South Florida has a game almost every night from October through the new year: basketball downtown, football in Miami Gardens, hockey in Sunrise and soccer at Inter Miami's new stadium near the airport. Here is what each game costs, where to park, and how early to show up.
If you have ever tried to plan a Miami game day on the fly, you already know the hard part is not the ticket. It is the parking pass you did not buy, the tote bag that will not clear security, and the 27th Avenue traffic that starts two hours before kickoff. South Florida's venues are spread across three counties' worth of driving, and each one runs its own rules.
So here is the practical version, season by season and venue by venue, with the numbers you need to budget and the details worth double-checking the week you go.
Quick answers for each team
Miami Heat (NBA) at Kaseya Center in downtown Miami. Home opener October 21, 2026 against Minnesota at 7:30 p.m. (Miami Heat). Prices vary by opponent and seat. Allow 4 to 5 hours door to door. See Heat home games.
Miami Dolphins (NFL) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Home opener September 27, 2026 against Kansas City at 1 p.m., with 8 home games in all (Miami Dolphins). Prices swing sharply by opponent. Allow 6 hours or more with traffic. See Dolphins home games.
Florida Panthers (NHL) at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise. Home opener October 10, 2026 against Minnesota at 6 p.m. (NHL). Prices vary by night and opponent. Allow 4 to 5 hours. See Panthers home games.
Inter Miami (MLS) at Nu Stadium in Miami Freedom Park, near Miami International Airport. Home dates run through November 2026 (Inter Miami). Resale get-in prices started around 52 to 67 dollars in September 2026. Allow 4 to 5 hours. See Inter Miami home matches.
Miami Hurricanes (college football) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Five of the final seven games are at home between October 17 and November 28 (Miami Hurricanes). Resale get-in prices ranged from about 19 dollars for Pittsburgh to about 240 dollars for Florida State. Allow 6 hours or more. See Hurricanes home games.
Prices above are resale marketplace starting points captured in September 2026 and they move constantly. Treat them as a planning range, not a quote, and check current listings on our sports events page.
What sports can you watch in Miami right now?
Between late September and the new year, all five teams overlap. That is unusual even for a major market, and it means you can build a weekend around two games without leaving South Florida. Motorsports and combat sports fill the gaps, including NASCAR Championship Weekend at Homestead Miami Speedway and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 97.
The Dolphins host eight regular season games at Hard Rock Stadium in 2026, opening at home September 27 against Kansas City and closing with the Bills on January 3 (Miami Dolphins). The Hurricanes share the same building, with a home heavy back half of the schedule: Florida State on October 17, Pittsburgh on October 24, Duke on November 14, Virginia Tech on November 21 and Boston College on November 28 (Miami Hurricanes).
The Heat open at home October 21 against Minnesota in a nationally televised 7:30 p.m. game, with NBA Cup group games against Indiana on October 30 and Cleveland on November 13 also at Kaseya Center (Miami Heat). The Panthers drop the puck on their home season October 10 at 6 p.m. against Minnesota (Amerant Bank Arena).
And Inter Miami now plays at Nu Stadium, the 26,700 seat soccer specific venue inside the Miami Freedom Park development that opened April 4, 2026 and replaced Fort Lauderdale's Chase Stadium (Inter Miami). If your last Inter Miami trip was to Fort Lauderdale, note the change before you set your navigation.
How much do Miami sports tickets cost?
There is no single answer, because the opponent matters more than the sport. The clearest example is the Hurricanes. Resale listings in September 2026 started around 19 dollars for Pittsburgh and around 240 dollars for the Florida State Orange Out game. Same stadium, same season, more than a tenfold difference.
Inter Miami resale get-in prices for fall home dates sat between 52 and 67 dollars at the same time. NBA and NHL pricing swings with the visiting team and the day of the week. A Tuesday game against a rebuilding club is a very different purchase than a Saturday night marquee matchup.
Then add the costs people forget. Parking at Hard Rock Stadium is prepaid and capacity is limited, and stadium lots sell out for bigger games, leaving only Park and Ride passes (Hard Rock Stadium). Kaseya Center event parking commonly runs between 25 and 40 dollars in the P2 Garage, and the venue does not accept cash for parking at all (Kaseya Center). Panthers parking is discounted when you buy it in advance (Amerant Bank Arena). Inter Miami's reserved lot is pre purchased pass only (Inter Miami).
Verify all pricing on the venue or official ticketing page before you travel. Parking rates in particular change by event. Compare game dates on our full events list.
Where do you park, and how do you get there?
Kaseya Center, downtown Miami. The arena's on site option is the P2 Garage. An advance parking pass is available through Ticketmaster for most non Heat events, and it guarantees you a spot rather than being turned away when the garage fills (Kaseya Center). Parking passes are digital and load into the Heat app like a ticket. This is the one venue where you have a real no car option. The Heat promote Brightline service to games (NBA), and the Metromover puts the arena within reach of Brickell hotels.
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens. Roughly 16 miles north of downtown and about 30 miles from South Beach, so most people drive or take a rideshare. There is one transit option worth knowing: the Hard Rock Stadium Connect train runs to Brightline Aventura Station from any Brightline stop between Miami and Orlando, with a complimentary shuttle to the stadium leaving 10 minutes after each train arrives (Hard Rock Stadium). Parking passes are prepaid and sell out (Hard Rock Stadium parking). The stadium is smoke free and no longer accepts cash anywhere, including parking gates, the box office and concessions, though you can convert cash to a prepaid gift card at Guest Experience Headquarters (Hard Rock Stadium).
Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise. Buying parking ahead saves money over gate rates. Lots open two hours before puck drop and stay open one hour after the final whistle, with no re entry (Florida Panthers). Accessible spaces are first come, first served near the north and south main entrances, and bicycle parking is free (Amerant Bank Arena).
Nu Stadium, Miami Freedom Park. A parking garage and multiple lots serve the new venue, which sits centrally near Miami International Airport (Inter Miami). Because the building is new, confirm current lot assignments, shuttle routes and pricing on the club's matchday page before your first visit.
What can you bring inside?
This trips up more visitors than anything else, because the two biggest venues are almost opposites.
Kaseya Center discourages bags entirely. Anything larger than 10 by 6 by 2 inches will not be allowed in, and lockers near Gate 7 and the box office start around 10 dollars (Kaseya Center). Medical and infant bags are permitted.
Hard Rock Stadium uses a clear bag policy instead. Clear plastic bags up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches are allowed, plus a small bag or fanny pack up to 4.5 by 6.5 inches, and diaper bags are permitted. Oversized bags can be checked near entry gates 3, 5, 8 and 14 for 12 to 20 dollars depending on size, payable by card only (Hard Rock Stadium). Inter Miami matchdays are clear bag as well (Inter Miami).
Tickets at Kaseya Center are mobile only, accessed through the Heat app, Ticketmaster or a mobile browser (Kaseya Center). Assume the same at every South Florida venue, and do not screenshot your ticket, because mobile barcodes refresh.
Which game is right for families, couples or groups?
Families. Panthers and Hurricanes games are the easiest entry points on price, and the shorter exit from Amerant Bank Arena is kinder to bedtimes than Miami Gardens traffic. At Kaseya Center, children under two enter free on a lap for most events including Heat games, and everyone two and older needs a ticket (Kaseya Center). Bring proof of age to speed up entry.
Couples. A Heat game is the most walkable date night in Miami sports. Park once downtown or take Brightline, eat in Brickell or at Bayside, and walk to the arena.
Groups and visiting fans. Football is the tailgate experience at Hard Rock Stadium, which publishes its own tailgating guidelines. Just budget the full day.
Accessibility. Hard Rock Stadium offers wheelchair escorts from the gates to your seat and back, available from the time gates open until about 30 minutes after the event, though not to and from cars in the inner lot. Inner lot ADA parking requires a pre purchased ADA Reserved pass for Dolphins and Hurricanes games and is first come for other events, with accessible outer lot spaces in Yellow lots 14, 15/16 and 18 and Gray lot 40 (Hard Rock Stadium). Amerant Bank Arena offers accessible parking at all events on a first come basis (Florida Panthers). Contact any venue's guest services directly to confirm current accessible seating and entry procedures.
When is the best time to go?
October and November are the sweet spot. All five teams are active, evening temperatures ease off, and weeknight games against smaller opponents are the cheapest tickets of the year. December and January bring the Dolphins division closers and peak Heat scheduling, which means higher prices and fuller lots. Check what is on this weekend if your dates are flexible, or what is trending to see what is selling.
South Florida afternoon storms are a real factor in early fall. For a 1 p.m. football game, bring a poncho rather than an umbrella, because most venues restrict umbrellas.
What to bring
A charged phone and a backup battery, since your ticket and parking pass both live there. A credit or debit card, because every major venue here is cashless. Sunscreen and a hat for daytime football. A poncho. Your ID. And a bag that matches your specific venue's rule, or no bag at all.
Common mistakes to avoid
Showing up at Hard Rock Stadium without a prepaid parking pass. Driving to Fort Lauderdale for an Inter Miami match that is now near the airport. Bringing a tote to Kaseya Center. Assuming a game time listed as TBA will stay where it was in September. And underestimating NW 27th Avenue, which slows to a crawl about two hours before Miami Gardens kickoffs.
What else is nearby?
Downtown game nights pair naturally with Bayside Marketplace, Brickell dining and Frost Science, and you can build around a concert, a food event or a family attraction the same weekend. Sunrise puts you next to Sawgrass Mills for pre game shopping. The Nu Stadium location near the airport makes it a workable stop on an arrival or departure day. Miami Gardens is the most isolated of the four, so plan food and drink around the stadium itself. If you are coming in from out of town, our guide to visiting Miami for an event covers hotels and transit, and free things to do in Miami fills the hours before kickoff.
Plan your Miami game day
Miami's season is dense enough that the real decision is which game, not whether. Pick your date, buy parking at the same time you buy your seat, and give yourself an extra 45 minutes over whatever your map app says.
Browse current Miami games, concerts and attractions on our full events list to compare dates side by side and lock in your seats before the marquee matchups climb. If you have not used the site before, here is why we built Get Your Ticket. Listing a game day event of your own? Reach us through our contact page.
Last updated September 23, 2026. Schedules, prices, parking rates and venue policies change, so confirm details with the venue or official ticketing page before you travel.
