If you’re planning your trip to Miami and have a few days to spend in the city, why not treat yourself to one of the best shows in the world? We’re talking about attending a live NBA game and watching the local Miami Heat team.
In this article, you will find many tips on how to buy tickets, get to the stadium, and even save some money.
Enter the TRAVELINUSA code to get a $10 discount on a minimum purchase of $100
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Miami’s NBA team: the Heat
Miami Heat and Orlando Magic are the only two NBA teams from the state of Florida. Despite having a relatively short history (they were founded in 1988), the Miami team has managed to achieve a greater string of success than many of the other teams in the NBA.
To date, after making the playoffs on 19 occasions, they have managed to win 3 NBA titles in 2006, 2012, and 2016.
The Miami Heat play their home games in the modern facility of the FTX Arena.
When the NBA season is played
The NBA season is played in three separate phases: the Regular Season, the Playoffs, and the Finals, which produces the winning team. The Regular Season generally runs from October until April when each team must play 82 games (41 home and 41 away). This is the best period to attend an NBA game because the high number of games keeps prices at a low average (we’ll talk about prices in another section below).
The Playoffs are open to 18 teams (the six best from the two conferences) and the winners of each conference will compete in the Finals. As you can imagine, attending an NBA game at this stage will be much more exciting and spectacular, but do not expect it to be as cheap as in the Regular Season.
How to buy tickets for the NBA in Miami
NBA tickets for the Miami Heat can be bought both online and at the Ticket Office in the FTX Arena. Generally speaking, I would say that the first option is preferable (perhaps using the custom discount code for readers of TravelinUSA that you can find below) because it will save you time and avoid the risk of you not finding a seat.
Another solution is to buy tickets at the official ticket office that is located in the FTX Arena on the side facing NE 8th Street between gates 3 and 4. Times vary depending on if there is an event taking place on the day or not.
- Days without events: Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
- Match days: in this case, the ticket office will also be open on Saturday or Sunday from 12:00 noon to the end of the game interval.
If you are planning to visit Miami over several days and you find yourself passing through here, you might want to consider this method, otherwise, I suggest you buy them online, saving you time queuing and the risk of not finding any tickets (either for the game itself or for some specific sectors).
Choice of seats and price
The FTX, like most NBA arenas, is divided into three distinct sections based on distance from the court, the first has sections that completely surround the court, while the last includes sections only behind the two baskets. The one closest to the court is numbered from 101 to 124, the second from 301 to 332, and the last one, the farthest from the court from 401 to 420. As you would expect, the closer the tickets are to the action, the higher the cost.
Coming to the question of how much it costs to see an NBA game, contrary to what one might expect, buying Miami Heat tickets for a mid-to-high level game is not that expensive. You can, for example, find tickets for the last few rows of the section closest to the court for around $90-$100. The absolute cheapest in the last section can also be purchased for $20-30.
Our advice is therefore to buy your tickets well in advance because you may find interesting surprises even for sectors that for other teams (such as the Los Angeles Lakers) would cost thousands of dollars.
Where to buy tickets online
If you want to buy tickets for the NBA in Miami, here are the main online resources where you can do it:
- Hellotickets: TRAVELINUSA $10 discount code
- TicketNetwork
NBA tickets with discount code TRAVELINIUSA
Tickets: how and when do I receive them?
The ways of receiving tickets purchased online vary depending on which platform you use. Generally, there are three options:
- E-Ticket
- Print ticket
- Physical ticket shipping
The most convenient mode is definitely the first one, which will allow you to access the event simply by showing the electronic ticket or the QR code on your smartphone or tablet without needing to have anything else with you.
Even printing the ticket can be convenient in its own way but you’ll have to remember to print it before going to the event or before leaving for your trip, since once in town it may not be so easy to find a copy shop near you.
Having the ticket mailed to your home is definitely the most expensive way and will also require you to make sure it arrives before you leave for Miami or to make sure it can be sent to your hotel. Personally, I would tend to advise against this option and only consider it if there are no other alternatives.
How to get to the FTX Arena
The American Airlines Arena is located in Downtown Miami and was built on the waterfront overlooking Biscayne Bay. It is the venue not only for Miami Heat’s NBA games but also for some of the most important events and concerts in the city.
How to reach the FTX Arena by public transport
You can easily reach the Arena using the Metromover. The nearest station is in fact Park West Metromover Station served by the Omni Loop line that is only a 5-minute walk from the American Airlines Arena. Considering the fact that the service is free and runs frequently every day of the week, I would say that this is the most efficient way to get to enjoy a Miami Heat game.
In the event you are in an area served by the two Metrorail lines (for example if you are coming from the south side of Miami like Coconut Grove) consider getting off at Government Center Station and from there take the Metromover line.
If you are in an area not served by the Metromover service, you may consider taking a bus. There are many buses that serve this area, especially the number 3, 103C, 119S, and 93. However, you can take a look at the local transport company’s practical Trip Planner to find out what the best solution is for your needs.
Where to park in the area
If for some reason you have decided to travel to the FTX Arena with your car, unfortunately, the area does not offer many parking opportunities and there is not a particularly large parking lot dedicated to visitors of the Arena. The alternative is to rely on one of the many paid parking lots that are in the area.
The closest one is the Bayside Marketplace Garage (401 Biscayne Blvd) which also offers special rates on match days and events. Our advice, however, is only to use the car in special circumstances.
Where to eat in the area
If you don’t want to eat inside the FTX Arena, paying pricey amounts for standard quality, your best option for eating in the area is to go to the Bayside Marketplace. Considered the beating heart of Downtown Miami’s nightlife, this will offer you a considerable variety of choices and the chance to eat in an iconic place like the city’s Hard Rock Cafe too.
Discount tickets for the NBA in Miami
As already mentioned, if you are spending over 100$, you can take advantage of a 10$ discount by typing in the code TRAVELINUSA on the Hellotickets website while purchasing. You can also use this discount for all other sports and music tickets that can be purchased on the Hellotickets website.
Using it is simple: once you have selected the seats and entered your name, surname, and email address, you simply have to click on the link “I have a discount code” and write TRAVELINUSA.
Some advice on accommodation
As mentioned, the American Airlines Arena is located in the Downtown Miami area. To find out what the recommended accommodations in this neighborhood are, why not read our dedicated article by clicking on the link below?
