Is there shade at Miami Beach Bandshell?

Evening shade at the Miami Beach Bandshell

Right off the Atlantic, the Miami Beach Bandshell trades midday glare for a comfortable evening as the sun slides down behind the buildings to the west-northwest. A 7 PM show starts with the sun low, about 15 degrees up, and sunset comes at 8:14 PM in high summer. Across a typical event the venue runs about 78 percent shaded, so most seats spend most of the show out of the sun.

Where to sit for shade

The deepest cover is down front and under the pavilion. Pit 3 and pavilion sections 111, 212 and 213 all sit near 94 percent shaded, with 109 and 110 close behind around 88 percent. Those are the seats to pick if you would rather not think about the sun at all.

Sun on the lawn and upper corners

The exposure shows up higher and on the grass. Upper pavilion 204 is the most open at about 67 percent shaded, and lawn sections 3, 4 and 5 come in around 63 to 66 percent. Before 6 PM those spots take direct light; from 6 on, overall coverage improves to roughly 54 percent and keeps climbing toward sunset.

Miami Beach humidity is the thing to plan for more than the sun itself. The ocean breeze helps, but bring water and sunscreen for the early part of a show, when the light is still on the lawn.

The bandshell's seating is mapped, so these figures are computed. For your date and seat, the interactive shade map shows how the shadow moves through the evening.