Miami Beach's Art Show With Humble Beginnings Is Now A World-Famous Spectacle With Frequent Celebrity Appearances

Art shows draw people from around the globe to different cities to see what's up and coming in the art world or to place a bid on some of the biggest names in contemporary design. You might head to Times Square in New York for the world's largest and longest-running digital art exhibition. Another landmark art festival is the Old Town Art Fair held in one of Chicago's hippest neighborhoods, Old Town Triangle. But the most prestigious art show in the U.S. and one of the best known in the world takes place in Miami Beach during the shoulder season. Art Basel Miami Beach is the American rendition of the famed Art Basel of Switzerland, and it doubles as a celebration of contemporary art and a gathering place for the world's elite and acclaimed.

These days, Art Basel Miami Beach draws in over 80,000 attendees each year, which have included everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio to Ice Spice. In the beginning, though, the fair had a rocky start. It was set to launch in December 2001, but was undercut by the World Trade Center attacks just three months before. Instead of an official debut, that year became a more low-key prototype for the following year's premiere, with a few private collection visits and museum shows open. When the show officially launched in 2002, it immediately blew up, though, with thousands of registered press, major collectors in attendance, and various art programming occurring all around the city. The event would shape Miami Beach's art scene profoundly. New art institutions, like the Miami Arts Center, opened to capitalize on the fair's success, and the event has since dominated art news every year, responsible for such major headlines as the banana duct-taped to a wall that sold for $150,000 at Art Basel Miami Beach 2019.

Hosting the American edition of Art Basel in Miami Beach was integral to its success and appeal to travelers. Alberto Ibargüen, former publisher of The Miami Herald, described Miami Beach in an article for Art Basel as "a place of startups and entrepreneurs and new beginnings. ... And the water's warm." The entrepreneurial culture, exquisite climate, and accessibility to both European and South American visitors made it the perfect home city for the event. The show takes place at the Miami Beach Convention Center, which, for those flying in, is about a 20-minute drive from the Miami International Airport.

Officially, Art Basel Miami Beach takes place Wednesday through Sunday during the first week of December, but the first couple of days are by invitation only. You can attend the show's public days by getting a ticket online or at the convention center. Tickets come at a few differently priced tiers, depending on the time slot and number of days you'll attend. Miami Beach residents can get a discount on single-day tickets.

Miami Beach gets super busy during the art fair week, with tens of thousands arriving to see the show, so make sure to do some planning for things like hotels, restaurants, and parties. There are plenty of hotels near the Miami Beach Convention Center for easy access, but they'll fill up quickly. Most attendees will crowd in trendy places that are close to Miami Beach, but you can find wonderful, less flashy areas to go out in without needing to drive too far, like the underrated, artsy Miami neighborhood of Wynwood, just a 15-minute drive from the convention center. Above all, for when the streets get too congested, don't forget to pack a bathing suit.