The World's LGBTQ+ Community Descends on Miami This Weekend

URGE Miami Festival returns this Thanksgiving weekend with three massive nighttime events and two sizzling daytime fetes including the legendary Beach Party on the sands of South Beach. The weekend will feature some of the world’s most famous circuit DJs including Grammy Award winning producer Roger Sanchez and Dan Slater.

This year's event comes at a time when gay travelers have proven apprehensive to visit Miami due to Florida’s notorious anti-LGBTQ legislation. The Human Rights Campaign, the largest U.S. gay rights group, even issued a travel advisory in May.

"We have gone through many obstacles as a community through the years, and I think this is another one," party producer Luis Morera explained to OUTSFL reporter Michael Cook this week. He says the LGBTQ+ community needs to be unified and ready to show local government officialsthat no matter what restrictions they impose, the LGBTQ+ is still here and that their presence will be visible.

"It’s terrible what our governor is doing," Morera continues, "but the city of Miami Beach is very LGBTQIA friendly. They don’t stand at all with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ policies. We have to keep going."

Morera has been a longtime fixture in the local area's gay nightlife scene. He and Billy Kemp founded Score nightclub. In recent years, they have partnered with another local producer, Hilton Wolman, to create the URGE party brand.

URGE Miami Festival kicks off Friday, November 24 at 10pm with LA LECHE at M2 nightclub. The event marks Barcelona’s Matinee Group return to the magic city and producers are promising a level of production that has not been seen before in Miami. DJ’s Orel Sabag, Jerac and Ivan Gomez will man the decks. Dancers from Spain and Europe will keep the milk pouring on the dancefloor into the wee morning hours. Guests are encouraged to arrive dressed in white.

At 2pm on Saturday is the Royal Palm South Beach pool party, presented by Mexico’s premiere party producer, ARENA. DJs Alexis Tucci and Brazil’s Rick Braile will raise the temps with their high energy beats, making extensive use of the incredible facilities offered by Royal Palm. Expect plenty of splish-splash fun and gorgeous men in skimpy bikinis.

The revelry continues Saturday night with an 80’s revival theme party at the recently remodeled MAD Live, located in the heart of the Wynwood arts and fashion district. DJs Alex Lo and Mor Avrahami will whisk music fans back in time to the era of Pac Man and the Rubik’s Cube, when MTV introduced the music video and launched the careers of many iconic artists. It leads to the signature event of the weekend: the long-established Sunday Beach Party on the sands of South Beach.

This year’s sandblast will be held on the beach off Ocean Drive at 13th Street. The Sunday afternoon event will feature a cabana stripe theme that pays homage to the mod fashion movement of 1960’s Miami. There will also be interactive activities, music by DJs Dan Slater and Joe Gauthreaux and a grand firework show.

“Our beach party is one of America’s biggest LGBTQ beach parties and attracts fans from all over the world,” Wolman explains. “It is an experience in itself!”

The weekend’s Main Event takes place Sunday night at M2 nightclub. This year’s party is titled URGE-Verse and will be headlined by the Grammy Award winning DJ and producer Roger Sanchez along with Tom Stephan, flying in from the UK, and Cesar Hernandez. The décor will be avant-garde and guests are encouraged to arrive in yellow.

A portion of the proceeds from URGE Miami Festival will benefit Miami Beach Pride, an organization that celebrates the unique spirit and culture of the city’s LGBTQ+ population.

Tickets for URGE Miami Festival are available at UrgeMiamiFestival.com.