A New Stage for Healing: Miami’s Seacrest Studios Opens at Nicklaus Children’s

Grand opening brings music, TV energy and a clear purpose to the hospital floor

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation marked a joyful moment this week with the opening of Seacrest Studios in Miami. The ribbon-cutting felt more like a small show, with hospital staff, foundation leaders, and a few celebrity guests on hand to celebrate a new media studio built right inside the children’s hospital.

The new studio is designed to let kids create radio and video programs, interview visitors, and take part in live events from a safe, clinical setting. Organizers pitched the project as a way to lift spirits and give patients a creative outlet during treatment. The crowd cheered as the studio’s first live segment went on air — a short, upbeat show made by kids and staff — and the mood in the hospital lobby shifted from routine to festive for the day.

Familiar faces helped turn the opening into a neighborhood party

Several well-known entertainers joined the celebration. Actors and social creators stopped by to lend support, pose for photos, and sit in on segments. Their presence turned the ceremony into a friendly, high-profile welcome for the new space and made the event feel less like a press release and more like a community happening.

Beyond the celebrities, the event drew nurses, child life specialists, volunteers and families whose children have used earlier hospital programs. Many guests lingered after the formal program to watch children try the broadcast equipment and to congratulate the teams who brought the studio to life.

What the studio looks like and how it will operate day to day

The Seacrest Studios space is bright and modern, with kid-sized seating, microphones, cameras and easy-to-use production gear. It’s set up for short broadcasts, pre-recorded segments and interactive programming so a child can join from a bed or a play area without long setup or travel.

The hospital plans to use the studio for a mix of shows. Expect music spots, talent showcases, visits from performers and scheduled programs led by child life staff. The first broadcast featured kids introducing their favorite songs and sharing quick stories. Staff emphasized that most programming will be short, flexible and tuned to the needs of patients who may have limited energy or be on treatment schedules.

Words from the people who built and welcomed the studio

Ryan Seacrest, whose foundation helped fund the project, said, “This is a place where kids get to be kids and to feel the joy of telling their own stories.” His remarks during the opening stressed the idea that entertainment can be a form of medicine when it brings smiles and choice back to children’s days.

Nicklaus Children’s leadership called the studio a new tool for healing. One senior hospital leader said, “We wanted a space that brings light into hard moments. The studio helps children express themselves and connect with others while they receive care.”

A visiting entertainer added, “Seeing kids light up when they get behind a mic is something I’ll never forget.” That simple reaction captured how the day felt: not grand, but genuinely moving.

Why this matters for patients and for Miami families

The Seacrest Studios project is meant to do more than create cute clips. Hospital staff expect it to reduce stress, give children a sense of control and boost mood — all things that help when someone is recovering or undergoing treatment. Short creative sessions are intended to break the long stretches of medical routine and give patients something fun and normal to look forward to.

For the wider Miami community, the studio opens a new way to connect with the hospital. Local schools, entertainers and volunteers can take part in programming, and families who visit may feel more included when their children see peers on small broadcasts. The space also offers a gentle public face for the hospital, showing how care can include play and creativity.

The organizations behind the idea and what comes next

The Ryan Seacrest Foundation has a track record of placing studios in children’s hospitals around the country. Its mission is to create broadcast and media education centers that provide creative outlets for young patients. Nicklaus Children’s has worked with community partners for years to expand programs that support emotional and developmental needs alongside medical care.

In the months ahead, the hospital will open scheduled times for classes and broadcasts and will invite community partners to participate. The studio launch is a visible step, but staff say the real work is in keeping programming lively, frequent and sensitive to the needs of kids and families who use it.

On a busy hospital floor, the new studio offers a simple promise: a moment of play, a chance to be heard and a reminder that illness doesn’t have to define a child’s every day.

Photo: Karola G / Pexels

Sources

• prnewswire.com