With several pop up bars, great seating arrangements, good sound and lighting...this was a great venue to host the Rick Ross Port of Miami Orchestra concert. I had an absolute blast! I didn't have food but I did hit the bar. Prices weren't bad and service was friendly. I love that it was conveniently located not far from home that made for an easy commute. Great event space! read more

See all

I just saw the band Interpol at the James L. Knight Center and had a frustrating experience with the concessions and bar service. When ordering food or drinks, the staff add a tip to the transaction before showing the total when you pay with a card or tap to pay. There is no clear prompt or option to choose the tip amount before the charge processes. You see the final total only after the tip is already included. This ha-penned to me and to my friends.. I normally tip but I do not like the deception. This practice is misleading. Customers deserve the chance to review the total and decide the tip themselves before payment goes through. Transparency at the point of sale matters, especially in a venue where many people move quickly through concession lines. The concessions are operated by Hyatt Hotels, which makes the situation even more disappointing. A hospitality brand of this size should hold a higher standard for clear and fair payment practices. Events at the Knight Center bring thousands of guests. The payment process should be transparent and respectful of the customer's choice. Adding gratuity before showing the total is not acceptable and should be corrected. read more

Had a blast at the Jeezy concert at the James L Knight Center! Drinks were good, we had good seats and the vibes were unmatched. Thanks to the staff at JKC for making this a historic night . I look forward to the next one! read more

James L Knight Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Miami, Florida

See all

Had to come here since one of my favorite groups is performing. The concert it's self was indeed one of my favorite concerts, but if it was another artist that I'm just ok with, I would not go. I really need to like an artist in order to watch a venue here This venue is not built for concerts. We were seated In Section 200, and I could feel the floor shaking when the concert started. Honestly it was scary. Parking is not the best, there is a connected parking garage which was $20 for 4+ hours that night. Price was not bad, but I advise to just be extra careful as the garage itself is too tight for any car (unless you drive a golf cart). I do would like to commend how everything is more organized. Lines for merch, lines for for food we looong but surprisingly, moved pretty fast. read more

James L Knight Center - Section 210 Row E Seat 2 - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Miami, Florida

Went this past weekend and caught a boxing fight at the James L Knight Center. This place brings me a lot of nostalgia, over years I have seen many concerts including Sting and Alejandro Sanz. But I was surprised how much this place has aged and noticed that popular acts no longer books this venue. read more

James L Knight Center - Boxing at James L Knight!! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Miami, Florida

See all

Oooffff what a terribly unorganized place. Nope not going there again, rather watch things online. Went there for a spiritual speaker Eckhart Tolle. There was over an hour long line of over 100 people to "check your purse". It took over an hour for people to get to their seats after the speaker started the talk. Terrible system. This is not a concert. No one is smuggling anything in their purses especially after you already checked them to see a spiritual talk. Nightmare of a place. I was so distracted by people an hour into the evening looking for their seats, but so impressed that the speaker was not phased and was able to deliver an amazing talk in spite of all distractions . read more

Recently went to a concert at this venue, i can say i have mixed feelings. My initial first impression, I could not believe such an outdated venue is actually functional.. its pretty bad and the process of arrival/checking in was pretty rough. The food & beverage options seemed low quality, so I didn't try any. Once we got to our seats, we were positively impressed by the great view we had, and how nice the concert set up was.. we had an amazing time singing & dancing! Its just a shame to initially have had a poor impression. Upgrades are sooo urgently necessary to make it appealing! Staff was also not friendly or welcoming, they were rude to concert goers. read more

This theater was a little disappointing, they have a good location and the sound was great! But this place really needs some revamping, the seats are very old fabric and don't even have cup holders. So you need to hold your drink all night or place it on the floor, there are also no bars to hold on to when going up the steps which is dangerous cause it is dark, and old carpets. I feel this place has a lot of potential but needs upgrades. read more

Once inside it's nice. The art work around is interesting. They have a restaurant, not bad. The center is inside the hotel, pretty cool. Self parking in the garage is cringeworthy. Drive slow, awkward angled parking spaces. Caution! Aside from the parking the location is nice, easy to navigate with in. read more

James L Knight Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Miami, Florida

I came here for a concert and I wasn't impressed. The outside looks nice because of the surrounding buildings, but once you walk inside and go up the old carpet stairs, you'll be disappointed. Not flashy at all and needs a renovation. I couldn't even find my seat because the light didn't line up with the seat number. I had to use my phone light, which probably annoyed some people. The only reasons I give this place 3 stars is because the sound was excellent and the alcohol wasn't overpriced. I had a great time, but not because of the venue. read more

James L Knight Center - Jessi Uribe concert - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Miami, Florida

Mediocre out of date facility that smells. Good luck. Restrooms were never updated, carpet on walls is tacky and stinky.

This was the most unorganized, chaotic event. I have been to, due to the lack of organization and communication of this business. I never received the email with instructions. Thank God, I had called ahead to get some information and the guy was nice enough to forward the email. I arrived earlier than the email suggested, thank God moment because there were hundreds of people in line in a mess. The email said that there would be a coordinator to get everyone in the correct lines and there was not!!!!' Some young girl, and in one of the lines was handing out stickers to try to keep things organized (not her job) and it was a waste of time anyways because it didn't matter in the end. Due to This Sh*t show and lack of communication and lack of coordinators that were supposed to be there directing traffic I was in the wrong line for 4 hours! Thank God when they were handing out our VVIP lanyards I was told I was in the wrong line. I was able to join my line right at the last moment, and get where I needed to be. There was no directions from anybody. There were no barricades to show where lines ended where lines begin. It was absolutely horrible set up!!! The artists were amazing. Their team was awesome. I was able to get to my meet and greet, meet the artist and do all the things that I paid outrageous amounts for but this venue is awful. The people have no idea what they're doing and then when you asked for help, they're absolutely rude and disgusting. Especially, this blonde old lady in a unprofessional short ass dress and her cowboy boots yelling at people and talking to them like they were stupid! She should be removed from her position! If you can avoid this venue you should! I have been to so many concerts big and small and this one was a complete disaster ! read more

Service was good and staff is friendly and helpful. But as many other reviews venue needs upgrading. Went for a comedy show and seating on floor was tight. A medical incident occurred and I do not feel they were as prepared as they should have been. read more

A truly awful venue. Confusing layout, complete lack of signage, rude and unhelpful staff, terrible food (how do you mess up nachos!?), ancient furniture, and a depressing, lingering smell which can only come from years of dust and neglect. read more

James L Knight Center - Awful nachos and ancient furniture. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Miami, Florida

I love the artwork this place has to offer. A few friends and I attended the Iron Fork chef competition event. The food was good and the drinks were pretty good as well. Hopefully there will be more events at this location. Sadly I can't pick a favorite dish from this event I enjoyed a few of them. read more

See all

I came here for the Miami Festival of Laugh and it is a mediocre event location. I paid $200+ for tix for 2 people. The venue is outdated and needs renovations. The bathrooms are small and not clean. The seats are super tight, you will touch the person next to you. Also to find your seat is a nightmare you cant see the row letters. The location is in a weird place and to find parking is difficult. I would of preferred to go to the American Airlines. read more

James L Knight Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Miami, Florida

First time attending this venue for a Kid Cudi Concert. Pros: Loved the convenience of the proximity to the metromover and downtown access. The setup of the venue is similar to a extralarge highschool auditorium benefit to that is there is pretty much no bad seat in the house.Bathrooms were maintained clean throughout the night and food and drinks were pricey (bottled water was $4) but as expected Cons: Found the entering of the venue an incredibly slow process considering larger ones have their security down pat for checking individuals. While the pre-concert email mentioned no large bags, I did see plenty of backpacks permitted into the concert. Exiting this place was a mess, not sure how handicap friendly the building is with the amount of stairs to get everywhere also incredibly tight and packed when leaving. Expect plenty of traffic upon leaving read more

I loved almost everything about my time in here except the parking...Why is so hard and expensive to park in Brickell/Downtown Miami area! I went for Iron Fork Miami and we had a wonderful time. They did a wonderful job and this place was a perfect venue for a show like this one. Thank you! Me encantó casi todo sobre mi tiempo aquí, excepto el estacionamiento ... ¡Por qué es tan difícil y caro estacionar en el área de Brickell / Downtown Miami??? Fui a Iron Fork Miami y nos lo pasamos de maravilla. Hicieron un trabajo maravilloso y este lugar fue el lugar perfecto para un espectáculo como este. ¡Gracias! read more

With all the larger performance and concert venues in the Miami area (Arscht Center, AAA, BB&T Center, Hard Rock Hotel/Casino, Filmore/Gleason, etc.), you really don't hear the James L. Knight Center mentioned very often. This venue is attached to the Hyatt Regency, adjacent to the Brickell Avenue drawbridge, which means it's conveniently located between downtown and Brickell. The way this place is laid out, it's really as multi-purpose as a venue can get. There are about 5,000 seats, but the seating area is laid out in a very wide wedge/semicurcular fashion. The floor area is quite large (both wide and deep), there is a decent house sound system with 2 large Electro-Voice line arrays, and if you want a stage, they can set one up as large as you need it to be and position it nearly anywhere on the floor. Likewise, if you have equipment that needs to be hung or flown from the ceiling, there are numerous points available for that as well. As some have mentioned, this place does look a bit old school and is a bit worn. I was in here about 5 years ago and was surprised at how old, run down and beaten up it looked. I was back in here recently just for a walk around while attending a seminar at this hotel and it appears they've updated this space a bit with new carpeting and some badly needed upholstery work. She still doesn't look new and modern, and to be honest, she probably doesn't attract enough events to make it cost effective to carry out a major renovation, but she's certainly functional and one of the larger auditoriums in this city. I can't imagine there's really a bad seat in the place during a concert or performance here... read more

This is the first time I've been to this convention center, so I can only go by the set up they had for this particular event. I came into see an orchestrated performance of my favorite video game of all time : The Legend of Zelda. I sat in the lower section where chairs were set up to maximize the space. I was very uncomfortable throughout, because the chairs were set very close together. Basically we were all squished in, but that did not take away from my enjoyment of the music. Parking wasn't bad, right at the Hyatt and it was only $10. For downtown Miami, that is unheard of. I was happy about that. Overall an okay place, a little on the small side and it needs more doors as well as wider hallways. Of course I would come back if an act I'm interested in happens to perform here. read more

James L Knight Center - Hey,listen!!!! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Miami, Florida

Came here to see Circo de los Horrores. Although I enjoyed the show, your theater/auditorium really needs a facelift.The seats and overall feel of the place seem old and outdated. I know that this place is kind of a "Miami historic relic" but with all the new and beautifully decored centers built just a few streets up, this venue needs to up it up a bit. Time for some restoration! read more

excellent staff !! great venue !!! great seating capacity , i highly reccomend james l knight center for artist to perform or any other event read more

James L Knight Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Miami, Florida

Great event center. Could use a facelift in the seating area. Other than that I think it is a great venue. I love coming here for events.

Terrible parking experience. Attended a concert and have been in line to get out of the parking garage for more than an hour. If you buy seats in the 200 level, there is no elevator. Very bad for the elderly, or those in wheelchairs read more

Not really a nice venue. Everything seemed old, and being in my seat felt like being at a ghetto High School graduation. Was not impressed at all. Needs major updating. It is convenient that there's a parking garage available but I probably would not return here. read more

Oh the traffic to get to this location! It took me 15 minutes to turn into the parking garage. Then there was a charge to park b/c it was a special event going on. Lucky for me I brought cash. After making my way upstairs, I had no trouble getting my tickets at the will call. I had little trouble finding my seat. But boy was the seating cramped. There was little room for my long legs and there was a hint of a disgusting order hitting my nose every few minutes. The seats/carpet.. something smelled nasty. Trying to leave was as hard as trying to getting to the parking garage. So many people and only one way to the parking garage... elevators. Such a struggle. But I must say "I Survived James L Knight Center" read more

Came to see Gabriel Iglesias (Fluffy). My friends and I were hungry and decided to grab something small to eat to help us get through until after the show to be able to go eat afterwards. I already knew that nothing here was going to be great but damn! The Food was HORRENDOUS! You guys should really partner up with better vendors. It's time to actually care about the patrons that will be visiting and enjoying your establishment. read more

Too hot! They need an updated AC , seats too close. No security, drinks too expensive read more

James L Knight Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Miami, Florida

This place hmmmm where do I start? First the entrance is in an odd place. Going into the building I realized as many things as they host here they could have updated this place. A/c doesn't work matter of fact I don't know if they even have a/c. Chairs are super close to together to the point of, I know now how a sardine feels in a can. It's like everyone is sitting right on top of each other. The place is just very run down and you will not catch me here again... read more

Such a great location but what a fail! This was my 4th time at James L. Knight center and it just seems to get worse every time I visit. The latest visit was for the Cultura Profetica concert. The entrance to the actual venue was a complete mess since there was no direction from the staff on how to make the line(s). People were all over the place and the staff was just looking instead of trying to take the lead in organizing everyone there. The drink and food stations were a mess. I've seen food truck festivals that are a million times more organized. The lines were so long just to get an overpriced drink or beer. It took 30 minutes to get to the front for them to say they were out of Heineken and the concert hadn't even started. They should have also realized that 1 case of Heineken was not going to be enough for a crowd that was predominantly Puerto Rican. FAIL! The staff behind the bars were also extremely rude! I saw them completely ignore two people in front of me to help someone else. They were also mumbling and cussing under their breath. Look, you don't want to be there then don't. We didn't pay for a concert ticket and almost $20 in venue fees for people to treat us badly. The staff members inside the venue were also rude and in the worst mood possible. I went to help a friend take drinks and they wouldn't even let me stand at the bottom of the stairs (when no one else was there) so that he can come back and take the rest. They kept on rolling their eyes and just telling me to move. Oh, and I didn't see any of those "helpful" staff members kicking the people smoking cigarettes indoors (and I'm not referring to the vape stuff). Also, there was a lemonade vendor in the common area giving free lemonade. Well, surprise! You couldn't take anything in the actual venue so the new and half empty bottles were left at the security line. Suggestion - have the vendor actually be inside the venue so there is something other than alcohol available. I'm sure they would have appreciated that as well. Overall, I try to stay away from any concerts at this venue. The parking is so uncomfortable and the staff make the experience unbearable. I definitely suggest some serious training happen or overhaul the staff. Also, the beverage staff need to get a little class on customer service. In the end, we are the ones paying for their time. read more

I attended a comedy show tonight, if it wasn't for the crowds and traffic you could easily pass the venue since it is attached to the Hyatt Regency Hotel, it would be better if they have some signage showing the Hyatt and JLK. I mean there is no sign that reads James LK, if you don't know it's there you will pass it. The venue is old, the seating, lights, stage and sound needs a upgrade. I wasn't impressed with this venue at all!!! The parking was ok with directions telling you where to go. The have a few of bars and a few concessions with a few food options. Once the show is over hurry out, since there is limited elevators and hundreds of people trying to leave at once. It's basically a one way out venue!! Be prepared to wait and move in and out of traffic jams. Time for an upgrade!!!! read more

I was totally DISAPPOINTED at the Monica &Tank concert on 11/24/18. First off the show was over an hour late and then the Sound System was going in-an-out. This venue really needs to REPLACE THEIR SOUND SYSTEM OR HIRE A NEW ENGINEER, I have been to this place numerous times and it's always a hit or miss with their Sound System. There is a huge problem when you have an artist jump off stage during his show to go to the Sound Board to fix the problem. What a waste of my money. For this venue to keep having events here and to not fix the problem with their Sound System is RIDICULOUS. I would not recommend anyone to attend here I'M PISSED OFF AND SO OVER THIS VENUE!!! read more

This is not a modern venue but it serves its purpose. The seat are old and have faux velvet covers like days of ole and the acoustics are average. It is annexed to hotel thus upon entering their are hotel guest walking about. They do have good security which is a plus. The central downtown Miami location is near many good restaurants and public transport which makes it convenient if you want to have dinner & drinks before or the show. read more

James L Knight Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Miami, Florida

I recently watched a show at the James L Knight Center. It'd been a long time since I was last there but nothing has changed. There were no visible upgrades. As for the concessions, sadly, a local strip mall movie theater is more impressive. With this venue being on the river and in downtown Miami and having a Metro Mover stop I really wish they'd update and upgrade so there could be more concerts and performances. And while someone is doing that, it'd also be good to redo the signage.... read more

I went to this theatre (is it a theatre?) last night with my family to see the show from Spain Circo de los Horrores. First you need to be aware the the neighborhood that you are travelling through to get there is not that great. Also, it is great to know that the theatre is located inside of the Hyatt Regency in Miami. This would have been fabulous, useful information for me to know, and would have kept me from running two blocks in both directions from the garage where we parked hustleing to get to the 8pm show at 7:55 since the hotel sits off by itself on a huge hill and your gps on your bb won't be able to give you exact directions since the theatre is in a hotel, and on a loop. I also could have avoided being harrassed by the homeless. If you are a frequent show goer, then the Knight Center will be relatively familiar to you. Especially if you are familiar with smaller venues and non-permanent seating. I didn't completely understand folding chairs in the front of the stage, and was quite embarrassed when the woman in front of me complained that my shoe was going into her rear! OOOPS!! I also was not especially happy that my $100- seats that were in the 2nd row still did not afford me a great view because of how the stage was set up. At least the show was pretty good. read more

Would not allow me to bring in my camera to take pictures of my wife's competition in the NPC. They need to revamp their rules and understand what people are doing with their own equipment. read more

Dear James L. Knight International Center, I can honestly say I'm surprised no one else has reviewed this place considering the number of business functions that they host. JLK Center, you have been around for AGES, and I'm talking at LEAST 30 years!! I can remember coming here on field trips to watch Disney On Ice and Sesame Street as a child. And how can anyone forget the countless concerts you have hosted, or even boxing matches back in your glory days. I was just here on Friday for a Trump Network event. However, I was a little perplexed to see that it looked the same since I was last there for my Senior Homecoming over a decade ago. Nothing has really been upgraded or renovated. Sure, some of the furniture looks new, and maybe you've had some paint jobs, but the venue itself is still in its original form. There are 80s pictures of all the major events in a Hall of Fame type setting that I can say haven't moved in 20 years. For being such a popular venue space I expected there to be more state-of-the-art advances. Flat screen tvs, monitors through out, new floors, new lighting, etc... But nothing. Still the 1970s tile that probably came with the building. But you are still the JLK Center. An iconic Miami venue. And you still have the capability of hosting thousands of people and having enough space for almost any event anyone could ever possibly think of throwing. Hope to see some changes with the new decade approaching. You need to get with the times!!! Good Luck and Best Wishes, SabrinaAnna* read more

I cannot believe in 2019 buildings exist that are not disable/wheel chair accessible! That's crazy I'm not in a wheel chair anymore but I still have issues walking long distances and upstairs because of a blood clot on my lung. I was turned away from the elevator. I guess because I didn't LOOK like I needed it. And I feel for the people who are in wheel chairs, I guess they just have to buy an expensive floor ticket. This place needs some kind of upgrade so they can accommodate EVERYONE! I can't believe they haven't been sued! read more

These were the worst seats I've ever experienced. Eckhart Tolle deserves an apology from this venue. It was excruciating to sit in those seats and almost impossible to concentrate on what Mr Tolle was saying. Many people left during the 2.5 hour lecture. We were miserable. read more

Honestly, this place is really generic. Maybe I didn't walk around it enough, but it seemed like your average, run of the mill center. I guess it's good that the sight lines seemed fine for everybody. And the sound was decent. But those things are expected at a large hall like this. They shouldn't need to be pointed out. Come to think of it, I'm not exactly sure what would make a place like this stand out... Really nice security guards? Mandatory laser light show with every performance? I dunno... But I'd come back here if there were an event that I wanted to attend. read more