Press Release Announcing the 2025-26 season of Arsht Impact Education and Community Programs - More than a dozen free community events and 40+ performances and events for students, teachers and schools

 

Arsht Impact Education and Community Engagement Programs Announces New Programs for 20^th Season

More than a dozen free-admission community events for all ages and
40+ performances and events for students, teachers and schools

Plus, the introduction of The Arshties, a new regional theater awards program for all Miami-Dade County high schools

 

Miami, FL – August 11, 2025 – Just in time for the back-to-school season, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@arshtcenter) is proud to announce its lineup of community and education events for 2025-26. Arsht Impact programming includes a robust season filled with free community events, educational performances and programs that will serve approximately 80,000 Miami-Dade students and teachers and countless magical cultural moments for its 20^th season.

Free for the Community More than a dozen free-admission events throughout the year that include a cross-cultural holiday sing-a-long, a Caribbean music concert, a celebration of U.S. veterans and military and Gospel Fest Miami under the new Arsht for Miami banner, plus several other Arsht celebrations that have become annual traditions for many. The lineup of free events for the community is included below.

Free for Students Field trips that introduce Miami-Dade County Public Schools students to the live performing arts and enhance their learning experiences. Daytime performances offered exclusively to students include internationally-renowned artists, Arsht-produced musicals made for Miami’s young people and more. Details below.

Arts-Education Programs Additional Arsht learning opportunities offered at no cost include off-site residencies tailored to children and adults with disabilities, behind-the-scenes access for student musicians, two transformative summer camps, a student ambassador program and a robust intern and theater apprentice program in addition to the introduction of The Arshties. Additional details below.

Arsht Plus Interactive pre-show activities and lectures at classical, dance and Broadway performances created to add fun and learning to the experience at Arsht shows.

A part of the Arsht from its inception, Arsht Impact education and community programs serve 80,000 students each year, include access to free performances for more than 35,000 people this season and have served well over one million community members since the Arsht opened in 2006.

The following performances are free and open to the public:

PHOTO AND VIDEO LINK HERE

KITTY HAWK
An Arsht for Miami presentation
October 4, 2025 at 1:30 p.m.
Knight Concert Hall
Free admission

Kitty Hawk is an inspiring musical that chronicles the daring journey of the Wright brothers and their sister, Katherine Wright, as they pursue the dream of human-engineered flight. Through determination and spirit, they overcome countless obstacles in their quest to make their dream come true. The musical celebrates innovation, family bonds and the drive to achieve the impossible. Kitty Hawk is an original production of the Adrienne Arsht Center, commissioned in 2017 as part of the Learning Through the Arts program.

ARSHT ON THE ROAD
October 18, 2025, February 21, 2026 and other dates throughout the season
Free admission

This series brings free performances by local musicians, dancers and other artists to public venues throughout Miami-Dade County. The first event will take place October 18 at Country Village Park in Miami. A special Gospel on the Road concert will be held February 21 at Loren Roberts Park in Florida City. Watch ArshtCenter.org and Arsht social media accounts for updates.

THE UNITED STATES ARMY FIELD BAND & SOLDIERS' CHORUS
An Arsht for Miami presentation
November 5, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Knight Concert Hall
Free admission

Scheduled to perform at the Arsht one week ahead of Veterans Day, the Concert Band & Soldiers’ Chorus are the oldest and largest ensembles of the United States Army Field Band, founded in 1946 and 1957, respectively. They have performed joint concerts in all 50 states and in 30 countries for audiences of hundreds of millions. The 60-member Concert Band and 29-member Soldiers’ Chorus showcase a range of musical styles, from classical and operatic pieces to marches, jazz and Broadway hits.

DAN + CLAUDIA ZANES HOLIDAY SING ALONG FEATURING TYREE AUSTIN AND ELENA MOON PARK
An Arsht for Miami presentation
December 14, 2025 at  3 p.m.
Knight Concert Hall
Free admission

This sensory-friendly concert reimagines the holiday sing-along with music from around the world—including songs from Korea, Tunisia and Haiti. With an electric-folk sound and a festive spirit, Smithsonian Folkways artists Dan and Claudia Zanes and Elena Moon Park bring heartfelt harmonies to the stage through guitar, violin, trumpet, harmonica and more.

HERITAGE FEST
February 7, 2026 at 12:30 p.m.
Ziff Ballet Opera House
Free admission

Sample a variety of food, watch live performances and jam on the dance floor at the seventh annual edition of this free, all-ages event. Heritage Fest was designed to spotlight, celebrate and amplify pan-African artists in our community. It will kick off with free family fun in the afternoon and end with an 18+ juke joint celebration that evening.

ARSHT GOSPEL CHOIR INVITATIONAL
February 14, 2026 at 6 p.m.
Knight Concert Hall
Free admission

Back for a second year, the Arsht Gospel Choir Invitational welcomes choirs from all backgrounds to compete for a cash grand prize and the opportunity to perform at Gospel Fest Miami. The invitational will showcase choirs from three categories: church, community and collegiate. Choirs will perform at the Knight Concert Hall, highlighting their vocal skills with originality, creativity and showmanship for a panel of judges and a live audience. Applications will open September 3, 2025.

PIANO SLAM
An Arsht for Miami presentation
April 18, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Knight Concert Hall
Free admission

Rhythm and rhyme shine when piano meets poetry in a mashup of spoken word, classical and popular music featuring Miami's top young poets in an electric performance of Searching for Home, inspired by poet Richard Blanco and directed by award-winning Teo Castellanos. The show is presented by Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion and the Adrienne Arsht Center.

THE ZYDECO EXPERIENCE
An Arsht for Miami presentation
May 30, 2026 at 1:30 p.m.
Knight Concert Hall
Free admission

Join two-time Grammy Award winner Terrance Simien and his band for an afternoon of zydeco music. Simien and The Zydeco Experience play a hypnotic blend of zydeco-roots-reggae and soul-funk that highlights their Creole roots and heritage. The six-piece band will hit the Knight Concert Hall stage with instruments, including the accordion and frottoir, that honor the multiracial influences of zydeco.

COMMUNITEA DANCE
June 7, 2026 at 4 p.m.
Knight Concert Hall
Free admission

The annual LGBTQ+ Pride event at the Arsht offers a day filled with live entertainment, family fun and community spirit. Previous CommuniTEA festivals included national recording artists, drag stars and local DJs.

 

GOSPEL FEST MIAMI
June 20-21, 2026
Knight Concert Hall
Free admission. Some components may require a paid ticket.

The second annual edition of this weekend-long Arsht festival will feature national recording artists, Miami gospel musicians and the winner of the Arsht Gospel Choir Invitational. Expect discussions about the culture and history of gospel music, as well. Monitor ArshtCenter.org for festival announcements.

 

AILEYCAMP MIAMI FINAL PERFORMANCE
July 25, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Knight Concert Hall
Free admission

Join AileyCamp Miami as it celebrates its 18th anniversary season with a culminating presentation featuring ballet, jazz, modern and West African dance and spoken word performed by AileyCampers. AileyCamp Miami is a free, six-week, full-scholarship summer day camp program for students ages 11 to 14 currently enrolled in a Miami-Dade County Public Middle School. Using dance as a vehicle for developing self-esteem, creative expression and imagination, AileyCamp Miami at the Arsht is offered in partnership with the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation. Applications for AileyCamp Miami 2026 will open January 6, 2026. Camp will run from June 15 – July 24, 2026.

 

ART + MIND DAY
An Arsht for Miami presentation
August 8, 2026 at 10 a.m.
Ziff Ballet Opera House and Knight Concert Hall
Free admission

This annual Arsht event offers music, theater, dance, poetry and immersive experiences that connect mind, body and soul. The day will feature performances, presentations and hands-on workshops led by Miami artists and arts therapists. Guests will be encouraged to connect, self-express, meditate and practice joy through the power of the performing arts. 

 

BRUSHES WITH CANCER OPENING RECEPTION
September 24, 2026 at 6 p.m.
Knight Concert Hall
Free admission

Brushes With Cancer is a four- to six-month program that matches artists with inspirations (cancer patients, cancer survivors, caregivers) to create art reflective of their cancer journeys. Pairs connect in person or virtually, with their relationships guided by meetups and mentors, often clinicians, who create support systems for the artists and inspirations. The program concludes with a celebratory public art exhibition at the Arsht. Applications to participate in this program will open in January 2026.

 

Free Arsht Productions and Performances for Students and Schools:  
PHOTO AND VIDEO LINK HERE

 

KITTY HAWK
Performances September 29–October 3, 2025 and STEAM residencies October –February

Kitty Hawk is a live theater performance and Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) initiative created by the Arsht that aims to educate all 25,000 seventh graders in Miami-Dade County Public Schools about the Wright brothers’ world-changing discovery of flight. All middle school students are invited to see the musical and, in addition, students at schools that lack access to high-quality STEAM programs receive hands-on learning opportunities to further enhance their theater experience.

 

THE BUSY BEES’ GREAT ADVENTURE
Performances October 13-17, 2025 

Commissioned by the Arsht, this show was written by Miami-based playwright Ashlee K. Thomas with music by Nico Raimont and directed by musical-theater educator Tanisha Cidel. The storyline follows four honeybees on a quest to save the planet when they learn about threats to the environment, including their own possible extinction, and what actions can be taken to prevent our planet’s destruction. The show is envisioned as an engaging lesson in environmental literacy, a topic close to home for Miami children who live in one of the areas in the country most susceptible to the climate crisis. This will be the first live theater experience for most students at their local performing arts center.

 

I AM ME
Performances January 12-23, 2026; February–March 2026

I am Me is a traveling play designed to be performed at every high school in Miami-Dade County. In the mixed-media work, six young people share what it is like for them to be teenagers in 21^st century Miami. Anxious about climate change, parental expectations, societal pressures and their burgeoning identities, these young people find hope and comfort in one another, in art and within themselves. I am Me was commissioned by the Arsht and created by Miami artists.

 

ARSHT GOES TO SCHOOL (multiple performances)
Students from Miami-Dade County Public Schools can attend free performances and participate in music, theater and dance workshops and master classes. The 2025-26 schedule includes Rennie Harris Puremovement; Jazz at Lincoln Center; The United States Army Field Band; Ailey II; Miami City Ballet’s The Nutcracker; Nu Deco Ensemble; The Cleveland Orchestra; Where Did We Sit on the Bus?; Moulin Rouge! The Musical; Seraphic Fire and The Notebook. This program is offered in partnership with Miami-Dade Public Schools and is not open to the public.

 

Arts-Education Programs:
New for the 2025-26 season, the Arsht will produce The Arsht High School Musical Theater Awards Program (The Arshties), a comprehensive educational experience that includes master classes, performance opportunities and a chance to represent Miami-Dade County at the national Jimmy Awards in New York. A more detailed release on The Arshties will follow this fall.

Additional Arsht Arts Education programs include: Accessing the Arts, a nationally recognized program where students and adults with disabilities receive arts instruction and perform at the

Arsht for family and friends; Jazz Roots Sound Check, free sound checks, lectures and opportunities for high school musicians to perform with artists from the Arsht Jazz Roots concert series; Arsht Student Ambassadors, an annual class of 50 students invited to attend shows and workshops, discover careers in the arts and learn how to promote the arts and the Arsht in their communities; Broadway Bridges, offering access to Broadway shows for high school theater students; Camp Arsht, a summer camp for theater-loving kids; the award-winning AileyCamp Miami, a six-week transformational summer experience; in-school residencies featuring Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; and various teacher development workshops.

The Arsht also offers two year-round initiatives that prepare individuals for careers in the arts: Arsht Interns, which has introduced more than 500 college students of varied majors, to arts management and the Arsht Technical Theatre Apprentice Program, a three-year program that provides hands-on experience alongside professional technicians and artists.

Arsht Plus
Throughout the season, the Arsht will host preshow workshops, lectures and other interactive experiences before Broadway in Miami, Classical Music and Dance at Arsht performances. Admission is included with the purchase of a ticket to the main event. Click here for more details. 

PHOTOS AND BROLL AVAILABLE HERE.

*All programs, artists, ticket prices, availability, dates and times are subject to change without notice. Visit arshtcenter.org for up-to-date information.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is made possible by the public support of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council and the City of Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency. The Adrienne Arsht Center also receives generous support from individuals, corporations and local, state and national foundations.

 

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About the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County

Since opening in 2006 in the heart of downtown, the Arsht proudly serves as the cultural pulse of Miami – the heart of magical live arts experiences that spark the imagination and connect people to one another. Whether on our stages or in your neighborhood, the Arsht is alive year-round with international artists, innovative programming from resident companies and local arts partners, free community events that reflect Miami’s unique identity and more than 100 culturally diverse and impactful learning experiences for 80,000 children every year.

The Arsht, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has been recognized as a leader in the Miami’s cultural transformation, producing more than 400 annual events that generate 11,500 local jobs and $125 million in economic impact. The Arsht is home to a robust series of touring Broadway musicals, star-studded jazz and classical music concerts curated for South Florida, an award-winning Miami-based theater program and numerous historic and televised events. Free annual Arsht events, such as Gospel Fest Miami, Art + Mind Day, Heritage Fest and our LGBTQ+ Pride celebration bring together people from all corners of our community. For more information, visit ArshtCenter.org.