For years, Ultra Music Festival has been one of the biggest, most beloved festivals on the scene. Its popularity only continues to grow as new generations of music lovers discover the incredible experience that is Miami Music Week. Today, we thought we’d look back over this remarkable festival’s history and the journey that got us where we are.
A Variety of Venues
Let’s kick things off with a quick trip around Miami, exploring all the venues that have hosted the Ultra Music Festival over the years.
When Ultra first began in 1999, it was a single-day event titled Ultra Beach Music Festival, which, believe it or not, took place at the Beach—Collins Park, to be specific. A bright and vibrant venue, Collins Park’s only problem was its size. In its first few years, the festival saw rapid growth, and by 2001, it was time to find a bigger venue.
In just its third year, Ultra Music Festival relocated to Bayfront Park, which ultimately became something of a long-term home for the festival. Although rising attendee numbers eventually caused them to move again in 2006, Ultra only remained at Bicentennial Park for five years before returning to Bayfront. By this point, the festival had been expanded to a three-day event, allowing it to accommodate greater numbers despite the smaller space.
Ultra saw yet another change in venue in 2019, as the event was moved to Virginia Key – a barrier island in the Biscayne Bay south of Brickell – to minimize noise complaints. Despite the efforts of both the festival organizers and local officials, the Key ultimately proved to be a challenging location for a festival of Ultra’s scale, and the decision was made to return to Bayfront the following year.
Unfortunately, the festival was unable to proceed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic or in 2021 for the same reason. After three difficult years, Ultra 2022 finally returned to Bayfront Park to the delight of many music fans.
The Biggest Names in Dance Music
Of course, it takes more than just a venue to make Ultra a fantastic event. What’s incredible about Ultra is the level of fan support we see every year; nothing draws the fans like seeing their favorite artists time and time again.
Over the years, almost every major EDM artist has played at Ultra, from David Guetta to Carl Cox, Armin van Buuren, and Deadmau5. In 2009, as attendance skyrocketed past 70,000 for just the mainstage alone, the festival even brought in a handful of artists working in other genres, such as Manchester rock band The Whip and international music icons The Black Eyed Peas.
In 2018, fans got to experience a reunion from the legendary Swedish House Mafia as they performed for the first time in five years. As they gave Ultra’s closing set, many fans were already speculating that this could be the start of something more, and, sure enough, they soon went on to do their Save The World Reunion Tour.
The Future of Ultra Music Festival
While the pandemic may have been a hit to Ultra – and the music industry – three years on, the festival is bigger and better than ever, with the brand hosting new events across all six inhabited continents. Meanwhile, Miami’s music scene thrives with Ultra Music Festival at its core. We can all look forward to another more years of unforgettable music with any luck and Ultra Music’s 25th Anniversary next year in 2025.
