There is a reason Miami has become one of the most coveted stops on the Formula 1 calendar. Since joining the F1 calendar in 2022 as the second U.S. race on the circuit, the Miami Grand Prix has woven itself into the fabric of the city's legendary identity for warmth, nightlife, and effortless luxury. The race is only part of it. For a long, electric week in early May, Miami becomes something else entirely: a festival of speed and style, a city-wide celebration where the whole of South Florida seems to agree that more is always more.
Here is everything you need to know to do it right.
The 2026 Miami Grand Prix runs over 57 laps of the 5.412-kilometer Miami International Autodrome, a circuit built around Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. This year carries particular significance: Miami will host Round 6 of the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship and serve as the debut venue for the new Cadillac F1 team. The 2026 edition also introduces new engine regulations and active aerodynamics, marking a faster, more electric era for the sport.
The weekend follows a Sprint format: Practice kicks off Friday, May 1, Sprint Qualifying closes the evening, Saturday brings the Sprint Race and Main Qualifying, and the Grand Prix itself takes place Sunday, May 3.
Grandstand Seats are the entry point and cover the full three-day weekend. For the best on-track action, the Turn 1 Grandstand puts you at the first corner chaos; the North Grandstand and South Beach Grandstands offer overtaking action at Turns 11, 12, and 13; and the Turn 18 Grandstand captures passes coming off the long straight. Three-day packages are available through Ticketmaster.
The circuit sits in Miami Gardens, about 20 to 30 minutes from the neighborhoods where most visitors prefer to base themselves. South Beach remains the most popular address during race week, close to the Fan Fest, Carbone Beach, and the bulk of the evening action. Key Biscayne offers an oceanfront escape that feels genuinely removed from the noise, while Brickell suits those who want downtown energy and a quieter walk back to the hotel.
The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne is debuting a race-inspired activation in collaboration with Chivas Regal, with driving simulators, viewing lounges, and race-themed cocktail programming at Rum Bar paired with curated bites. When the engines cool, guests can watch the action on the big screens at Dune Beach Bar, drinks in hand, the Atlantic just beyond the palms.
Loews Miami Beach Hotel has emerged as one of the most compelling addresses for race week 2026. The oceanfront resort is partnering with Golden Goat Caviar for an exclusive F1 Steakhouse Menu at Bistro Collins, running April 30 through May 3. The 790 beautifully redesigned rooms, six restaurants including Rao's, and direct Atlantic beach access make it one of South Beach's most complete race week packages.
The closest thing to an official off-track extension of the race environment. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood is just minutes from Miami International Autodrome, the property hosts official after-parties and extended nightlife programming through the full race weekend, meaning the transition from grandstand to dance floor requires almost no effort at all. The entertainment complex's sheer scale, a sprawling casino floor, multiple concert venues, and a nightlife lineup that draws the same crowd as the circuit itself, means that for visitors who want the weekend to run uninterrupted from Friday morning to Sunday night, this is the address that makes it possible.
Fontainebleau Miami Beach has spent decades perfecting the art of the Miami moment, and race week is when that talent is most on display. There is no official F1 badge here, but that has never mattered, this is simply where the crowd gravitates after the podium ceremony, drawn by a nightlife lineup that runs deep into the early hours, high-profile pool parties, celebrity arrivals, and a general atmosphere that understands exactly what kind of weekend this is. The property's scale works in its favor: multiple pools, sprawling event spaces, and enough energy to absorb the entire F1 circus without ever feeling overwhelmed by it. Booking a room here is as much a social strategy as a lodging decision, and most guests would not have it any other way.
The Setai, Miami Beach is the week's most deliberate exhale. While the rest of Miami runs at full speed, this Art Deco sanctuary on the south end of the beach operates on an entirely different register, serene courtyards, three temperature-graduated pools, and a service culture built around anticipating rather than reacting. Jaya, the hotel's acclaimed pan-Asian restaurant, becomes one of the hardest reservations of the week during F1, and the Saturday Rosé Brunch draws a crowd that has learned to plan around it. For visitors who want to arrive at the circuit rested and leave it genuinely restored, The Setai makes that possible.
Miami's dining scene needs no race weekend to justify it, but F1 week turns everything up a register. Reservations become harder and kitchens stay open later. Book early, and book more than one.
The Drexel opens the week on the right note with an F1 Kick Off Party on Wednesday, April 29. Chef Jarrod Huth and Chef de Cuisine Derek Carressi are running the coastal Italian menu, Alejandro Elizondo plays live from 6 to 9 p.m., and the Ferrari Spritz Special makes an appearance that feels entirely appropriate. Doors open at 5 p.m. It is a genuinely warm way to start a weekend that is about to get considerably louder.
CASA NEOS earns its place as one of the most ambitious F1 weekend destinations on the calendar. The waterfront property runs a full four-day takeover from April 30 through May 3, with the Lounge hosting Carlita, Chloé Caillet, Jaden Thompson, and After Dark Sessions across consecutive nights, and the Beach Club programming anchored by ADRIATIQUE x SHELLONA St. Tropez, Mestiza, and Seth Troxler. Come for dinner; plan to stay considerably longer.
Giselle Miami gets the full race week treatment with a menu engineered for the occasion. The Podium Nigiri Tasting leads with otoro and caviar, hamachi and kizami wasabi, and A5 wagyu and truffles. The F1 Flaming Surf & Turf, a tableside presentation of a 48-ounce Australian wagyu tomahawk and a two-pound Maine lobster, designed for two to four, is the kind of dish that warrants its own itinerary entry. Cocktails run from the Pole Position to the Paddock Club, and bottle service extends to Cristal Rosé for those keeping pace with the weekend's general spirit of abundance.
Zuma at the Miami Club is doing something entirely different this year. Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS has named Zuma its exclusive dining and lifestyle partner for race weekend, transforming the Mercedes hospitality space into a full cultural destination, contemporary Japanese cuisine, curated menus, and an atmosphere that blurs the line between paddock and cultural event. For those with access, it is one of the week's most distinctive experiences.
Amazónico is making Race Day itself part of the dining calendar. On Sunday, May 3, the restaurant transforms into a full-day destination, brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., followed by the rooftop opening at 2:30 p.m. and an F1 watch party at Selva in time for the 4 p.m. race. It is one of the more considered ways to spend the final day of the weekend.
The Official Formula 1 Fan Fest debuts this year at Lummus Park in Miami Beach, a free, five-day festival running April 29 through May 3. Every track session screens live on the Ticketmaster Stage, which also hosts driver appearances and fan programming throughout the week. The Red Bull Fan Zone brings racing simulators and pit stop challenges; Aston Martin Aramco and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls both have show cars on site for photos. A champagne garden, Jack Daniel's Airstream bar, slot car racing, sand sculptures, and a full food program round out the campus. Free tickets at f1miamigp.com/fan-fest.
The race takes up three days. Miami deserves at least a few more.
Private Yacht Charter, Biscayne Bay — The most Miami thing you can do between sessions is get on the water. The route moves past Downtown Miami's skyline, the celebrity homes of Millionaire's Row, and out through Star Island, Fisher Island, and the Port of Miami. The five-hour Raccoon Island and Haulover Sandbar experience is the one worth booking if the schedule allows.
Everglades Airboat Tour — fifty minutes from Miami Beach, the Everglades is one of the most singular landscapes in the world, and an airboat tour is the only way to properly meet it. Guides navigate through the sawgrass marshes pointing out alligators, native birds, and the kind of wild Florida that existed long before the city arrived. Round-trip transfers from Miami hotels are included, making it an effortless half-day from almost anywhere on the beach.
Little Havana Walking Food Tour — A guided walk through Miami's most culturally rich neighborhood, with stops at family-run Cuban restaurants, cigar shops, and bakeries that have been feeding the community for generations. The croquetas alone justify the detour.
Wynwood Walls Street Art and Food Walking Tour — Three hours, five tastings, and one of the most visually arresting neighborhoods in the country. Bobby's Bike, Hike & Food Tours moves through Wynwood's murals and street art with stops at the neighborhood's most celebrated eateries. The tour finishes with exclusive entry and a guided walk through Wynwood Walls Museum.
Miami race week has a way of exceeding expectations no matter how carefully you plan it. The energy of the city in early May is something that genuinely has to be experienced to be understood.
Tickets for the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix 2026 are available now via Ticketmaster.
The only thing left to do is show up.
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