In downtown Miami, Rockstar has transformed the Kaseya Center roof into a giant “Welcome to Vice City” display, making the Miami Heat’s home a real-world Grand Theft Auto 6 billboard. The pink-and-white message carries the game’s “VI” emblem, and crews lifted its sections into place individually; from above, it can now be seen across the city skyline.
Quick answer: The sign went up on the Kaseya Center roof on September 22, 2026, and Miami-Dade County is collecting $975,000 from Rockstar for it under a marketing agreement.
What the “Welcome to Vice City” sign is and where it sits
The installation is a massive rooftop sign reading “Welcome to Vice City” alongside the pink “VI” symbol. It sits on the circular roof of the Kaseya Center, the arena in downtown Miami that hosts the NBA’s Miami Heat. The location was chosen for visibility: the roof faces the sky, so planes descending into Miami International Airport get a clear look at it.
Crews pre-assembled the letters on the ground at the arena property first. On September 22, a helicopter lifted each section into position while workers secured them to the roof. Fans had been tracking the build for days before the final piece dropped into place.
The marketing agreement bars the words “Grand Theft Auto” from the physical sign. Only “Vice City” and the “VI” logo are permitted on the roof.
The $975,000 deal and how it was approved
Rockstar will pay Miami-Dade County $975,000 for the promotion. Since the county owns the Kaseya Center, the payment goes to Miami-Dade instead of the Miami Heat.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava signed the agreement on a Friday using her authority to enter contracts under $1 million without board approval. That figure keeps the deal just below the threshold that would have forced a full commission vote. Commissioner Oliver Gilbert III pushed back, arguing that the mayor’s office should not be able to split multiple sub-$1 million agreements with the same vendor to avoid board oversight.
The payment is structured across three milestones tied to the sign’s progress.
| Milestone | Fee |
|---|---|
| On execution of the agreement | $243,750 |
| Once all materials delivered to the roof | $243,750 |
| Once the sign is substantially functional | $487,500 |
Revenue from the deal is earmarked in part to help fund a trail in Overtown, after city commissioners voted to allow oversized promotional banners tied to the campaign.
The bigger plans that got rejected
The rooftop sign is a scaled-down version of what was first floated. The Miami Beach Commission initially approved a real-world marketing campaign worth around $4 million, but the Miami-Dade County Commission did not sign off on that larger deal.
Among the discarded ideas was renaming sections of Miami International Airport to “Vice City Airport.” The Miami Sheriff turned that plan down, citing the game’s focus on crime and violence against law enforcement. Miami Beach also declined certain proposals. The pushback centered on whether public property should promote a game built around carjacking, shooting, and criminal activity.
How long the sign stays up and key dates
The agreement sets an October 15 deadline for the sign’s installation. Once up, the lettering is scheduled to stay in place for the later of one year after installation or until the final Miami Heat home game of the 2026-27 season, which falls on April 11, 2027. That keeps the sign visible through the rest of 2026 and into next spring.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Sign installed on Kaseya Center roof | September 22, 2026 |
| Installation deadline in the agreement | October 15, 2026 |
| Miami Heat first regular-season home game | October 21, 2026 |
| GTA 6 launch (PS5, Xbox Series X|S) | November 19, 2026 |
| Latest scheduled removal date | April 11, 2027 |
Since the Heat’s home opener is scheduled weeks ahead of the game’s release, aerial TV coverage should show the sign throughout the season. Grand Theft Auto 6 reaches PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19, 2026, making the rooftop takeover an apparent first step in a marketing campaign Rockstar has not yet launched at full scale.
