By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-03-22 15:11:31 | Updated at 2025-03-23 14:16:34
23 hours ago
Thousands of beer-guzzling and bikini-clad spring breakers have flocked to Fort Lauderdale in droves for another week of sun-soaked, booze-fueled debauchery by the beach.
The city's main strip of oceanfront bars and clubs were packed out with college students for another season, after public officials openly encouraged revelers to 'come for the fun', in a spring break-friendly campaign ad last month.
DailyMail.com was there to capture the fun – and the chaos – that went on into the night all along Fort Lauderdale's Las Olas Beach, often dubbed 'Spring Break Central.'
Partygoers were seen alternating between the beach and the bars throughout the day, dressed in teeny swimsuits and colorful trunks, their wrists stacked with colorful admission wristbands they collected from every club.
The scenes were the same inside every venue: bleary-eyed revelers clutching canned seltzers in one hand and their cellphones in the other.
At Cafe Ibiza, drinks were flowing freely and shots were being fired – from plastic water guns filled with cheap vodka.
Meanwhile, on the beach, crowds of partygoers packed out nearly every stretch of sand and appeared undeterred by the heavy presence of police officers on horseback looking to keep a lid on the celebrations.
With the annual tradition in full swing, the revelry also inevitably brings a rise in arrests linked to drug and alcohol-related offenses.
College students packed out Fort Lauderdale's beachfront bars and clubs for another boozy, wild Spring Break season, DailyMail.com photos show
Chaos went on long into the night all along Las Olas Beach, often dubbed 'Spring Break Central'
But for some a hard night partying can lead to a lazy next day
No need for a glass at Cafe Ibiza. Cheap vodka was fired straight from plastic water guns
Last week, video emerged of crowds watching as two men with boxing gloves fought each other on a Fort Lauderdale beach, with one witness saying that people were betting on the brawl with cryptocurrency.
Joshua Pettus, the man who recorded the video of the fight, lives nearby on a boat and was walking the beach when he saw a massive crowd forming.
'I started hearing somebody taking bets, and they were doing it with crypto,' Pettus told NBC 6 South Florida.
The video shot by Pettus shows a man hyping up the crowd before two other men put on the boxing gloves.
After touching gloves, the men began throwing frenzied punches at one another before one of them got knocked down.
Pettus claimed that students in the circle were kicking the man while he was on the sand and still being punched by his opponent.
Women did not shy away from flaunting their assets in teeny tiny bikinis and skimpy beach attire
At Cafe Ibiza, most only needed a drink and a phone
Sparks flew inside the many bars catering to Fort Lauderdale spring breakers
The bar staff were just as pumped as its patrons, with one bartender encouraging crowds by standing at the bar
Fun's not just for the young. A handful of older partygoers joined the spring breakers
Partygoers alternated between the beach and the bars all day, with their wrists stacked with colorful admission wristbands to every club
Police officers riding ATVs quickly arrived to break up the fight, but it appeared to take some time for the crowd to disperse.
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department issued a statement addressing the violent clash on the beach, cautioning that they had found no evidence of any betting going on.
'Fort Lauderdale Police witnessed and broke up two incidents on the beach and the crowd complied both times without further issues.
'There have been no reported or confirmed cases of betting. This type of behavior will not be tolerated,' the department stated.
'Our police department is out along the beach in full force to make this spring break season safe and enjoyable for visitors and residents alike. We encourage anyone who witnesses a disturbance to call 911,' the statement concluded.
Late last month the city of Fort Lauderdale announced a law enforcement plan to promote responsible partying in anticipation of booze-fueled antics and related offenses associated with Spring Break season.
A spring breaker with a multitude of club bracelets on his wrist is fired at with a booze filled squirt gun
The price of a drink from a squirt gun was affordable to most at the bar Stuck Outside
The influx of partygoers comes as Fort Lauderdale invited spring breakers to the city while announcing a law enforcement plan to promote responsible partying last month
The Elbo Room in Fort Lauderdale was one of many beach bars that were packed with Spring Breakers
Unlike neighboring city and former Spring Break hotspot Miami, Fort Lauderdale officials have taken an open arms approach to their influx of visitors, with Mayor Dean Trantalis welcoming revelers to the city.
'This year we will welcome our spring breakers,' the mayor said in a press conference in February. 'We had a very successful year last year.'
The city's public safety measures - which will remain in place until April 12 - include tripling the number of police officers on patrol and beach sweeps. Police presence has been increased in the entertainment area from 10pm to 4am.
Alcohol, coolers, tents, and live music have also been prohibited in high-trafficked areas on the beach.
The South Florida city, located just 30 miles north of Miami, has become a popular Spring Break destination in recent years amid strict crackdowns and stringent measures to curb the rowdy behavior that usually overwhelms Miami Beach every year.
Earlier this year Miami installed harsher penalties, including hefty $100 parking fees, midnight curfews, security checkpoints, anti-DUI enforcement, and a bolstered police force in hopes of deterring Spring Break chaos.
Meanwhile, on the beach, crowds of partygoers packed out nearly every stretch of sand and appeared undeterred by the heavy presence of police officers on horseback looking to keep a lid on the celebrations
Florida's horse mounted police prowled the beaches to stop the parties from getting out of hand. They even woke a group of surprised once-sleeping girls on the beach telling them it was time to move
A female beachgoer was caught trying to discreetly spark up on the beach
For the 2022 season - before local law enforcement began cracking down - there were more than 1,000 arrests and nearly 100 gun seizures reported in those weeks.
In 2023, the city saw 488 arrests in Miami Beach, more than 230 of which were felony offenses, and more than 100 firearms were seized.
The full-on effort, however, has come at the expense of Miami businesses who say they have lost millions of dollars in revenue due to the strictly enforced curfews.
A girl was flipped by a group of boys while another filmed the stunt
Last year, three popular Miami nightclubs attempted to challenge the harsh restrictions in court, filing a lawsuit to lift the newly-implemented midnight curfew.
M2, Mynt Lounge, and Exchanged, in South Beach ultimately failed to have the curfew overturned after Judge David C. Miller denied the request.
As for college students, they have since simply flocked to nearby party towns instead, such as Panama City Beach, Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale - where its bustling strip of bars and nightclubs welcomed the business boom.
Unlike Miami, Fort Lauderdale also appears to have a more laxed approach to local laws and ordinances.
Despite a citywide ban on alcohol, coolers, tents, tables, or loud music on the beach, many college students were seen openly flouting the rules as police watched on.
