Governor DeSantis Can't Stop The Music: Annual LGBTQ+ Music Festival Plays On

URGE Miami Festival returns this Thanksgiving weekend with its main event, URGE-Verse, taking place Sunday night at M2 Nightclub, headlined by the Grammy Award winning DJ and producer Roger Sanchez. The décor will be avant-garde and guests are encouraged to arrive in yellow.

The annual LGBTQ+ festival weekend runs Friday through Monday. In addition to the main event party, this year's URGE Miami Festival will feature two massive nighttime events and two sizzling daytime fetes including the annual Beach Party event on the sands of South Beach.

This year’s event comes at a time when gay travelers are apprehensive to visit Miami due to Florida’s notorious anti-LGBTQ legislation. In May, the Human Rights Campaign, the largest U.S. gay rights group, issued a travel advisory that has been devastating to Miami's gay businesses, many of whom rely heavily on LGBTQ+ travelers.

“These businesses cannot survive on the support of the local gay community alone," says Hilton Wolman, a Miami-native who is co-producing the weekend along with local party producers Luis Morera and Billy Kemp. "They need the patronage of the millions of LGBTQ+ people that fly into Miami every year to enjoy the city's amazing nightlife."

He says that it is vital that the national LGBTQ+ community stand strong against Governor DeSantis and right-wing conservatives. “We are here, we are queer and we are not going anywhere,” he cheers. "We will not be silenced by bullies.”

In addition to ushering in tourist dollars to the area, the Urge Miami Festival producers have announced that the party will donate a portion of the weekend's proceeds to Miami Beach Pride, an organization that celebrates the unique spirit and culture of the city’s LGBTQ+ population.

URGE Miami Festival kicks off Friday at 10pm with the LA LECHE party at M2 nightclub. The event marks Barcelona’s Matinee Group return to the magic city and producers are promising a level of production unlike any 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 temperature of the dancefloor with their high energy beats.

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.

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 and 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. Joining Roger Sanchez in the booth will be Tom Stephan, flying in from the UK, and Cesar Hernandez.

Tickets for URGE Miami Festival are available online: https://urgemiamifestival.com/. GA and VIP tickets are available, as is the popular 24-hour pass that includes the Sunday Beach Party and the weekend’s main event URGE-Verse.