How Carbone Beach keeps annual Miami Grand Prix fête elite: ‘It’s the Fort Knox of parties’

Carbone Beach — the annual VIP dinner party on the sand celebrating Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix — will be as elite as ever when it returns in May.

“Every year someone tries to get me to make it bigger, and I refuse,” Major Food Group (MFG) co-founder Jeff Zalaznick tells Page Six exclusively of the America Express-sponsored soirée.

“I think that’s part of the appeal, and I think it’s important to us that it’s a highly-curated, very exciting, spectacular event on all fronts, and that’s why we keep it this size,” he explains.

MFG co-founder Jeff Zalaznick, seen here at Carbone Beach in 2023, makes sure the annual F1 party stays “highly exclusive.” Getty Images for American Express Presents Carbone Beach VIPs like Jeff Bezos and LeBron James have attended the party in the sand. Getty Images for American Express Presents Carbone Beach

Since its 2022 inception, only 400 lucky attendees have been granted access into each seating of the four-night extravaganza — for a staggering $3,000-a-head starting entry fee — and this year is no exception.

“We’ve been very conscious about not making it larger and keeping things consistent because we’re very happy with the product as it is,” Zalaznick says, calling the event “highly exclusive.”

“We don’t want it to be bigger, and we don’t want it to be smaller,” he adds. “We think it’s a perfect, intimate size where you feel like you’re truly in an intimate setting that’s not some giant party, but still enough people to have a party.”

“We think it’s a perfect, intimate size where you feel like you’re truly in an intimate setting that’s not some giant party, but still enough people to have a party,” Zalaznick tells Page Six. Getty Images for American Express Presents Carbone Beach Attendees like Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner get to indulge in Carbone’s famous spicy vodka rigatoni and other delicacies. Getty Images for American Express Presents Carbone Beach

The soirée has attracted a star-studded crowd with its endless helpings of spicy vodka rigatoni, caviar handrolls and top-shelf cocktails, with past A-list attendees including LeBron James, Serena and Venus Williams, David Beckham, Jeff Bezos, Travis Kelce, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.

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While Zalaznick won’t divulge this year’s guest list for privacy reasons, he assures us the turnout will be sure to impress.

“People are already getting excited about coming back, so I think it will be quite similar to what we’ve seen in the past,” he muses.

Surprise performers have featured Diddy, Diana Ross and Andrea Bocelli. Getty Images for American Express Presents Carbone Beach “We don’t tell you who’s performing and, just like you do in our restaurants, our guests trust us. They know we’re going to give them an incredible experience and put someone incredible up onstage,” Zalaznick says. Getty Images for American Express Presents Carbone Beach

As for the surprise entertainment portion of the night, Zalaznick promises partygoers “can expect some really big names.”

“Most people use acts to sell tickets, whereas we’ve never done that,” the restaurateur notes. “We don’t tell you who’s performing and, just like you do in our restaurants, our guests trust us. They know we’re going to give them an incredible experience and put someone incredible up onstage.”

Previous performers at the lavish fête have included Sean “Diddy” Combs, Diana Ross, Andrea Bocelli, Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill, Nas, Busta Rhymes, Kygo and more.

Only people on the guest list can gain entrance into the fête, where Mario Carbone serves up dishes. Getty Images for American Express Presents Carbone Beach “We have a very serious security team in place that ensures no one gets in that’s not supposed to be there,” Zalaznick says. Getty Images for American Express Presents Carbone Beach

We’re told coordinators will be running a tight ship at the door, so party crashers won’t be able to sneak past the velvet ropes.

“We have a very serious security team in place that ensures no one gets in that’s not supposed to be there,” Zalaznick says, joking, “It’s the Fort Knox of parties.”

MFG’s Zalaznick, Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi’s third installment of American Express Presents Carbone Beach will run from May 2 to 5. Tickets and tables can be reserved on CarboneBeach.com.