South Beach’s Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road strip is loud, dense and open late, with live music and karaoke woven through the party scene rather than set apart from it. It’s not a subtle scene, and it isn’t trying to be. Every venue below links to its full profile in our venue directory.
The Clevelander South Beach
A South Beach institution since 1938, The Clevelander South Beach on Ocean Drive runs a resident DJ on Thursdays plus karaoke nights, pool parties and live entertainment in a non-stop party atmosphere. It’s the single most photographed bar facade on Ocean Drive for a reason.
Mango’s Tropical Cafe
Also on Ocean Drive, Mango's Tropical Cafe has brought live Latin music to the sidewalk every night since 1989, with the Miami Fusion house band playing Monday through Friday afternoons and a live salsa band on Sunday afternoons.
Bodega South Beach
A secret door in the back of this Ocean Drive taqueria leads to Bodega South Beach, one of South Beach’s most eclectic karaoke rooms, running a themed DJ party on Thursdays and open until 5am on weekends.
Hotel Gaythering
On Lincoln Road, Hotel Gaythering runs Karaoke Monday every week, led by comedian Blamie Forret, in a welcoming LGBTQ friendly setting a few steps from the pedestrian mall. 21 and up (get directions).
Kill Your Idol
On Espanola Way, Kill Your Idol is a rock and alternative dive bar with a Thursday karaoke night, a different pace from the Ocean Drive strip a block away and a good option for anyone who wants South Beach without the Ocean Drive price tag. 21 and up (get directions).
South Beach nightlife gets a reputation for being all velvet ropes and bottle service, and plenty of it is, but the karaoke and live music scene here runs on a totally different, much more accessible track. Nobody’s checking a guest list at Bodega’s secret karaoke door.
Getting Around South Beach
Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue and Washington Avenue run parallel and are a block apart, so almost everything on this list is walkable. Parking is the hard part and the garages fill from early evening at weekends, which is why most people leave the car behind entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there karaoke on South Beach?
Yes. The Clevelander, Bodega South Beach, Hotel Gaythering and Kill Your Idol all run karaoke nights, on different nights and in very different atmospheres.
What is the most iconic bar on Ocean Drive?
The Clevelander has been a South Beach nightlife landmark since 1938 and is one of the most recognizable bars on Ocean Drive.
Is South Beach nightlife only for tourists?
Ocean Drive skews tourist heavy, but a block or two off the strip at spots like Kill Your Idol on Espanola Way, the crowd is much more local.
Mickey Burkes
Over on Washington Avenue, Mickey Burkes runs karaoke twice a week, on Monday and Friday. It is a smaller neighborhood room than the Ocean Drive places a few blocks over, which is the reason to walk the extra distance.
Mango’s Tropical Cafe
An Ocean Drive fixture with live Latin music and dancers every night. The music carries out to the sidewalk, which is part of the draw and part of the reason it is the most recognizable room on the strip.
Do Not Sit On The Furniture
An underground dance club open since 2012, built around serious house and techno programming and respected resident and guest DJs. It is the opposite of Ocean Drive in almost every respect, which is why it has lasted.
LIV and the Club Floor
LIV, on the lower level of the Fontainebleau on Collins Avenue, is the large format end of South Beach nightlife, running house, EDM, hip hop and open format sets. Serena Rooftop, off Washington Avenue, is the open air alternative, with DJ sets Thursday through Sunday.
Picking Your Night on South Beach
South Beach runs on a later clock than anywhere else in the region. Live music and karaoke rooms fill between 9PM and midnight, while the club floors do not properly start until after 1AM. Trying to do both in one night usually means doing neither well.
Midweek is quieter and cheaper, and several of the karaoke and live music rooms run their best nights Monday through Thursday precisely because the weekend belongs to the clubs.
Header photo: chensiyuan, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
