Miami Hosts Nova Music Festival Exhibition Honoring October 7 Victims

The Nova Music Festival, once a vibrant celebration of music and community in Re’im, Israel, turned into a scene of unimaginable tragedy on October 7, 2023. At sunrise, at 6:29 AM, thousands of Hamas terrorists launched a brutal attack on the festival and surrounding areas, killing 1,200 people—including 370 festival attendees—and abducting over 250 individuals, including 44 innocent civilians from the festival.

Despite the devastation, the spirit of the Nova Festival lives on. In response, the festival’s founders, led by Reut Feingold, created the Nova Music Festival Exhibition—a large-scale commemorative installation preserving the memory of those lost. After a 10-week debut in Tel Aviv, the exhibition traveled to New York and Los Angeles, where over 260,000 visitors came to pay tribute.

The exhibition has now arrived in Miami, thanks to a partnership with Scooter Braun, Josh Kadden, and Joe Teplow. Since its opening in late December, it has drawn over 25,000 visitors, including Miami Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, David and Isabela Grutman, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Jermaine Dupri, Jimmy Butler, and Claudia and Jackie Oshry.

This deeply moving exhibit immerses visitors in the harsh realities of October 7, showcasing burnt-out vehicles, bullet-riddled structures, and personal belongings left behind in the chaos. At its heart stands a healing room, anchored by a lighthouse inscribed with the message “We will dance again,” symbolizing the resilience of the Nova community. Survivors of the attack are present to share their firsthand testimonies.

Proceeds support the Nova Healing Journey, an initiative providing mental health care for victims and their families.

Additionally, several special events are scheduled at the exhibit, including testimonies from survivors like Ziv Abod, who endured the attack while seeking refuge in a “Migunit” shelter. Her nephew and his girlfriend were tragically killed, and her spouse, Elya Cohen, remains in captivity in Gaza, expected to be released in the coming weeks as part of an ongoing hostage deal.