About Us
A resplendent hub of diversity, culture and celebration of the arts, Miami-Dade County Auditorium serves as one of South Florida’s cherished premiere performing arts centers for showcasing an array of dazzling artistic excellence. Located in what is now considered the heart of Little Havana, Miami-Dade County Auditorium has served as one of the oldest and most prominent performing arts centers in the South Florida region for over 70 years. Its splendid history includes hosting countless numbers of operas, symphonies, theatre presentations, ballets, concerts, and community programs.
Miami-Dade County Auditorium’s first event, a production of “Carmen” by the Miami Opera Guild (now known as Florida Grand Opera) in February 1951, was performed to a sold-out house. Since then, countless historic performances have taken place at the Auditorium over the years including the American stage debut of Luciano Pavarotti in a 1965 production of “Lucia De Lammermoor” starring Joan Sutherland. Numerous world-renowned performers have graced the Auditorium stage such as Carol Channing in “Hello Dolly,” Mikhail Baryshnikov, Julio Iglesias, Gloria and Emilio Estéfan, Lola Flores, Marian Anderson, Celia Cruz, José José, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, José Feliciano, Plácido Domingo, Rocio Jurado, Paloma San Basilio, and Jerry Seinfeld to name a few. Prestigious organizations such as Miami City Ballet, Florida Grand Opera, Sociedad Pro-Arte Grateli, and the Concert Association of Florida have also called the Auditorium home.
In 2012, the operations of Miami-Dade County Auditorium transferred over to the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. Since then, MDCA has continued to blossom under the innovation and artistic excellence that the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs cultivates. The 2,372-seat, multi-purpose theatre is famously known for its wide range of reputable cultural performances now and throughout its history. Programs are presented in English, Spanish, and sometimes both, to best serve Miami’s multilingual audiences. Miami-Dade County Auditorium partners with outstanding non-profit cultural organizations and artists to present high quality performances on the Main Stage, Orchestra Stage, Mid-Stage, and On.Stage Black Box configurations with the objective of cultivating their interesting and progressive work. These partnerships have been instrumental in reasserting the Auditorium’s role as a significant hub of cultural exchange and an incubator for supporting, and developing, the work of Miami-Dade County’s premiere arts groups and artists.
In October 2015, MDCA and Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs launched the Fun Arts for the Family Performance Series, a free and affordable multidisciplinary performance series for children and families. The program runs year-round, giving ample opportunities for residents of Miami-Dade County to enjoy the arts and engage in meaningful family-oriented cultural activities. Part of this series is to cultivate and educate future audiences at an early age, bringing awareness to the importance the arts can play in enriching their lives.
Additionally, the award-winning Hot Theatre Summer Series was also launched in 2015, a summer program that offers cultural programming through live theatre experiences. The series gives Miami audiences and visitors the opportunity to enjoy performances during the summer months. Miami-Dade County Auditorium is committed to fostering the dynamic work of Miami’s top theatre, music and dance companies, as well as offering a diverse and affordable arts experience for residents and visitors by showcasing local and international acts.
In 2020, the world of performing arts completely changed due to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In order to provide a safe and affordable arts experience for residents and visitors, Miami-Dade County Auditorium initiated a new series – the Drive-Through Theatre Experience (DTTE) – on a beautifully lit outdoor stage. Performing arts patrons were able to enjoy a unique experience from the safety and comfort of their own vehicles. As South Florida continued to reopen and adapt to the new normal, a limited amount of socially distanced outdoor seating was made available. The DTTE stage hosted acts from various genres, including musical concertos, plays, children and family performances, flamenco, dance, and more. The Drive-Through Theatre Experience series’ final performance, the 305 Havana International Improv Fest ’21, was presented in April 2021. Each DTTE performance was filmed live and later edited and uploaded to the official MDCA YouTube page, which continues to offer free virtual shows to this day.
Miami-Dade County Auditorium is managed by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, with funding support from the office of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council develop cultural excellence, diversity, access and participation throughout Miami-Dade County by strategically creating and promoting equitable opportunities for artists and cultural organizations, and our residents and visitors who are their audiences. Through staff, board and programmatic resources, the Department, the Council and the Trust promote, coordinate and support Miami-Dade County’s more than 1,000 not-for-profit cultural organizations as well as thousands of resident artists through grants, technical assistance, public information and interactive community planning. The Department directs the Art in Public Places program and serves its board, the Art in Public Places Trust, commissioning, curating, maintaining and promoting the County’s art collection. The Department also manages, programs and operates the Marshall L. Davis, Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, Joseph Caleb Auditorium, and Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center, all dedicated to presenting and supporting excellence in the arts for the entire community.
The Department receives funding through the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, The Children’s Trust, the National Endowment for the Arts, the State of Florida through the Florida Department of State, Florida Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Peacock Foundation, Inc. and The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation. Other support and services are provided by TicketWeb for the Culture Shock Miami program, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the South Florida Cultural Consortium and the Tourist Development Council.
It is the policy of Miami-Dade County to comply with all requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The facility is accessible and assistive listening devices are available. To request materials in accessible format, sign language interpreters, CART, and/or any accommodation to attend an event at Miami-Dade County Auditorium, please contact MDCA at MDCA@miamidade.gov or call 305.547.5414, at least (5) five days in advance to initiate your request. TTY users may also call 711 (Florida Relay Service.)
