The Best Things to Do in Miami This Weekend

It's the first weekend of 2019. The final weekend of 2018 was a long one, but odds are you've recharged and are ready to let off steam at your favorite spots around town. Start at the beer garden at the Frost Museum of Science. There, check out the first Laser Fridays lineup of the season, including music by the Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Pink Floyd. Saturday, learn about Miami Beach's seedy past on the South Beach Scandals Tour, and close out the weekend with a free relaxing yoga session on the rooftop of Atton Brickell Miami.

Here are the best events happening in Miami this weekend.
Friday

Laser Fridays are back for another season at the Frost Museum of Science. The shows kick off at 7 p.m. with "The Best of the Beatles" and close out with a midnight showing of "The Best of Pink Floyd." If you're looking for something a little more current, don't worry — the planetarium has added a Bruno Mars show at 9 p.m. and an all-EDM spectacular at 10. Be sure to get there early so you can get grab some brews from the beer garden in the museum's main atrium. 7 p.m. Friday, January 4, at the Frost Museum of Science, 1101 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; frostscience.org. Admission costs $10.

From Tel Aviv, with love, comes Guy Mantzur. This Friday marks the electronic musician's first time back on our friendly shores since March's electronic music fest Rapture. He's built up quite a following in Miami, in addition to the heaps of places across the globe where he spins each year. His style spans genres, falling somewhere between progressive house and tech house. 11 p.m. Friday, January 4, at Treehouse Miami, 323 23rd St., Miami. Admission is free before midnight and $10 after; RSVP via eventbrite.com.

Giralda Under the Stars returns to the Gables with live music, entertainment, and local eats. Participating restaurants include Pasión del Cielo, PokeBao, the Local Craft Food & Drink, Threefold Café, and Divino Ceviche. The event is held every first Friday of the month and is now anchored by the recently transformed and expansive Giralda Plaza. 7 p.m. to midnight Friday, January 4, on Giralda Avenue in Coral Gables; shopcoralgables.com. Admission is free.
Barry Jenkins did Liberty City proud when Moonlight took home the Oscar for Best Picture in 2017. Now the director is following up his surprise indie hit with If Beale Street Could Talk, adapted from the 1974 James Baldwin novel. The film is showing at O Cinema over the next week, so here's your chance to support a Miami film director and an independent, hometown theater at the same time. Friday, January 4, through Thursday, January 10, at O Cinema Wynwood, 90 NW 29th St., Miami; o-cinema.org. Tickets cost $11.

Saturday

A ton of wild stuff has happened in Miami Beach over the past few decades. Why not learn more about it? On the South Beach Scandals Tour, you can learn about the corruption, illegal gambling, organized crime, and other graft that's plagued the community over the years. The tour begins at the Art Deco Welcome Center and weaves through a ton of historically seedy spots that you might never see the same way again. 11 a.m. Saturday, January 5, at Art Deco Welcome Center, 1001 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach. Tickets cost $25 via eventbrite.com.

There are so many gifted folks in Miami, including talented playwrights. Last year, the Fantasy Theatre Factory at Sandrell Rivers Theater launched New Year, New Works! The series, taking place every Saturday in January, promotes new works by South Florida playwrights in the form of play readings. This Saturday's event is a reading of Simon Says by Kris L. Baushe. 8 p.m. Saturday, January 5, at Sandrell Rivers Theater, 6103 NW Seventh Ave., Miami. Tickets are free via tickets.ftfshows.com.

Scarface is arguably Miami's favorite gangster film, but spare some love for Goodfellas, Martin Scorsese's tale of one man's rise through the ranks of the Mafia. Screening as part of Gables Cinema's After-Hours series, the crime-ridden classic features award-worthy performances by Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci. 11:30 p.m. Saturday, January 5, at Coral Gables Art Cinema, 260 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables; gablescinema.com. Tickets cost $8.
Sunday

Is relaxation on your list of new year's resolutions? Atton Brickell Miami can help with this Sunday morning's free rooftop yoga session courtesy of Skanda Yoga Studio. The Vinyasa-style class is open to hotel guests and the general public, and all levels of experience are welcome. Take in 360-degree views of downtown Miami as you tap into your newfound Zen. Arrive early to claim your spot and a mat (if you need one). 9:30 a.m. Sunday, January 6, at Atton Brickell Miami, 1500 SW First Ave., Miami; attonbrickellmiami.com. Admission is free.

A bunch of talented young people are converging on Miami... to become even more talented. That's right, another National YoungArts Week will bring exhibits and performances all week at the New World Center and YoungArts Campus. Approximately 160 up-and-coming artists aged 15 to 18 will participate in master classes and workshops spanning jazz, photography, visual arts, writing, cinematic arts, and more. Between classes, you won't want to miss seeing their enhanced skills firsthand. Sunday, January 6, through Friday, January 13, at New World Center, 500 17th St., Miami Beach; and the YoungArts Campus, 2100 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; youngarts.org. Event prices vary.

"I'm coming out. I want the world to know. Got to let it show." Name that artist. Diana Ross is still rockin', and she will roll into Hollywood's Hard Rock Event Center this weekend. In addition to scoring a ton of hits with the Supremes and enjoying an illustrious solo career, she also won the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 and even performed in last year's Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. 8 p.m. Sunday, January 6, at Hard Rock Event Center, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood; seminolehardrockhollywood.com. Tickets cost $50 to $110.

Remember Justin Timberlake's 'N Sync days? Feels like an eternity ago, doesn't it? Draco Rosa is on a similar career path. He was in Menudo in the '80s, but decades later he's one of Puerto Rico's shining stars, with more than ten studio albums under his belt. His latest LP, Monte Sagrado, dropped last year. To prime for the show, listen to his 2013 smash album, Vida. 8 p.m. Sunday, January 6, at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. Tickets cost $39 to $53 via livenation.com.