The Ten Best Memorial Day Weekend 2018 Parties

Memorial Day is the time we honor the men and women who have lost their lives serving our country. Our soldiers are gone, but not forgotten. Yet it's no secret we use this holiday weekend to go all-out in true Miami fashion. From poppin' bottles on yachts to going buck wild on South Beach, this town will be raging for at least four days straight. It's a guaranteed Tuesday-crawl-into-work sort of deal. Who's ready? Things are about to get crazy. Here are the ten best Memorial Day weekend parties.
1. Rock the Yacht All-White Party. Most days, we're rockin' the 9-to-5. But on Memorial Day weekend, you can rock the yacht and your best white outfit aboard the South Beach Lady, a fancy, four-level luxury vessel. The 3.5-hour floating party will offer sounds by DJ Prince, a light buffet, bottle service, and other swanky fixings. At the time of this writing, the site warned there were only 19 tickets left, so act fast. The yacht will depart from 401 Biscayne Blvd. at 11:30 p.m. sharp. Forget your problems at sea, and party in luxury. 10:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. Friday, May 25, aboard the South Beach Lady, 401 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 347-581-4943. Tickets cost $75 to $1,000 plus fees via eventbrite.com.
2. Best of the Best Music Fest. Best of the Best will return for a 12th year when it takes over Mana Wywnood Sunday, May 27. The Memorial Day weekend fest, self-described as the "biggest reggae festival in North America," will feature Mavado, Aidonia, Capleton, Masicka, Bunji Garlin, Fay Ann Lyons, Kerwin Dubois, Hood Celebrityy, Romain Virgo, and many others. If the revelry on South Beach has left you broke and unable to toke, you can still win tickets to the fest here. Friday, May 25, be sure to pass by the Best of the Best preparty at Fate Nightclub. 2 p.m. to midnight Sunday, May 27, at Mana Wynwood; 318 NW 23rd St., Miami; 305-573-0371. Tickets cost $52 to $499 plus fees via bestofthebestconcert.com/tickets.
3. Trina at Studio 23. In 2017, New Times declared Trina "The One and Only Queen of Hip-Hop," and the sentiment stands. Trina is a staple of Miami music, and the Magic City will forever be indebted to the Diamond Princess' contributions. Her 1999 track "Da Baddest Bitch" was recently dubbed by New Times as one of the 15 songs that made Miami. Have we driven home how important Trina is, people? Watching her perform live is the epitome of what we call a "Miami dream." And if you haven't experienced one yet, here's your chance to see the rapper in action. She's set to kick off Memorial Day weekend with a free show (if you arrive by 12:30 a.m.) at Studio 23, so don't you dare miss it. 11 p.m. Wednesday, May 23, at Studio 23 Miami, 247 23rd St., Miami Beach; 305-401-5438. Admission is free before 12:30 a.m. and costs $20 plus fees after 12:30 via eventbrite.com.
4. 11th-Annual Memorial Weekend Comedy Festival. There's no shortage of things to do Memorial Day weekend. But we encourage you to take a break from South Beach for at least one evening and head downtown for the LOLs. Marlon Wayans, DeRay Davis, Majah Hype, Affion Crockett, and WatchaJazzy as Toya Turnup will take over the James L. Knight Center for the 11th-annual Memorial Weekend Comedy Festival. 8 p.m. Sunday, May 27, at James L. Knight Center, 400 SE Second Ave., Miami; 305-416-5970; jlkc.com. Tickets cost $25 to $100 via ticketmaster.com.
5. Memorial Day Weekend All-White Party With Ashanti. If there's any way we would want to spend our Memorial Day weekend, it's with Ashanti while looking fly in our all-white ensembles. Self-described as the "biggest and sexiest all-white party ever," the bacchanal will feature sounds by DJ Tight and DJ Q305, as well as a special performance by Ashanti. 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, May 26, at Sport of Kings Theatre, 501 S. Federal Hwy., Hallandale Beach. Tickets cost $24 to $620.05 via eventbrite.com.
6. Celebrity Deathmatch: Battle Royale. Miami's top drag queens battle for the title and lip-sync for their lives in the ring this Memorial Day weekend. From Magic School Bus realness to talk-show hosts and divas, this new queer monthly dance party, recently dubbed one of the best drag shows in Miami, is bringing Celebrity Deathmatch: Battle Royale to 1306. Watch Jupiter Correa and Tyler Sanchez battle as Birdo vs. Madonna; Ded Cooter and Eli Sage Rosenberg as Ellen DeGeneres vs. Kanye West; and many more. Get there by 10:30 p.m. to take advantage of the one-hour open bar. 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday, May 26, at 1306, 1306 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-377-2277; 1306miami.com. Admission is free with RSVP via tfl.events/mia#/mia.
7. Memorial Day BBQ at PAMM. It's Monday morning, and you're probably severely regretting that last shot. The only way to cure that gnarly hangover is fresh air and diving face-first into some barbecued goodness. Ditch the beach, chill out, and head to PAMM's waterfront terrace for the Memorial Day BBQ. Catch live performances by SunGhosts, barbecued grub for sale on the terrace, and art-making as part of PAMM's Blue Star Museums kickoff. Full disclosure: This writer is involved in organizing the event, so trust me — come hungry. 1 to 4 p.m. Monday, May 28, at Pérez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-375-3000; pamm.org. Admission to the terrace is free; RSVP at pamm.org/calendar/2018/05/memorial-day-bbq. Museum gallery admission is $16 for adults and free for active-duty military personnel, veterans, and family members.
8. Pool Parties. On Memorial Day weekend, there's bound to be a party wherever you turn. Thousands of revelers will descend upon Miami Beach for the holiday weekend in search of a good time. And some of the best times are spent poolside. If you're not partying in your bathing suit, you're doing it all wrong. You have a few options: There's the Aquafete Miami pool party, the Miami Nice 2018 Soak-n-wet Mansion Pool Party, or the Wet & Juicy Pool Party. Crowds are said to be heavy at the Clevelander South Beach Hotel & Bar, which can mean only one thing: It's probably your best place to start.
9. Islands Fever. Getting liquored up at no cost is a rarity. If you play your cards right, you can find a few spots offering free drinks. The Islands Fever Memorial Day weekend foam fete will offer free drinks until midnight, three foam machines (but if you're not down with that sort of thing, there will be a dry side), live DJs, and one hell of a time. 11 p.m. Friday, May 25, at Mana Wynwood Convention Center, 318 NW 23rd St., Miami. Tickets cost $10 to $30 plus fees via eventbrite.com.
10. Bubble Boys, Ben Katzman’s DeGreaser, Palomino Blond, and the Ruffans at Space Mountain. The only thing missing from your jam-packed weekend of events is a good old-fashioned rock 'n' roll rage fest. Get sweaty with Bubble Boys, Ben Katzman’s DeGreaser, Palomino Blond, and the Ruffans for an all-ages show at Space Mountain. But don't party too hard — there are still two more nights left of your holiday weekend. 8 p.m. Saturday, May 26, at Space Mountain, 738 NW 62nd St., Miami; spacemountainmia.org. Admission costs $5. All ages.