AT&T Playoff Playlist Live Review: John Summit and Calvin Harris on South Beach

This was stop #2 of the day. Get the full 3-events-in-1-day Miami game plan here.

At a Glance

• Cost: free
• Location: on the sands of South Beach
• Lineup: opener Xandra, then John Summit, then Calvin Harris
• Event start time: 6:00 PM
• End time: 10:45 PM

A major free event in Miami

People were lining up over 6 hours early to ensure they could get in.

I’ve seen John Summit and Calvin Harris multiple times, so I was not going to spend my entire day in a line, especially after doing run club earlier. My plan was to arrive later, see if I could get in, pick a viewing spot on the outside if I could not, and still get a great experience.

Traffic was the biggest surprise

Downtown Miami to South Beach traffic was unreal. It took a little over an hour to get from the Bayside area to around 10th Street and Washington Ave near the beach.

If you go to this type of event in the future, plan for traffic like it is part of the event.

My viewing strategy that worked perfectly

The entry line was still massive when I arrived, so I moved to the left side of the outer area near the ocean. That gave me:

• A perfect view of the stage
• Space to breathe
• The ocean right next to me, which made the vibe feel next level
• And most importantly, a safe area away from the entry bottleneck

The sound from that spot was crisp, which meant I did not need to be packed in the middle to enjoy it.

When chaos ensued

Not long after I got settled, the situation turned chaotic at the entrance.

The crowd overpowered the entry area, and a mob ran in, bypassing security. People also started jumping the side fence. That is the kind of moment where things can turn dangerous fast.

Luckily, officers opened side gates, which reduced the one-way in, one-way out pressure and created flow. That helped calm the situation down and allowed people to move more safely.

John Summit

Once his set started, the crowd felt more controlled. People were dancing and vibing instead of pushing and shoving.

During his one-hour set, John Summit played a lot of his classics like “Where You Are”, along with dropping new music like “Lights Go Out” and “Shades of Blue”.

Drone show

After John Summit, there was a drone show with dance hits playing in the background, which was a fun reset moment.

Calvin Harris closer

Calvin Harris closed with an incredible one-hour set. It felt like the perfect “Miami on the sand” finale.

Logistics that were surprisingly smooth

There were a variety of food and drink options, along with multiple drink vendors spread throughout the crowd. Also, there were no lines for the restrooms, which was crazy considering the number of people that were there. 

Rating

7/10. The show itself was great, the sound was crisp even from the back, and the production felt like the main stage of a music festival. The entry rush and fence-jumping situation was a major safety issue, and is the reason the score is not higher.