Southwest Florida is buzzing with events as the community enters 2025. In Naples, Naples Art Institute showcases a must-see exhibit of the French master Henri Matisse’s works. In Bonita Springs, more than 200 creatives flood Riverside Park for a show-stopping art festival. And in Fort Myers, the Southwest Florida Symphony reintroduces Beethoven’s Ode to Joy to the region for the first time in a decade. Don’t miss these January events.
Jan. 3-5
Fort Myers Seafood & Music Festival, Fort Myers
Live performances, Gulf Coast delicacies and scenic waterfront views complete the three-day festival in Downtown Fort Myers. The fifth annual event features performances from Florida bands, such as arena rock group Rock Candy and blues musicians Memphis Lightning. Between performances, explore a marketplace full of offerings from local vendors. Learn More
Jan. 3-30
Brewing Espression: Coffee, Paintings & Poetry at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Fort Myers
An homage to the richness and cultural significance of espresso, this aromatic exhibit of works by Cuban American realist painter Reynier Llanes expresses personal history through art. The works call back to the artist’s homeland in a multisensory experience featuring coffee-on-paper paintings accompanied by poetry from local writers. Learn More
Jan. 8
Margaret Atwood at Artis—Naples
Award-winning author Margaret Atwood discusses her illustrious career—including her most recent poetry collection, Songs for Murdered Sisters—with Artis—Naples CEO and president Kathleen van Bergen and artistic and music director Alexander Shelley. The insightful conversation centers around the collection’s deep impact, setting the tone for the Naples Philharmonic’s performance of the piece on January 30 and 31. Learn More
Jan. 8 — Feb. 12
Water Reflections at Aldo Castillo Gallery, Naples
Art and science collide in these water-inspired works by Miami-based artist Enrique Machado. The textured paintings evoke cascading water droplets with their silicone and resin drips on wooden backgrounds. Learn More
Jan. 9 — Feb. 27
Alter Ego at Method & Concept, Naples
Swedish glass artist Peter Hermansson makes his U.S. debut in this showcase of his contemporary blown glass artworks. The collection features 20 large installations with mesmerizing layers of colored glasses, intended to explore the human perception of reality. Meet the artist at the opening reception on January 9. Learn More
Jan. 10 — Feb. 5
Harmony at PDA Gallery, Naples
The Naples Design District showroom opens its 2025 season with an exhibition of minimalist works by the late, prolific Japanese designer Shigeru Uchida. The exhibition is the largest known collection of the often underappreciated designer’s works in North America. Attend the private viewing party on January 9 for an educational presentation and light bites from Nat Nat natural wine bar. Learn More
Jan. 11 and 12
Bonita Springs National Art Festival in Riverside Park, Bonita Springs
The art center’s festival returns for its 25th year, welcoming more than 200 artists presenting works in a variety of mediums. Browse artworks to purchase—including paintings, photography and jewelry—and enjoy food and beverages, all in support of the organization’s mission to provide youth art programs to underserved communities. Learn More
Jan 11 and 12
Cape Coral Art Festival & Market Place
The Cape Coral Art Festival & Market Place returns for its 40th year with more than 300 artists from around the world. Enjoy delicious concessions and live entertainment as you peruse the works. If you can’t make the event in person, log on to the virtual festival, where you can shop the artwork until the end of the month. Learn More
Jan. 15 — Feb. 16
The Play That Goes Wrong at The Naples Players
From an unconscious leading lady to a corpse that can’t play dead—everything that could possibly get flubbed, does in this farcical performance. Brimming with mishaps and hilarious shenanigans, the Olivier Award-winning comedy chronicles the opening night of the Cornley University Drama Society’s newest production and all the hilarious disasters that ensue. Learn More
Jan. 16-18
Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition at Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers
Watch as 20 top emerging opera singers vie for career-transforming contracts. The Luciano Pavarotti Foundation president Nicoletta Mantovani, Opera Naples artistic and music director Ramón Tebar and a stacked jury judge the three-round, live-performance competition, setting the scene for the winner to perform at Opera Naples’ Festival Under the Stars’ opening night on February 27. Learn More
Jan. 16-20
Festival of Birds at Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Naples
Connect with fellow bird enthusiasts and celebrate the beauty of the winged creatures during this annual festival. Embark on field trips through the preserve led by avian experts, sit in on a presentation from wildlife biologist and ornithologist Dr. Jerry Jackson and try your hand at watercolor painting classes. Learn More
Jan. 16 — Feb. 6
Dial “M” For Murder at Gulfshore Playhouse, Naples
Rife with suspense, blackmail and revenge, the thrilling mystery takes on a new life with American playwright Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of English playwright and screenwriter Frederick Knott’s’ murderous thriller. All the twists and turns that inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s masterful screen adaptation come to Gulfshore Playhouse’s Moran Mainstage. Learn More
Jan. 17 — Feb. 2
Balmain Ephemeral Boutique on Third Street South, Naples
La Bonne Vie Pop-Up Shop launches its Second Edition with iconic French fashion house Balmain, showcasing the brand’s opulent elegance and structured silhouettes. The pop-up shop concept hosts a rotating selection of couture luxury brands during season, bringing a European-style fashion experience to Southwest Florida. Learn More
Jan. 18
Ode to Joy at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers
The triumph and emotion of Beethoven’s iconic composition returns to Fort Myers after more than a decade of absence. Southwest Florida Symphony joins the Fort Myers Mastersingers and Opera Naples for a performance of Symphony No. 9. A student orchestra joins Southwest Florida Symphony musicians to open the evening and spotlight the young talents of the region. Learn More
Jan. 18 — Apr. 6
Art in Balance: Matisse & and His Illustrated Works at Naples Art Institute
Revel in the captivating works of French artist Henri Matisse, renowned for his use of color, signature fluid drawing style and prolific prints. This selection of more than 140 works showcases Matisse’s brilliance through lithographs, pochoirs and linocuts. For the artist, printmaking was an extension of drawing and served as a way to continue in his craft even when painting became challenging toward the end of his life. Learn More
Jan 23-26
Naples Boat Show at Sugden Regional Park and Naples City Dock
Boat lovers delight in Naples’ largest recreational boat show’s display of top-of-the-line vessels and marine equipment. The event takes place in water, with boats docked at the Naples City Dock and on land at Sugden Regional Park with a complimentary shuttle service to transport guests. Enjoy delicious bites from vendors like Eden’s Earth Wind & Fryer and Loud Italian Pizza—and don’t forget to grab dessert from Rita’s Ice. Learn More
Jan. 27
International Holocaust Remembrance Day at The Laboratory Theater of Florida, Fort Myers
The Lab welcomes the community to come together and honor the lives and memories of Holocaust victims and survivors. Ella Nayor, the theater’s Holocaust and Human Rights Outreach Director, understands the need to preserve such stories and offers this event as an opportunity to remember and reflect. The program includes a series of musical performances and stories, shining light on the tragedy with the intention to educate younger generations. Learn More
Jan. 31
Jerry Seinfeld at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers
The iconic comedian, known for his Emmy Award-winning, namesake ’90s sitcom and his more recent Netflix projects, like Jerry Before Seinfeld and 23 Hours to Kill, brings his signature stand-up routine to Fort Myers. The actor—beloved for his ability to find humor in mundanity—continues to amuse national and international audiences. Learn More