Neon is a Gen-Z-centered, musical comedy series that follows three friends who move from a small town in Florida to Miami with the hopes of making it big in the world of reggaeton. For those readers who might not know, Reggaeton, also known as reggaetón and reguetón, is a style of popular electronic music that originated in Panama during the late 1980s and was later popularised in Puerto Rico. Does this give us a clue about where Neon was filmed? We explore some of the locations used below.
The Daddy Yankee-produced story stars Tyler Dean Flores as Santi, an aspiring reggaeton artist hoping for his first record deal, Emma Ferreira as Vanessa, Santi’s manager, and Jordan Mendoza as Felix, his artistic director and social media manager. The three dreamers hit many weathering roadblocks and reality checks in their quest for success, battling all the highs and lows and rocking the boat of friendship.
The series embraces a sexy, silly, yet serious vibe, with a positive, fun, and determined outlook on life. The series consists of 8 episodes, all available to stream on Netflix.
The musical series is reported to have been filmed in Florida and Puerto Rico, and of course, in Miami. Filming commenced in February 2023 and wrapped up after a couple of months, in April of the same year.
San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Whilst Neon might encapsulate South Florida, the series was actually filmed in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Showrunner Max Searle, who created Neon with Shea Serrano, says that Miami and San Juan have “a very similar vibe” to South Florida, making the city swap a natural one. We can also guess that San Juan was a lot cheaper to film in too. The area is known for its beautiful beaches, year-round sunny weather, and El Yunque National Forest.
El Yunque National Forest
Puerto Rico is also the homeland of Daddy Yankee, one of the pioneers of reggaeton, who makes an appearance in the show and also serves as the Executive Producer. Therefore, it is understandable why the production team of Neon chose to film in this tropical paradise.
Miami, Florida
Florida is home to much more than just Disneyland and Universal Studios. There is sun, sea, and stunning locations for filming. In Neon, in the exterior shots of the city, there is a high possibility that you might spot several local landmarks and attractions in the backdrop, such as Freedom Tower, Brickell Avenue, Port Miami, the Royal Caribbean International headquarters, and the Arsht Center.
Miami
As for interior shots, there are a lot of film studios located in and around Miami, including M3 Studios, Caldera Films, Film Studio Miami, EUE/Screen Gems, and more.
Read More: Is Neon on Netflix based on a true story?
