Interior field-level view of Hard Rock Stadium looking across the football field toward empty teal seats, video boards, and the canopy roof
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Sports · September 04, 2026 · 6 min read

Live sports near the nest, 2026-27

Photo: 2026-0119 CFP NCG pregame view - east end zone by Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)

South Florida has a team in every major league, and most of them are a 15-to-40-minute drive from the house. Venues and opening dates below were checked with the teams and league sites in September 2026; distances are rough road miles from central Fort Lauderdale.

Hockey: Florida Panthers

The Panthers play at Amerant Bank Arena, 1 Panther Pkwy in Sunrise, about 14 miles west of the nest along Sunrise Boulevard or I-595. The 2026-27 season opens on the road on September 29; the home opener is Saturday, October 10 against Minnesota. Sawgrass Mills mall is next door for a pre-game meal.

Football: Miami Dolphins

Hard Rock Stadium, 347 Don Shula Dr in Miami Gardens, is roughly 17 miles south. The Dolphins' 2026 home opener is Sunday, September 27 against Kansas City, with eight home games through the season. The stadium also hosts 2026 World Cup matches and the Miami Open tennis in spring. If you would rather watch from a bar, our NFL team bars post has the list.

Basketball: Miami Heat

The Heat's Kaseya Center is on Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami, about 28 miles or 30-plus minutes by car, or a Brightline ride to MiamiCentral and a short walk. Preseason home games start October 8 and the regular-season opener is Wednesday, October 21 against Minnesota.

Soccer: Inter Miami, and the Fort Lauderdale teams

Inter Miami CF no longer plays in Fort Lauderdale. The club opened Nu Stadium at Miami Freedom Park, next to Miami International Airport, in April 2026. Parking there must be bought in advance and the club publishes walking routes from the Miami Intermodal Center; allow about 35 minutes from the house. The old Fort Lauderdale ground on NW 55th Street is now home to Inter Miami CF II in MLS Next Pro, a cheap and easy evening about 15 minutes away.

Fort Lauderdale's own professional team is Fort Lauderdale United FC in the women's Gainbridge Super League, playing at Amerant Bank Field on the Nova Southeastern campus in Davie, about nine miles from the nest. A men's side in USL League One is scheduled to debut in 2027.

Baseball: Miami Marlins

loanDepot park, 501 Marlins Way in Miami's Little Havana, is about 27 miles south. The Marlins' final home series of 2026 is September 25 to 27 against Atlanta; the 2027 season opens in late March. Pair it with a Cuban lunch in Little Havana and you have a day — the Miami day-trip guide covers the rest, since the Heat, Marlins and Inter Miami all play down there.

Tickets

Buy from the team's own tickets page or its named official partner: Ticketmaster for the Heat, the Dolphins' and Inter Miami's own sites, and SeatGeek for the Panthers and Marlins. Resale prices on other sites swing hard on game day.

Watching from the nest

For everything you do not attend, the house has a 70-inch and two 65-inch smart TVs, a Bluetooth sound system and a griddle outside for the pre-game. A birthday-weekend crowd of ten fits on the patio with the game on inside. See our sports and fitness group page for the full pitch.

Check Dates & Book