‘Once in a lifetime’: Coral Gables to host centennial concert at Venetian Pool
The city of Coral Gables will be hosting a concert under the stars at the historic Venetian Pool to celebrate its 100th birthday.
The Dec. 7 centennial concert, featuring Maestro Eduardo Marturet and the Miami Symphony Orchestra, will serve as the grand finale of a yearlong celebration for the City Beautiful.
The goal is to bring the “community together in a celebration that is very iconic for Coral Gables,” said Martha Pantin, the director of communications for the city who has led the centennial celebration efforts. Tickets cost $250 and are available to buy online.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Pantin added, noting that it’s a way to “celebrate our past” while “we look to the future.”
The night, which will include a cocktail reception, “music through the ages” and 1920s-themed attire, is expected to transport concertgoers into decades past, when concerts were not uncommon at the historic Venetian.
A history of music at the Venetian Pool
Pantin said that the Venetian Pool, one of the city’s most popular sites, first opened as the Venetian Casino in 1924, part of founder George Merrick’s vision for the city. It was the place to be for high society and used to host a series of events, including orchestra concerts. The pool’s spring water would be drained so the orchestra could perform on the pool floor.
Concerts held at the drained pool included the first national opera troupe performance in Miami on Feb. 2, 1926, according to the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables.
“The million-dollar production [$16 million today!] had a cast of 30 singers and 28 ballet dancers who arrived on three special trains ... A year earlier, in 1925, the celebrated Paul Whiteman Orchestra played in the Venetian Pool to help George Merrick promote sales in Coral Gables,” the association said in a Nov. 14 Facebook post.
Now, concertgoers will get to experience a Venetian Pool concert again for the city’s 100th anniversary, an event Pantin said was added to the celebration lineup after interest from residents.
That lineup has included a series of events throughout the year, including monthly centennial bike tours, an ongoing centennial exhibit at the Coral Gables Museum, a flag-raising ceremony and a play honoring the city’s history. The city of Coral Gables, one of the country’s first planned communities, was incorporated on April 29, 1925.
As for the centennial concert, it’s a musical experience that has been repeated only a few times in recent history. The Venetian concert experience was duplicated in 2001 to commemorate the city’s 75th birthday, with a similar concert held for its 90th, according to Pantin and the city’s website.
“The Centennial Grand Finale at the Venetian Pool is a once-in-a-century moment for our community. Bringing the Miami Symphony Orchestra to one of our most iconic landmarks honors our history as we look to the future and caps a year of engaging with our residents through a series of Centennial events,” Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago said in a statement. “This is an opportunity for all of Coral Gables to come together and commemorate the City Beautiful’s legacy and bright future.”
The centennial concert will also give concertgoers a sneak peek to the newly renovated and restored Venetian Pool, which has been shuttered since October 2024 and is set to reopen on Dec. 9, two days after the concert.
The pool, built from coral rock with waterfalls and cave-like grottos, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 and is one of the few swimming pools in the country to have that designation.
Those who plan to attend the Dec. 7 centennial concert, which runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., are asked to don cocktail or 1920s-themed attire. Concertgoers will also have the opportunity to record their own Coral Gables story at a pop-up recording booth at the event for the city’s centennial archives. To learn more about the concert, buy tickets or see sponsorship opportunities, visit the city’s website.
And while 2025 is nearly over, there are still other ways to join in the city’s 100th birthday celebration. Visit the city’s official centennial website — 100coralgables.com — to learn about Gables history, watch videos, listen to audio recordings and submit photos to share your own Gables story.
If you go to the centennial concert
What: Coral Gables centennial concert
When: Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Where: Venetian Pool, 2701 De Soto Blvd., Coral Gables, Florida 33134
Dress code: Cocktail or 1920s attire
Cost: $250 per ticket. Buy your ticket online at https://www.coralgables.com/events/centennial-grand-finale-venetian-pool.
