Miami Vice Day celebrates the groundbreaking 1980’s television police procedural series Miami Vice. The day was first declared on September 12, 2024, when Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner proclaimed September 12th to be Miami Vice Day during the show’s 40th Annual Reunion and Convention in the city. The event, organized by Derek Hedlund, was the first event of its kind centered on the show.

Created by Anthony Yerkovich and Executive Produced by celebrated filmmaker Michael Mann, the first episode of Miami Vice originally aired on NBC on September 16, 1984, igniting a cultural and fashion revolution during the era. Miami Vice starred Don Johnson as Detective James Crockett, Philip Michael Thomas as Detective Ricardo Tubbs, Saundra Santiago as Detective Gina Calabrese, Olivia Brown as Detective Trudy Joplin, Michael Talbott as Detective Stan Switek, Edward James Olmos as Lieutenant Martin Castillo, John Diehl as Detective Larry Zito, Rico Paisley – who played multiple roles, including Evans & F.B.I. Agent Paul, Martin Ferrero as Izzy Moreno, Raphael Rey Gomez as Delgado Man, Julio Oscar Mechoso as Lester Kosko, Charlie Barnett as Neville ‘Noogie’ Lamont, Belinda Montgomery as Caroline Crockett, and Sheena Easton as Caitlin Davies.

Complete with the most popular 1980s music, along with the colorful fashion and vibe of the decade, Miami Vice follows the exploits of two undercover police detectives and their extended team through the mean, cocaine-filled streets of 1980s Miami, Florida. The show lasted for five seasons, having a notable impact on the decade’s popular fashion. It also set the tone for the evolution of police procedural dramas.

The series also had a lasting impact on the city of Miami itself. It drew heavy media attention to the burgeoning revitalization of the South Beach and Art Deco District areas of Miami Beach and increased tourism and investment. Even 30 years after Miami Vice first aired, it is still responsible for its share of tourist visits to the city. In 1997, a county referendum changed the name from Dade County to Miami-Dade County. This allows people to relate the county government to images of Miami.

The 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, published by Rockstar Games, is heavily influenced by Miami Vice. It is set in a stylized 1980s Miami-inspired fictional city called “Vice City”. One of the main characters, named Lance Vance, was voiced by actor Philip Michael Thomas. The song “Crockett’s Theme” is featured on the Emotion 98.3 in-game radio station. Two undercover police officers chosen from a selection of six character models appear in a police sports car within the game when the player obtains a three-star wanted level. These six officers resemble characters from Miami Vice. In the prequel, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, there are two officers in the multiplayer mode named Cracker and Butts, an apparent parody of Crockett and Tubbs.

A feature film remake of the original television series was released in theaters in 2006, directed by original series Executive Producer Michael Mann and starring starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx in the iconic roles of Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs.