Youth Music Festivals are Back in Miami-Dade!

Miami-Dade County’s next generation of musicians is preparing to take center stage as Arts Access Miami (AAM) announces the return of two of the county’s most celebrated youth arts events.

These free festivals in Miami Gardens and South Dade highlight first-time performers alongside some of South Florida’s most impressive young musical talent.

Presented in partnership with iHeartRadio and Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), the events will feature food vendors, interactive experiences, community engagement and performances by K-12 students celebrating the results of their hard work and dedication.

The Miami Gardens Youth Music Festival will be held at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex on Feb. 28, from 2 to 6 p.m., marking its fifth year.

The South Dade Youth Music Festival will take place at Losner Park on March 14, from 2 to 6 p.m., marking its second year.

In 2025, the two festivals drew more than 4,000 attendees and provided performance opportunities for 1,600 students. Equal parts community celebration and demonstration of impact, the events showcase what sustained, professional arts instruction can achieve in schools.

Community leaders supporting the Youth Music Festivals include Miami Gardens Councilwoman Linda Julien, Homestead Vice Mayor Jenifer Bailey and Miami-Dade County District 8 Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, representing areas where AAM has been integrated since its launch in 2020.

“Arts Access Miami was created to move arts education out of silos and into a shared system,” said Alan Valladares, director of Arts Access Miami, described as the largest collective arts program in the United States.

“Instead of organizations working independently, we bring nonprofit arts partners together with principals, school district leadership, and city and county partners to plan, fund and deliver arts education collectively across entire feeder patterns. Our Youth Music Festivals are a public expression of that collaboration, showcasing students side by side and demonstrating what is possible when organizations work together to expand access for every student in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.”

AAM receives support from M-DCPS, media partner iHeartRadio and arts organizations including Young Musicians Unite, Guitars Over Guns and Miami Music Project. These partners provide mentorship and performance opportunities that extend beyond the stage and into classroom instruction.

M-DCPS and Arts Access Miami maintain a formal partnership aimed at expanding equitable access to arts education across the district. Under the agreement, AAM serves as the district’s strategic partner for arts education development. Managed by Young Musicians Unite and fiscally sponsored by The Miami Foundation, AAM seeks to build a comprehensive arts education ecosystem to ensure every student in Miami-Dade County has access to music and arts programming.

For more information, performance schedules or partnership opportunities, visit Arts Access Miami.