstappen, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc placing third.

NFL greats Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and Travis Kelce were seen on site for the race Sunday, along with former President Donald Trump, who was chatting it up with McLaren CEO Zak Brown before the race. Other notables included singers Bad Bunny, Camila Cabello, and Luis Fonsi, with Marc Anthony singing the national anthem pre-race. Actor Ryan Reynolds, golf star Rory McElroy, and soccer legend Zinedine Zidane also enjoyed the race action.