With the 24th edition of Downtown Miami’s iconic Ultra Music Festival now in the books, we’re taking a look back at our favorite moments from this year’s sold-out event.
Persevering through heavy rainfall and thunderstorms on its opening night, Ultra—which, during its three-day run, welcomed over 165 thousand attendees from over 100 countries—showed out on Days 2 and 3. There were dozens of performances from the biggest names in electronic dance music and countless unforgettable moments. Here are just a few of the highlights from the weekend:
- Calvin Harris Makes a Comeback: It’s been over a decade since industry legend Calvin Harris graced the stage at Ultra. In the years that have elapsed since his 2013 set, the Scottish DJ has amassed billions of streams across well-loved hits like “This Is What You Came For”, “Promises”, “One Kiss”, and “How Deep Is Your Love”, so you could definitely say a Calvin set at Ultra has been long overdue. Despite some criticism from fans online, Calvin’s set was incredibly well-received at Ultra’s Main Stage, serving as the ultimate festival-closing performance.
- Armin Van Buuren Teams Up With Bon Jovi: Despite having to reschedule his set to Sunday night due to the impact of Friday’s severe storms, Armin Van Buuren still offered one of the most memorable moments of the weekend when he brought out Bon Jovi to help premiere his remix of the American legend’s 1992 track “Keep The Faith”. The Dutch trance legend was also joined by Gryffin and Ukrainian DJ duo ARTBAT for performances of their recently released collaborations, “What Took You So Long” and “Take Off”.
- Peggy Gou Makes Scintillating Ultra Debut: One of the most highly anticipated performances of the weekend was Peggy Gou’s Ultra debut set at the RESISTANCE Megastructure. The South Korean DJ, whose “It Goes Like (Na Na Na)” topped the charts last summer, closed out Day 2 of the festival with a scintillating and very well-received show to a packed crowd.
- David Guetta Previews Upcoming Collaboration With Oliver Heldens: It goes without saying that any David Guetta set is bound to be filled with unforgettable moments, though the DJ’s Ultra set became all the more memorable when he brought out Dutch DJ Oliver Heldens to preview their upcoming track, “Feel My Love.” We can’t wait to stream this one as soon as it’s released.
- RESISTANCE Miami Welcomes Iconic Headliners at M2 Club: Continuing their M2 Club residency for a third year, RESISTANCE Miami welcomed some of Ultra’s biggest names for headlining sets at this new venue, including the likes of Eric Prydz, Amelie Lens, ARTBAT and Reinier Zonneveld.
- 400+ Drones Take Over Closing Night’s Sky: No one does a closing night quite like Ultra Miami, and this year was no exception. Wrapping up another excellent festival edition, Ultra organizers offered attendees a stunning drone show featuring over four hundred drones in a stunning performance that acted as the perfect send-off for Ultra 2024.
Make sure to check back for more in-depth coverage of Ultra Music Festival and exclusive interviews from our Miami Music Week Nexus Lounge. And, as always, follow us on Instagram @nexusradiodance for all the latest updates on dance music!
