Last Updated on July 13, 2025
Back for its 13th year and more expansive and exuberant than ever, South Beach Seafood Festival returns to the Sands of Miami Beach from October 22 through October 25, 2025, bringing four days of ocean-fresh flavors, unforgettable culinary experiences and the vibrant energy Miami Beach is known for.
If you’ve never attended this seafood festival, I highly recommend it, as it truly is a fun and festive experience. And oh my, that fresh seafood…
Sponsored by Tequila Herradura and Jack Daniels and presented by GOYA Foods, the fall event marks the official start of stone crab season, showcasing the best seafood cuisine from South Florida’s leading chefs and restaurants. Hosted in partnership with Breakthru Beverage Florida, the exclusive wine and spirits provider, the 2025 festival continues to raise the bar with the introduction of an all-new two-night dinner series, ‘Experience Miami Beach’.
The ‘Experience Miami Beach’ celebration features dazzling wine and spirits pairing dinners at some of the city’s most iconic dining destinations. On Wednesday, October 22, and Thursday, October 23 guests can choose from a curated lineup of one-of-a-kind, seated, multi-course dinners hosted at two to three top-tier restaurants each night.
Featuring signature cuts from Halperns’, the Official Purveyor of the Festival, each intimate dinner will highlight four to five expertly crafted courses from South Florida’s most talented chefs, thoughtfully matched with top-tier wines and handcrafted cocktails featuring nationally celebrated brands.
On Friday October 24, the festival heats up as the rousing weekend events begin with the ever-popular Tequila Herradura “VIP Chef Showdown,” presented by GOYA Foods and hosted by Pacifico Beer.
Taking over Lummus Park at 7 p.m., this high-energy competition pits 20 of Miami’s top chefs against one another in 10 thrilling head-to-head seafood showdowns, including Taco, Crab, Sushi, Surf N’ Turf, Salmon, Shrimp, Ceviche, Seafood Pasta, Tuna, and Lobster.
Ticketed guests sip, savor, and vote at each restaurant battle sampling station, ultimately deciding the winner of each showdown. Set against the pulse of a live DJ set, the GOYA Culinary Pavilion’s live stage becomes a culinary battlefield, as featured chefs then take the stage to fight it out for judges votes through live battles. Endless seafood bites, full bars, and compelling activations keep guests buzzing through the spirited beach bash.
The grand finale arrives Saturday, October 25 with the main event, the ‘Seafood Slam,’ a full-day beachfront party featuring unlimited food and beverage tastings from 1 p.m. to sunset. This year’s all-inclusive experience, once again lets guests roam multiple seafood zones sampling the finest coastal creations to find and vote on the Best of the Fest bites, hosted additionally by Milam’s Markets.
This year’s diverse lineup of more than 40+ top new and returning local restaurants includes: American Social, Area 31, Bargean Miami, Catch, Chef Anthony’s Smoked Fish Dip, CJ’s Crab Shack/Lobster Shack, Dalido Beach Club, French Bistro Argentinian Steakhouse, Fresh Co Fish Market & Grill, Garlick Seafood and More, GNS Seafood Express, GOYA Foods, Marc Bynum Concepts, Paya, Pubbelly Sushi, Sala O’ Cuban, Shuckers Sports Bar at Clevelander South Beach, Southern Kulture Grill, Temple Street Eatery, UpperTea LLC, Vale Food Co, and Zaytinya.
Ticketed guests can also enjoy live entertainment on Jack Daniel’s Live Music stage presented by Demesmin & Dover and dance the day away at the Pacifico Beach Club and High Noon’s Lifeguard Dance party.
“This year, more than ever, we want to be a voice for our local restaurants, chefs, and culinary partners,” said Valerie Roy, Director of Marketing and Client Strategy at CI Management. “South Florida is bursting with talent, and we’re proud to bring those stories and flavors into the spotlight through the 13th Annual South Beach Seafood Festival,” remarked Valerie Roy, Director of Marketing and Client Strategy at CI Management. “More than just incredible food, we see this event as a platform to celebrate the people behind the food, to connect them with new audiences, and to highlight what makes Miami Beach one of the most exciting culinary destinations in the world.”
Previously named one of the “Top 5 Specialty Festivals in the Country” by USA Today; among the “Top 5 Things to Do This Fall” by Forbes; and “Best Seafood Festival in the U.S.” by the Travel Channel, the South Beach Seafood Festival remains a bucket-list event for seafood lovers from across the country.
In addition to celebrating regional culinary talent, the festival annually supports CI Foundation’s EAT SMART program, a 501 (3) nonprofit program that provides healthy meals and nutritional guidance to the local community and Florida’s youth through programs in Miami-Dade County public schools.
Tickets for the event are now available for purchase on the website.
