Orlando built the boy band boom. The Backstreet Boys came together there in 1993, NSYNC followed in 1995, and for a few years Central Florida turned out harmonies the way it turns out orange juice. Miami had its own crossover moment in 1985, when Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine took "Conga" into the Top 10 and introduced a lot of English speaking listeners to Latin rhythm.
Stadium summers, theater winters
The biggest pop tours route through the stadiums in Miami Gardens, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville, plus the arenas in Miami, Sunrise, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville. Stadium nights in July and August stay hot long after sundown, so check the venue's rules on water bottles and bags before you leave home, and give yourself time for the parking lot afterward.
Adult contemporary singers and the hitmakers of the 1970s and 80s work a different circuit, the performing arts centers and casino theaters. Their dates tend to bunch up in winter, when seasonal residents are back, and Naples, Sarasota, the Palm Beaches and The Villages see plenty of them.
Finding your show
The Orlando and Miami pages carry the big rooms. Crossover acts that don't fit in one box often turn up under Latin or R&B and soul as well.
