Attractions · Our pick in Miami
Grand Theft Auto VI and the real Vice City
The back story
About Grand Theft Auto VI and the real Vice City
Grand Theft Auto VI is set in Leonida, Rockstar’s sun-soaked take on Florida, and returns to Vice City, the neon city the series first created in 2002. With the game out on 19 November 2026, this is our guide to the real places that inspired the look: the Art Deco beachfront, the bay, the swamps and the Keys.
The game
Rockstar Games has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto VI arrives on 19 November 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Its story follows two leads, Lucia and Jason, across Leonida, a fictional state that is home, in Rockstar’s words, to “the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond”.
Vice City then and now
Vice City first appeared in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, which Rockstar describes with the line “Welcome to the 1980s”: the decade of big hair and pastel suits, in a city that runs “from the beach to the swamps”. Two decades on, the series returns to its Miami-inspired city, now in the present day.
Every neon sign on Ocean Drive looks a little like a game screen after dark.
The real places
You don’t need a console to see what inspired it. The pastel hotels and neon of the Art Deco district on Ocean Drive are the real thing, best seen on an MDPL walking tour by day and on foot after dark. The skyline of Brickell and downtown rises over Biscayne Bay, best seen from the Skyviews wheel or from a boat out to Stiltsville. And the swamps are real too: Everglades National Park begins about an hour from downtown.
Visiting
Launch week is likely to bring extra interest to Ocean Drive. Go early in the morning for photographs, keep to the pavements, and remember that Ocean Drive is a busy street with restricted parking.
Our advice: walk Ocean Drive at blue hour, when the neon comes on, then cross the bay for the skyline from Bayside. It is the real Vice City, and it looks even better in person.
Why it's on our list
- The game
- Vice City then and now
- The real places
- Visiting
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Grand Theft Auto VI and the real Vice City before you go.
Where to find the real Vice City
Real places with the look of the game, and the guide each one belongs to.
| Guide | Place | What it is | How to visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Beach | Ocean Drive & the Art Deco district | Pastel hotels and neon | Daily MDPL walking tour from 1001 Ocean Drive |
| South Beach | The Beachwalk | Nine miles of oceanfront path | On foot or by bike, from South Pointe Park |
| Brickell & Downtown | Skyviews Miami | The skyline from 200 feet | At Bayside Marketplace; go at sunset |
| Brickell & Downtown | Biscayne Bay & Stiltsville | The bay by boat | Sightseeing cruises and RIB tours |
| Mid-Beach & North Beach | The Fontainebleau | A Mid-Beach landmark hotel | Stay, dine, or visit LIV and Lapis |
| Fort Lauderdale | Fort Lauderdale Beach | The next beach north | Brightline from MiamiCentral |
Grand Theft Auto VI is a fictional game; these are real public places. Release details from rockstargames.com.