The Third Annual Juneteenth Experience: A Free, Multidisciplinary Celebration of Juneteenth

On June 19, 2023, Hued Songs will present The Juneteenth Experience, a multidisciplinary, immersive performance honoring America’s second Independence Day, Juneteenth, at the historic Miami Beach Bandshell. The performance will be helmed by a diverse cast of local artists, including Miriam King, J’Von Brown, Jasmine Williams, Arsimmer McCoy, Darius Manuel, Eden Marte, Chauncy Riley, and King Friday featuring members from Zest Dance Collective, under the direction of Artistic Director and Choreographer Gentry George. 

“The theme of this performance is belonging,” shared artistic director Kunya Rowley. “Juneteenth is a day about freedom, and belonging is a critical ingredient toward that.” In this third annual Juneteenth Experience, this year's performance will be the official Juneteenth celebration for the City of Miami Beach and will include a variety of events celebrating the day. 

Pre-concert attendees can enjoy Miami Beach Juneteenth Picnic in the Park in Bandshell Park beginning at 4 p.m., produced by the City of Miami Beach and featuring The New World School of the Arts Jazz Ensemble & The Harden Project. The entertainment will continue in the Bandshell at 6:30 p.m, where guests can enjoy music and experience original short films centering on Black joy, culture, and identity. The main performance will begin at 8pm, and will be presented free of charge to both the in-person audience and via digital livestream. 

June 19th,1865 honors the date when, more than two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, the last enslaved Americans in Galveston Texas, were finally freed from bondage. Now in its third year, with activations taking place in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, The Juneteenth Experience sprouted as a catalyst for change when racial and social injustices took center stage in 2020, and aims to be an annual tri-county celebration of freedom, Black artistry, Black Miami, and community. 

Hued Songs (HS) produces performances across South Florida that amplify Black joy and Black culture. Through song, spoken word, dance, and heart, our work is rooted across three core principles: 1) To provide a platform through which BIPOC artists can be seen, heard, and paid; 2) The arts are a right and not a privilege, thus we work to remove cost, geography, and perception barriers to every performance and gathering;  3) Every performance is an opportunity to build belonging, empathy, and community for all. 

The Juneteenth Experience is made possible by the generous support of The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, The City of Miami Beach, The Miami Foundation, The African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, The Miami Dade Department of Cultural-Affairs, and Miami Salon Group. 

Date & Time: Monday, June 19th, 2023 | 4-10pm

• 4-6pm Jazz Picnic in Bandshell Park 

• 6pm Bandshell Doors open 

• 6:30pm- Short Film Screenings  

• 8pm Live Performance 

Location: Miami Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33141

Free & Open to Community. 

How to RSVP: https://miamibeachbandshell.com/event/the-juneteenth-experience-2023/

For more information, visit www.huedsongs.org.