North Beach Bandshell’s July Concerts Postponed, Relocated Owing to Surfside Tragedy

The horrific collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building in the early-morning hours of June 25 sent emotional shockwaves across Miami-Dade and the nation. As of Monday, the Miami-Dade Police Department has confirmed 27 people have died, and more than 115 are still unaccounted for.

The condo collapse is causing a ripple effect on local businesses, including entertainment venues like the nearby North Beach Bandshell.

On Thursday, the Rhythm Foundation — the local nonprofit cultural organization that manages the 1,300-capacity outdoor concert venue that sits on the opposite end of North Beach Oceanside Park from the Champlain Towers site — announced that all music events scheduled for July have been relocated, postponed, or outright canceled, as local officials and rescue teams are using the venue and Bandshell Park for the ongoing relief efforts. In addition, the neighboring Unidad Miami Beach Community Center next to the venue on the south side of 73rd Street along Collins Avenue is being used as a command post for the Miami Beach Police Department. According to a media spokesperson for the Rhythm Foundation, access to the area has been restricted because of the number of emergency vehicles in the area.

“We have been able to relocate the majority of performances scheduled for July at the bandshell. Only canceling a few,” Greg Johnston, the Rhythm Foundation’s marketing and communications director, tells New Times. “It has been difficult with this being the first year of our Seaside Summer performing arts celebration. We had to work quickly to find new venues for these performances, but we have some great partners in Miami that make the process much easier.”

Following the collapse on June 25, the Rhythm Foundation quickly relocated its June 26 concert featuring Big Freedia and the Soul Rebels to Space Park. The Miami Beach Music Festival Orchestra’s Independence Day Celebration Concert, which was to have kicked off the holiday weekend on Friday, July 2, was canceled.

Seaside Summer events scheduled throughout July that have been postponed include the Miami Salsa Battle: Timbalive verzus N’Taya (new date TBA); Beach Skate featuring the Love Below and Roller Skating Vibes (new date TBA); Siempre Flamenco’s eighth-annual Flamenco Sephardit (postponed to September 26); MiMo Weekend (postponed to summer 2022); and Nu Deco Nucleus’ Tribute to Daft Punk (postponed to September 12).

Other planned July events including Orchestra Miami’s Tribute to Astor Piazzolla (July 9), Festa Julina featuring Forró da Gabi (July 10), Xanddy Samba & Summer (July 25), the 25th Annual Ballet Festival Of Miami (July 31), and An Evening with Julian Marley (July 31) will take place on their respective scheduled dates at a different location TBA.

While most of the bandshell’s July events will still take place at a later date or different venue, the monthlong loss of the venue marks yet another significant bump in the road for the Rhythm Foundation. The events industry was ravaged by COVID-19 and the guidelines that prohibited public gatherings until earlier this year. The bandshell began 2021 by welcoming in-person audiences at limited capacity and has since been able to up the ante to full capacity as more Floridians receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

Following an optimistic start to the summer, the recent tragedy has also brought a renewed sense of shared uncertainty for Miami Beach residents, specifically those who live and work in the neighborhood around the collapsed condo. On Friday evening, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced that she had signed an emergency order to demolish the remaining part of the building, as structural engineers have advised her that the rest of the condo is also at risk for a potential collapse. (The building was demolished Sunday evening.)

“We have felt the energy shift for sure,” Johnston says. “Residents are very concerned, and rightfully so. This situation has been tough on the community and we are grateful to be in a position to help. We are looking forward to bringing back live music — again — to North Beach."

Fans and ticket holders should visit the Rhythm Foundation website for details about rescheduled or relocated events.

North Beach Bandshell. 7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 786-453-2897; northbeachbandshell.com.