Programmatic series include Jazz Roots, Knight Masterworks Classical Music, Theater Up Close, Live at Knight, Flamenco Festival, Family Fest, City Theatre's yearly short play festival Summer Shorts and more. The center hosts approximately 400 performances and events each year that attract an average of 450,000 people to Miami's urban core. More than 85% of the performances at the center are presented by the center.
Community and Education Educational programs, many of which are planned with Miami-Dade Public Schools, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the resident companies, and community-based organizations, offer unique opportunities for young people and adults to learn about and enjoy the performing arts both in the center and out in their communities. Examples include Jazz Roots Sound Check, a program that hosts 1,000 high school jazz musicians for a behind-the-scenes look at a working sound check, an opportunity to jam with artists, a lecture and free concert tickets; AileyCamp Miami, a six-week full-scholarship summer camp which debuted in 2009;. and the Learning Through the Arts program, which provides live music, theater and dance experiences to Miami public school children. The Learning Through the Arts programs include three musicals produced by the Arsht Center: Kitty Hawk, I am Me and The Busy Bees’ Great Adventure. The Busy Bees’ Great Adventure premiered in October 2023 and teaches kids about the importance of saving the planet.
Presidential Debates The center was the site of
the first Democratic primary debate of
the 2020 presidential campaign, held on June 26–27, 2019, and was due to host the second of three
general election debates in October 2020, but this did not go ahead. President
Donald Trump had contracted
COVID-19 in the week before the debate and was recovering from it; for reasons of safety, the
Commission on Presidential Debates proposed a virtual debate instead but Trump refused to participate. Instead,
NBC News held a town-hall style event with President Trump alone, moderated by
Savannah Guthrie, within the outdoor portico of the neighbouring
Pérez Art Museum; the Democratic nominee, former Vice-president
Joe Biden, participated in a simultaneous town-hall debate with
George Stephanopoulos for
ABC News at the
National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Arsht Center hosted
the third Republican primary debate of
the 2024 presidential campaign on November 8th 2023.
Broadway in Miami series The 2018–2019 Broadway in Miami series included
Hello Dolly, ''
Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Les Misérables, Waitress, School of Rock: The Musical, Come From Away, and The Lion King. As a bonus to subscribers of the 2018/19 season, they were promised first access to Hamilton'' tickets once those went on sale. 2017–2018 shows included
On Your Feet!: The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan,
The Bodyguard,
Finding Neverland,
The Color Purple,
Chicago, and
The Book of Mormon. == See also ==