Fear and Loathing in Miami

Somewhere around the Untitled Art Fair on the edge of the Artscape Lounge was when the feeling of overwhelm began to take hold. 

Art Basel is known internationally for bringing in some of the biggest art collectors, entrepreneurs, celebrities, tech CEOs, and more, but to the local Miami populace, it’s just a shitty week for traffic and parties that they can’t even get access to. 

The snowbirds fly down and begin to bask on our beaches, holding up parties or looking at the latest Faena art piece that blows up all over social media (this year’s being Es Devlin’s library on the beach). 

As we feast on the delicious, gourmet selection in the Artscape Lounge, the invite to Diplo’s Flaunt magazine appearance hits our inbox. It’s a regular Art Week occurrence, the annual festivities often serving as a front for degenerate party activities that are disguised by the terms “activation” or “sponsorship.” 

Still, we enjoy going to some of the more intimate gatherings that’ll have you bumping elbows and shoulders with some of the most distinguished figures on earth.

After wrapping up at Untitled, taking the water taxi back to the mainland was the only sane option — an hour in Miami traffic during Art Basel is never appealing.

Somewhere around Art Miami, the city officially stopped feeling real and started feeling like a controlled hallucination. Everywhere you looked, there were wristbands, lanyards, security guards, and people who didn’t seem to live here but had somehow taken ownership of the week anyway. VIP previews were in full effect — a dopamine parade of Champagne flutes and curated exclusivity.

An accidental detour led to John Summit that afternoon. Not literally, of course — more like drifted into his orbit the way you do when Basel is pulling you through galleries like a current. He was cooler than expected. Normal, even. A rare thing amid a week where nothing feels grounded. The art itself blurred into something between genius and backdrop, and the line between exhibitions and flexing quickly disappeared.

It all continued into the ICA opening reception, where everyone was either visiting from a major world capital or pretending they were. It didn’t matter; Art Basel had already claimed everyone.

But the art was never really the main event. That honor belonged to the noise.

Sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, Chris Lake swallowed Club Space whole. The crowd had migrated there like it was church, except the sermon was bass and the holy water was Red Bull and overpriced vodka. By the time we stumbled out of the presence of the eminent British DJ and into the sunlight around 10 a.m., the city felt suspiciously wide awake.

Even worse, we weren’t done.

We went home and did what all art-week soldiers do when their legs finally betray them — passed out. No one makes it through Basel sober or sane without a nap. Age teaches you that. Knees and liver begin filing formal complaints.

After waking up, we headed over to The Art of Hip Hop to check out the Slawn and Opake exhibition, Heroes, Villains & Violence. The way the artists blended Avengers, Peanuts, and DC imagery was so fun and expressive, especially with them literally setting up a boxing ring inside the gallery. It felt more Basquiat-meets-Warhol than the fine art from earlier in the week.

Things escalated further with a live recording of Drink Champs featuring N.O.R.E., and the presence of Fat Joe in the building made it even crazier. Just being in the room, hearing stories about the early days of Nas and 50 Cent, and the culture, felt surreal. For a true hip-hop fan, that moment alone was worth the whole day.

On top of that, Westside Gunn had a Billionaire Boys Club pop-up right next door. When walking in, one would see the Buffalo legend just casually hanging out in a space Pharrell helped build — with a full-on wrestling ring inside the store. It was wild seeing Miami flooded with so much appreciation for hip-hop all in one day.

Things only escalated when pulling up to Casadonna for the opening reception for DJ Khaled’s birthday. Everyone was present and accounted for — Ja Rule,  J Balvin, Bad Gyal, Ryan Castro, Vybz Kartel, Jadakiss, and Khaled, who shared a few words before heading off to kick off his born-day celebration with Jordan and the We The Best Foundation. 

Right after, it was time to visit Alec Monopoly’s gallery pop-up in the Design District, where the dressed-up graffiti artist and sometimes DJ had one hell of an event. Lamboorghinis and Bentleys lined up behind one another on the street. The inside gallery was a combination of sculptures and street art that Monopoly had painted onto a chopped-up private jet. DJs were spinning in the courtyard, and Raising Cane’s was being handed out to guests. 

The following morning, Khaled hosted his golf tournament at the Miami Beach Golf Club for the We The Best Foundation. Fat Joe, Ferg, Chase B, and others were there playing golf, hanging out, and partying. The entire course was covered by free drinks from D’Ussé, food from Raising Cane’s, and so many pop-up tents from brands ranging from LIV to Jordan. It was crazy seeing so many massive names running around in one space. Watching people like Ben Da Don livestream the whole thing, surrounded by money and celebrities, felt hypnotic. It was intense.

Later that night, Jungle Island hosted an ArtNexus event with Art With Me, and the Mi Sangre Foundation featuring Juanes. He ended up chatting with us and gave one of the most intimate performances ever seen. Watching him pour his heart out while a crowd, mostly in their late 30s through 50s, danced like teenagers was unreal. People in suits and dresses were going crazy — it turned into one of the most lit parties we attended all week. Drinks were flowing, everyone was laughing, and it felt like a celebration of Colombian culture and good energy overall.

After that, Spin hosted its Back to the Basics party, featuring a performance by Clipse. Within the first 15 minutes, Clipse reminded everyone exactly who they are — rippling bars while the crowd screamed every lyric back at them at 1 a.m. Unreal.

Later, Factory Town kicked off the first night of three. The lineup had Green Velvet, Cloonee, and Chris Stussy all throwing down. Even though it was a weekday, the place was absolutely packed. Cloonee’s production was wild — the man had a Mustang hanging above the stage with screens, lasers, and lights everywhere. And of course, Cloonee had the whole crowd (especially the women) going crazy. Every stage felt different: Skepta for rap-influenced UK house, Cloonee for Latin-inspired groove, Chris Stussy for more traditional tech house. The place was full of characters partying until sunrise.

By Friday, it was time to take it easy at Nylon House, but that was probably the most stressful party of the week. Upon arrival, around 9 p.m., the night was already chaotic. Twelve fire marshals were stationed near the entrance with zero organization, and after an hour-plus wait, we finally walked in just as Ellie Goulding was wrapping her set. A multitude of celebrities were in attendance, including Travis Scott and Ice Spice, who were ubiquitous all week long. While it was cool to hear Goulding live, the overall experience was just…okay. Still, the hype around Nylon never dies, and respect to them for keeping that energy alive.

Not long after, we dipped and headed to the Flaunt launch party, where Diplo performed. The vibe completely shifted when he hit the stage and started spinning for nearly 90 minutes — mixing his own hits with brand new releases. Drinks were flowing, and people were living their best lives.

The next morning, Complex hosted the Family Food Fest in Midtown. The food lineup was a glutton’s paradise, but Trill Burgers (owned by Bun B) stole the show. Every bite felt like Houston in Miami. Between the pop-ups from Ciroc and Pepsi and local DJs (Little Rock from Tumbao, for one), the entire day felt like a block party. Less art, more food — and honestly, we needed that.

That night, we ended up at Delilah for Channel Tres at the Chase Sapphire Lounge. Caviar, martinis, velvet vibes — easily the bougiest moment of the entire weekend. Afterward, Paper magazine threw a party where Jonas Blue was DJing. Later on, Factory Town was struck by the Circoloco party. Backstage was madness: Ice Spice. Travis Scott. Rampa. Sunisa Lee. Nick from Love Island. DJs everywhere. The venue was packed before midnight, and people stayed till morning. Everyone we spoke to said Factory Town was the place to be that weekend if you wanted to see celebrities, stay up late, and party. 

On Sunday, it was time to finally slow down and head to the Kaseya Center to see Mora. The Puerto Rican superstar performed “La Inocente,” “Túyo,” among other hits, not to mention his verse from “Una Vez,” along with deep cuts and tracks from Lo Mismo de Siempre. One can only marvel at the stamina of Basel Miami’s party set, ready and eager to carry the Art Week sazón all the way through Sunday night. 

Final stop: Factory Town (night three). Despite blurred vision and sagging vim, the crowd rallied as Chasewest and Kinahau took over the Revival stage in the Chain Room. By the time the sun rose, it felt like a victory to have seen some actual art during Art Week.