This Month in Miami Beach History: The Beatles’ Iconic Performance at the Deauville Hotel

In February 1964, the Beatles performed their second live U.S. television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show and Miami Beach became the epicenter of Beatlemania. The February 16 broadcast attracted an estimated 70 million viewers, cementing the Beatles' place in music history and worldwide attention to Miami Beach.

The broadcast took place in the iconic Deauville Hotel, a glamorous symbol of the city's mid-century architecture, and, played a pivotal role in showcasing Miami Beach as a global destination for entertainment and culture. The Beatles were more than a moment in pop culture; the performance demonstrated the power of large-scale entertainment to drive economic development. The influx of fans to the city had a significant economic impact on the Miami Beach brand as a hub for glamour and innovation, and the ripple effect of this performance extended far beyond the music and stimulated unexpected local business performance.

This historic milestone is a lasting example of the enduring synergy between culture and business in Miami Beach. The Beatles' performance helped solidify the Miami Beach’s image as a premier hospitality community and destination for art and culture and may have been a catalyst for events such as Art Basel, South Beach Wine & Food Festival, and more, that continue to fuel the Miami Beach economy, attract global audiences, and cement Miami Beach’s best-in-class reputation.