Miami's Best Concert of the Week: Justin Bieber, Skrillex, and Other Insane New Year's Eve Parties

For the most of the United States, December 26 is Christmas hangover day. The presents have been opened, our bellies are bloated with eggnog (or coquito), and the millionth viewing of It’s a Wonderful Life is finally, thankfully, over. It’s time to slog through airport security and head home or exchange that sweater that might have fit when your aunt bought it six months ago but now is just a reminder of how you need to lay off the tacos after midnight.

However, today also brings considerable excitement because it’s time to cement those New Year’s Eve plans and prepare for a very real, eye-watering hangover (we’ll worry about the latter in 2017.)

It’s a safe assumption that a large portion of the American population will go extra hard this weekend as we bid farewell to what was a mostly shit year. In fact, just last night, 2016 took its latest victim, George Michael, and is on the cusp of snatching away our beloved Princess Leia, Carrie Fisher (get better soon!)

And while over the summer Miami was named both the worst city to live in America and the rudest city in America, if there’s another list we’re perennially at the top of, it’s that of best damn New Year’s Eve parties in America.

Of course, this wouldn’t be Miami if the debauchery didn’t kick off early.

Thursday night sees Kaskade at LIV and Lil Jon at E11even; Friday night, Lil Wayne takes his turn at LIV, while Cedric Gervais spins at STORY; and we close out this stupid, stupid year Saturday night with Justin Bieber at the Fountainbleau, Nicki Minaj at E11even, the Roots at the Arsht Center and perhaps arbitrarily, the "best" concert of the week, Skrillex at LIV. It’s a ridiculous lineup to be sure, which goes to show that for all of this city’s flaws, a proper night of dancing and drinking isn’t one of them.