City: Miami, Florida, USA
Circuit: Miami International Autodrome
Date: May 1 – 3, 2026
Set within the Hard Rock Stadium complex in Miami Gardens, home to the NFL's Miami Dolphins, the Miami International Autodrome is one of Formula 1's most electric venues. Built to feel like a permanent circuit despite being temporary, its 19-turn, 5.41km layout winds through the stadium surroundings with a street circuit energy unlike almost anywhere else on the calendar. Fast, flashy and unapologetically American, Miami brings the noise.
Our City Rating: ★★★★★ Our Race Experience Rating: ★★★★☆
Our Verdict: Go for the Party + the City
THE CITY
Miami is loud, beautiful, culturally layered and permanently in celebration mode. South Beach is all Art Deco pastel buildings, white sand and ocean that changes colour depending on the time of day. Little Havana is Cuban coffee, cigar smoke and salsa music drifting out of open doorways. Wynwood is murals, galleries and some of the best restaurants in the city. For Africans, Miami has a particular warmth, as it is a city that understands diaspora, that celebrates Black culture loudly and unapologetically, and where you will feel at home in a way that some European race destinations cannot promise.
TRAVEL PRACTICALITY
May in Miami is hot and humid, so expect 29°C+ with the very real possibility of afternoon thunderstorms that pass quickly. Pack light, breathable clothing and a small poncho. The city is cashless almost everywhere. Flights from Lagos, Nairobi or Johannesburg typically connect through London, Paris or Doha. The circuit is in Miami Gardens, about 30 minutes from South Beach. Uber is great, but if you book early, purchase parking and most of your worries are gone.
WHAT TO EAT
Cuban food is everywhere and unmissable! The city's Latin influence means you will eat extraordinarily well. Try Versailles Restaurant in Little Havana, Joe's Stone Crab for seafood, or simply explore Wynwood's food scene. At the circuit itself, the Gastro Village has a genuinely good spread of local Miami flavours.
THE RACE EXPERIENCE
Miami delivers spectacle above almost any other race on the calendar. The fan zones are extensive, the music is loud, the food is good and the celebrity energy is real. The circuit itself is not the most technically thrilling for pure race enthusiasts (it’s a temporary track built around a stadium) but the atmosphere around it is electric. The race sometimes lacks the overtaking drama of other venues, but what it lacks in pure racing quality it more than makes up for in everything else.
THE HONEST WORD
Tickets are expensive and Miami's race week prices surge across the board, like hotels, restaurants and Ubers all cost more. Budget carefully. The venue is cashless, which can catch people off guard. Traffic on race day is genuinely brutal.