Adrienne Arsht Center Announces Its 20th Season

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts‘ extraordinary upcoming 2025-2026 season – its 20th – arrives at a moment when the value and even existence of arts funding and access are suddenly a wide-open question.

On the purely economic side of the ledger, the numbers this local institution runs up provide an impressive counterpoint to the naysayers: Since opening in 2006, the Arsht has attracted more than six million patrons, creating 11,500 jobs annually through its 400 events while serving 80,000 students with free cultural experiences that would likely not otherwise exist. It is, in short, a big, bright, multihued tile amidst a mosaic of hundreds of diverse, thriving Miami-Dade arts organizations, which a study by the county’s Department of Cultural Affairs found to be “a significant business industry, generating $2.1 billion in local economic activity and supporting 31,515 local jobs.”

“By continuing to build on our work through challenging economic times, and especially by building on our free Arsht community and education programs,” Arsht Center President and CEO Johann Zietsman tells New Times, “we make a powerful statement that cultural experiences are not a luxury but a necessity for a healthy, vibrant community.”

Of course, hearts must also be won, not just minds. And while one could argue that age is just a number for cultural institutions as well as people and that Arsht has a long track record of consistently great programming, the twentieth season nevertheless does feel special – monumental, even – with a vast enough array of shows, epic productions, community programs, and educational activities to touch virtually every heart within the city limits and beyond.

It is a calendar big enough to encompass performances by the Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; by long-established nineties global female pop stars Lisa Loeb and Joan Osbourne, as well as rising local future star Alexa Lash. Sure, you could pick between a Flamenco Festival led by the legend Sara Baras or the Cleveland Orchestra’s the Princess Bride, but is it inconceivable to choose both?.

There is a dance courtesy of the Peter London Global Dance Company and Ailey II: the Next Generation of Dance. There is a date with drummer/vocalist Emily Maddox, who is bringing the solo jazz/pop/indie/funk fire after a career working with legends like Julio Iglesias and Chiquis Rivera. There are multiple themed performances by Miami City Ballet – their production of Carmen is fantastic, btw – and the Miami Symphony Orchestra. There is the Malcolm X Jazz Suite, which is performed by jazz master Terence Blanchard and the Turtle Island Quartet. There are “Live On the Plaza” concerts under the stars. Clue will come to life on the same stage hosting the queen of percussion Shelia E., and so much more.

How does the Arsht do it?

First and foremost, Zietsman says, the staff listens closely to the community. The process is intentional, balancing multiple genres and “the best of the best” visiting artists and companies with a mission to spotlight and nurture South Florida’s incredible, growing artistic community.

“Marking the 20th season of the Arsht is an opportunity for us to invite everyone to celebrate Miami-Dade County’s cultural transformation,” Zietsman says. “An entire generation of young people has grown up with the Arsht in their lives. That is meaningful, not just to the Arsht, but to all of Miami. The magical experiences we have planned for the coming year are our way of celebrating the journey with the entire community.”

Newly Announced Shows for the 2025-26 Season

• October 30-November 1 – Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater Nuttin’ but a Word 
• December 19-21 – Peter London Global Dance Company: The Oneness
• January 9, 2026 – Ailey II: The Next Generation of Dance
• February 26-27 & March 1, 2026 – Mostly Baroque 
• February 28-March 1, 2026 – Flamenco Festival Miami XVII – Sara Baras
• March 5, 2026 – Pink Martini
• March 6, 2026 – Lisa Loeb & Joan Osborne
• March 13, 2026 – Rent in Concert 
• March 29, 2026 – The Cleveland Orchestra’s The Princess Bride

Live on the Plaza

• October 26 – Bossa Fusion
• October 30 – Greg Diamond
• November 19 – Idyllic Funk Band
• November 29 – Emily Maddox
• December 10 – Fernando Ferrarone
• January 30, 2026 – Mikailo Kasha
• February 25, 2026 – Son Gitano
• March 6, 2026 – Gold Dust Lounge
• April 10, 2026 – Alexa & the Old-Fashioneds
• April 12, 2026 – Coconut Radio
• April 17, 2026 – Burgundee
• April 24, 2026 – Legendary Cuban Sound
• April 25, 2026 – Raspberry Pie
• April 26, 2026 – Smooth Jazz Syndicate

Other Upcoming Performances

• October 17-19 – Miami City Ballet’s Peck: Miami in Motion (Fall Mix)
• November 16 – Miami Symphony Orchestra’s Grand Season Opening
• December 2-7 – Clue
• January 18, 2026 – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
• January 23-24, 2026 – The Cleveland Orchestra’s Verdi’s Requiem
• January 30-31, 2026 – The Cleveland Orchestra’s Bronfman Plays Beethoven
• February 1, 2026 – Miami Symphony Orchestra’s Latin American Soundscapes
• February 5-22, 2026 – City Theatre’s How to Break in a Glove
• February 12, 2026 – An Evening with Samara Joy
• February 15, 2026 – Juan Diego Flórez in Recital
• February 19, 2026 – The Philadelphia Orchestra
• February 20, 2026 – Malcolm X Jazz Suite featuring Terrance Blanchard
• February 20-22, 2026 – Miami City Ballet’s Into the Magic City (Winter Mix)
• March 8, 2026 – Miami Symphony Orchestra’s American Promise
• March 12-April 5, 2026 – Zoetic Stage’s Merrily We Roll Along
• March 14, 2026 – Academy of St Martin in the Fields with Joshua Bell
• March 26 & 28, 2026 – Miami City Ballet’s Carmen
• March 27-28, 2026 – The Cleveland Orchestra’s The Rite of Spring
• March 27-29, 2026 – Miami City Ballet’s Jewels
• April 17, 2026 – An Evening with Sheila E.
• April 30-May 17, 2026 – Zoetic Stage’s Moses
• May 1-3, 2026 – Miami City Ballet’s ¡Vamos! to the Beach (Spring Mix 2)
• May 3, 2026 – Miami Symphony Orchestra’s Grand Season Finale
• May 8, 2026 – Emmet Cohen’s “Live from Emmet’s Place”

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-949-6722; arshtcenter.com. Tickets for the 2025-26 season are available via arshtcenter.org/season25. For a limited time, discounts of up to 20 percent are available for some performances using the code SEASON25.