The Arsht Center is turning the South Florida premiere of Buena Vista Social Club™ into a broader community celebration with six days of free music, dancing, dominoes, art and cultural experiences
The arrival of Buena Vista Social Club™ in Miami will extend well beyond the theater when the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts hosts Rhythm & Roots, a free, six-day celebration designed to bring Cuban and Latin American music, culture and community into the heart of downtown Miami.
Running September 29 through October 4, Rhythm & Roots will transform Thomson Plaza for the Arts into a gathering place featuring live performances, DJs, dancing, domino games, artisans and pop-up vendors. The celebration coincides with the South Florida premiere of the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Buena Vista Social Club™, which plays the Ziff Ballet Opera House during the same week.
For Miami-Dade, the connection is particularly meaningful. The music associated with Buena Vista Social Club has traveled around the world, but Cuban music and the memories attached to it remain deeply connected to generations of families in South Florida. Rhythm & Roots expands that story beyond paying theater audiences by creating a free cultural experience open to residents of all ages.
A Broadway Premiere Becomes a Miami Cultural Celebration
The South Florida engagement of Buena Vista Social Club™ already carries strong Miami connections. The musical features a book by Hialeah-raised Tony Award nominee Marco Ramirez, while Miami-born Patricia Delgado, a former Miami City Ballet principal dancer, shares the Tony Award-winning choreography credit with Justin Peck. The production opens the Arsht's 2026-27 Broadway in Miami season.
Rather than limiting the occasion to performances inside the Ziff Ballet Opera House, the Arsht is using the musical as a starting point for a wider exploration of Cuban culture, music and memory.
Rhythm & Roots will feature a different lineup across its six days. The current schedule includes Fry Trio and two-time Latin Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Leslie Cartaya on September 29; Palo! on September 30; Cortadito and 6Jam on October 1; OKAN and Julio Montalvo y El Huracán de Miami on October 2; Mr. Pauer, Magela Herrera, Humberto Ibarra and SONLOKOS on October 3; and Mr. Pauer, Pedrito Calvo Jr. and MiriamMar on October 4. The Arsht notes that artist availability is subject to change.
The experience also moves beyond the stage. Visitors will be able to explore exhibitions, photography and artifacts focused on Cuban culture and stories through collaborations involving community partners such as Conecta Miami Arts, Miami Dade College's Freedom Tower and Florida International University's Public Humanities Lab. A living oral-history component will give visitors an opportunity to contribute their own memories.
That emphasis on participation gives Rhythm & Roots particular relevance in Miami. Instead of presenting Cuban culture solely as something to watch from an audience seat, the program incorporates familiar community traditions — music, dancing, dominoes, storytelling and gathering — into the experience.
Free Access Opens the Celebration to More of Miami-Dade
The distinction between Rhythm & Roots and the Broadway production is important for families planning to attend. Rhythm & Roots is free, while tickets for Buena Vista Social Club™ are sold separately. The free celebration takes place each day from September 29 through October 4, with starting times varying by date. The Arsht's current schedule lists 6 p.m. starts September 29 through October 1, 6:30 p.m. on October 2, 4 p.m. on October 3 and 3 p.m. on October 4.
The programming is designed for all ages. The Arsht's current event page states that a ticket is required for each person attending Rhythm & Roots, regardless of age, and provides an RSVP option for the free event. The Broadway production, by contrast, is recommended for ages 8 and older and runs approximately two hours and 10 minutes with an intermission
That free-access component is part of a larger community engagement effort at the Arsht. Its Arsht Impact education and community programs provide free access to more than 42,000 people each season, while education initiatives reach approximately 80,000 students annually, according to the Center.
The timing during Hispanic Heritage Month adds another layer to the celebration, but Rhythm & Roots also illustrates something familiar to Miami-Dade residents: Hispanic culture here is not confined to a commemorative month. Cuban and Latin American music, food, stories and traditions are part of everyday community life.
That makes the arrival of Buena Vista Social Club™ more than a touring Broadway engagement. By taking some of the cultural conversation outside the theater and making it free, Rhythm & Roots gives Miami families an opportunity to experience the music through their own community's artists, memories and traditions.
For a city where Cuban music can carry family history across generations, the week offers something that cannot be contained entirely on a Broadway stage: a chance for Miami to participate in the story itself.
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