Miami Beach Votes 4-3 to Let Rockstar Advertise GTA 6

Business

11 September 2026 15:45

Well, one of the weirdest discussions for marketing GTA VI.

The commission spent 10th September debating whether to associate the city of Miami with Grand Theft Auto before approving negotiations by one vote.

Commissioner David Suarez played GTA 5 footage and clips from the Extended Look to argue the game conflicts with what Miami Beach spends money promoting, and stated it wasn't worth taking any amount for.

Monica Matteo-Salinas stated "a win for gamers and gaming nerds, such as myself," while distinguishing between enjoying a fictional game and endorsing what happens in it.

Tanya Katzoff Bhatt stated "This is coming to Miami Beach with or without us, and to pretend that it isn't is a missed opportunity." She put the value at "closer to $4 million or so in benefits to the city, which itself would pay for the Flamingo football field renovation project that is currently not funded."

What was actually approved

Authority for the city manager to negotiate a deal is approved.

Mayor Steven Meiner flagged stated that as unusual, noting agreements normally come back to the commission for final review before sign-off. Questions were also asked on whether a lobbyist helped fast-track the proposal.

Rockstar is expected to pay around 3 million just for the promo, with the city pushing higher. City manager James Reyes will now negotiate for more, and a separate vote on downtown is expected.

What it looks like

"There's not going to be any of their logos on our city property, meaning it won't be on lifeguard stands or iconic public spaces," commissioner Laura Dominguez said. "It will be advertised discretely with our partner, the Boucher Brothers, and we are working in conjunction with them. It'll be on their chairs and their umbrellas."

No Grand Theft Auto branding anywhere. Just "Vice City" and the Roman numeral VI. Running between 15 October to 31 December.

Boucher Brothers is the beach operators. GTA 6 made it a parody of it called Sol Sisters.