Rockstar has spent the run-up to November 19 turning parts of real Miami into Vice City. It has also run into local politics. This is the timeline as reported, with the money and the votes, and what the street ads tell you about the game. Everything below comes from local government records as reported, and from the outlets named.
The timeline
| Date (2026) | What happened | Reported by |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 10 | Miami Beach's commission votes 4–3 to let the city manager negotiate with Rockstar, for a reported $3 million. | PC Gamer |
| Sept 22 | Pieces of a giant "Welcome to Vice City" sign are airlifted onto the roof of the Kaseya Center, the Miami Heat's arena. | GamesRadar+, citing the Miami Herald |
| Sept 24 | The sign's price emerges: $975,000 to Miami-Dade County. A county commissioner and the sheriff object. | Notebookcheck |
| Oct 3 | The Heat announce "A Night in Vice City" for November 18, the night before launch. | Notebookcheck |
| From Oct 15 | Branded umbrellas on Miami Beach, a banner plane and a blimp, then parody ads for in-game brands on digital kiosks in Wynwood. | Creative Bloq, GTA BOOM |
| Oct 21–22 | Fans post photos of Burger Shot and Cluckin' Bell food stands inside the Kaseya Center, in place of a Skinny Louie stand. | Dexerto, Beebom |
| Nov 6 | The Heat unveil Vice City uniforms made with Rockstar, Nike and Travis Scott, to be worn and sold on November 18. | Sole Retriever |
| Sat, Nov 21 | "Grand Theft Auto VI: The Festival", a launch concert at Mana Wynwood, presented by Rockstar and PlayStation. | Rockstar Newswire |
The $975,000 sign
The sign is pink lettering reading "Welcome to Vice City", laid flat on the Kaseya Center roof so it reads from the air. Notebookcheck, citing planning documents reviewed by GTAVice.net, puts it at about 436 square meters (4,690 sq ft), and says Rockstar pays the county $975,000 in three installments: $243,750 at signing, $243,750 when the materials arrived and $487,500 after installation.
That figure is the political story. Per Notebookcheck, which cites the Miami Herald and a county press release, $975,000 is $25,000 under the amount that would have needed a vote of the 13-member Board of County Commissioners. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava delegated approval, and several commissioners said they hadn't known about the contract. Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez and Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz asked the county to reject Rockstar partnerships. Bermudez had earlier objected to an idea of temporarily calling Miami International Airport "Vice City Airport", and Cordero-Stutz said "Miami-Dade County is not Vice City."
Miami Beach's 4–3 vote
Miami Beach went further in public. Its September 10 vote authorized negotiations, not a finished contract, and kept GTA 6 branding off city property such as lifeguard stands, per PC Gamer. The campaign instead runs on the chairs and umbrellas of the beach concessionaire Boucher Brothers. Commissioner Monica Matteo-Salinas's line during the debate, "We're not giving away pistols and cocaine to people," gave the story its headline. The $3 million figure is reported, not from a published contract.
What the street ads show
From mid-October, digital kiosks in Wynwood ran ads for GTA 6's fictional brands between real ones, documented first by local creator Joel Franco on X. GTA BOOM lists the brands and slogans:
- Pfister (a Porsche parody): "Go Topless"
- Kowalski jewelry: "Suddenly You Are Big Enough"
- Kronos watches: "Always Come Early"
- Grotti Itali RSX: "Puts the Sex in Drive"
- Vapid Sandking XT: "Truck like a man"
- Weazel News: "Fact Yourself"
Creative Bloq also saw ads for The Vault nightclub, and GTA BOOM reports a real-world Burger Shot rebrand at the arena. For players, the useful part is that these are names from Rockstar's own campaign, so they are about as close to confirmed as in-game brands get before launch. Fan wikis also report real ads for the V-Rock and Vice City FM radio stations; we haven't found that in the coverage we read, so treat it as unverified.
Burger Shot and Cluckin' Bell at the arena
The arena got a menu change too. Around October 21, fans posted photos of a Burger Shot stand inside the Kaseya Center, where a Skinny Louie stand had been, with staff in GTA-style uniforms and branded packaging, per Dexerto. A Cluckin' Bell stand was spotted in the same building. One fan said a burger, fries and drink cost over $37; Dexerto didn't confirm that, and neither outlet says who runs the stands or how long they'll stay open. Beebom notes the menu skips the game's joke items.
These are real-world tie-ins, not footage from the game. GTA Wiki hasn't identified either chain in Rockstar's GTA 6 trailers or screenshots so far, though both are long-running series brands: see Burger Shot and Cluckin' Bell.
The Heat game on November 18
The Heat host the Milwaukee Bucks at the Kaseya Center on November 18 for "A Night in Vice City," with a custom court and new uniforms, per Notebookcheck. Sole Retriever reports the uniforms were designed with Rockstar, Nike and Travis Scott's Cactus Jack: an on-court version with no overt GTA branding, and a blacked-out fan "Swingman" jersey with pink accents and "Vice City" in place of the Heat logo, sold only at the arena that night. The Heat's separate Vice City Collection of shirts, caps and a hoodie ($45–$100) is on its online store.
November 18 is also the day reviews are reported to go live (see our review embargo explainer), and the game unlocks at midnight on the East Coast a few hours after the final buzzer. Unlock times by region are in our Unlock Time Finder.
The festival on November 21
OFFICIAL Rockstar's Rockstar Newswire announced Grand Theft Auto VI: The Festival, a one-night live event on Saturday, November 21, at Mana Wynwood in Miami, two days after launch. Per CGMagazine (via Yahoo), it's presented with PlayStation, and the lineup includes Travis Scott with Don Toliver, Kodak Black and Sofaygo, Cardi B, Metro Boomin, Tainy, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, Rauw & Friends and a Justice DJ set, among others.
Tickets aren't free and go through a lottery: entries closed November 10 at 4 PM ET, and winners can buy on November 11 from 12 PM ET, up to two each, via DICE. Attendees must be 17 or older, and there's no parking on site. Rockstar hasn't published a ticket price, and we haven't seen a livestream announced.
What we couldn't confirm
- The final Miami Beach contract and its value. Only the vote and the reported $3 million are public in the coverage we read.
- Whether the City of Miami has its own deal. GamesRadar+ says it does but gives no detail.
- The radio-station ads mentioned above, and reported Spotify billboards in other cities.
More on the game's Miami connection: Vice City vs Miami and Vice City.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Rockstar pay for the Welcome to Vice City sign?
$975,000 to Miami-Dade County, paid in three installments, per Notebookcheck citing planning documents and the Miami Herald.
Why did Miami-Dade officials object to GTA 6 marketing?
Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez and Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz asked the county to reject Rockstar partnerships. The deal was approved by the mayor's delegation without a commission vote, $25,000 under the threshold for one.
What brands are in the GTA 6 Miami ads?
Pfister, Kowalski, Kronos, the Grotti Itali RSX, the Vapid Sandking XT and Weazel News, per GTA BOOM, plus The Vault nightclub, per Creative Bloq.
When is the Miami Heat GTA 6 game?
November 18, 2026, against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Kaseya Center, the night before launch.
When is GTA VI: The Festival?
Saturday, November 21, 2026, at Mana Wynwood in Miami. Tickets were sold by lottery to people who entered by November 10, and Rockstar hasn't announced a livestream.
Sources
- Notebookcheck: Rockstar's $975,000 Welcome to Vice City deal (Sept 24, 2026)
- Notebookcheck: GTA 6 promo on Miami Heat arena (Sept 24, 2026)
- GamesRadar+: GTA 6's $1 million billboard goes up (Sept 22, 2026)
- PC Gamer: Miami Beach votes in favor (Sept 11, 2026)
- Notebookcheck: Miami Heat event one day before launch (Oct 3, 2026)
- Creative Bloq: GTA 6 unleashes saucy ads in Miami (Oct 21, 2026)
- GTA BOOM: Rockstar's crude humor in real Miami ads (Oct 21, 2026)
- Dexerto: GTA's Burger Shot and Cluckin' Bell are now real in Miami (Oct 22, 2026)
- Beebom: IRL Burger Shot and Cluckin' Bell joints in Miami (Oct 22, 2026)
- Sole Retriever: Travis Scott, Nike and Rockstar Miami Heat uniforms (Nov 6, 2026)
- Rockstar Newswire: Grand Theft Auto VI: The Festival
- CGMagazine via Yahoo: GTA VI is throwing a massive Miami music festival (updated Nov 9, 2026)