BONA2018 | Best Venue South: HEART

Dubfire, Joris Voorn, Nicole Moudaber – these are just a few big names from the hordes of DJs that graced the decks of Heart Nightclub. The downtown Miami venue launched with a bang in 2015 leaving quite an impression on Miami’s nightlife culture. The three level, 2,000-capacity club was one of the only Florida venues holding a 24-hour license. As a result of owning this golden license, Heart quickly became known for its extended DJ sets. For instance, DJ/producer duo The Martinez Brothers performed a whopping 20-hour set to a lively, packed house!

Under the know-how of Louis Puig (formerly of Space) and skillful supervision of talent booker Travis Rogers, the club secured not only some of dance music’s biggest acts, but also an army of rising talent. Having the right blend of expertise and artist line-ups certainly paid off as the club had received multiple nods from the city’s alt-weekly Miami New Times for ‘Best Afterhours’ in 2017, in addition to being awarded ‘Best Venue – South’ of DJ Mag’s Best of North America in the same year.

Sadly, just days following a series of successful Miami Music Week parties, Heart announced it would be closing its doors. The renowned nightclub hosted its final event on April 20, 2018 with Andrea Oliva. Heart’s chief financial officer Michael Slyder stated that the closing of the club was a result of its continuous battles with the city and noise complaints from neighboring residents. The venue’s abrupt closure follows months of litigation to defend its space in Miami’s club district on NE 11th Street.

Though Heart has not decided whether it will relaunch at a different location or stay closed for good, one thing is for certain: It will always hold a special place in the hearts of avid dance music fans.

WORDS: GABRIELLE PHARMS