From adolescence to adventurous self-discovery to dedication – the Ultra Music Festival has evolved amicably through all these stages. No longer a teenager, the world’s best electronic music festival will celebrate its 20th birthday in 2018.
Save the date people – from March 23 till 25, the Bayfront Park in Miami will be buzzing with thousands of Ultra Music Festival tickets holders as they gather to celebrate EDM genre. The 20th anniversary extravaganza will feature a spectacular lineup that will most likely surpass previous years’ talented headliners.
As one of the oldest music festivals in the US reaches its big 20, the organizers Ultra Enterprises have added another destination to the list. Come February 2018, the Road to Ultra will make its debut in Australia. The premiere EDM series will go down at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, featuring Afrojack and Axwell Λ Ingrosso as the headliners.
The Ultra Miami festival will return with its iconic main stage, along with seven other stages that will feature the hottest artists in the industry.
The Beginning
During the late 90s, when the electronic dance music (EDM) was blowing up all over Europe, two concert promoters and EDM enthusiasts were looking to cultivate its domestic following. Russell Faibisch and Alex Omes started Ultra Music Festival in 1999 as a low-keyed, day time beach party. The one-day event featured limited stages that were ignited by the performers Paul van Dyk, Josh Wink, Rabbit in the Moon and DJ Baby Anne. Taking place on the stunning sands of South Beach at the Collins Park, the festival received a warm response.
It returned in 2000 with an even better presentation and the festival was not just renewed for 2001 but also moved to downtown Miami at the Bayfront Park to accommodate the growing crowd.
Making a smart move, Russell Faibisch partnered with the annual Winter Music Conference and that made the already popular festival a mighty one. Big names like EC Twins, Tiësto, DJ Craze, Erick Morillo and Paul Oakenfold graced the event from 2001 till 2005. The 2005 festival witnessed a record-breaking attendance which prompted the organizers to move it once again to another location – Bicentennial Park.
The Growth of Ultra Music Festival
The American EDM movement continued to grow which allowed the Ultra Enterprise to expand the festival as more stages were added in 2007. More than 50,000 tickets were sold that year which was a new record. In 2008, the festival marked its 10th anniversary, as a result of which it was turned into a two-day soiree.
Tiësto returned to the 10th edition and treated the fans to the time of their lives. Carl Cox, Justice, deadmau5 and Underworld, all made triumphant debut at the Ultra Music Festival. Fans continue to pour in from not just all corners of the country but even across the borders. That’s when the owners decided to expand and in 2007 took the festival to Ibiza, Spain.
In 2009, Ultra invited crossover acts as well and that allowed them to reach another milestone – 70,000 cheap Ultra Music Festival tickets sold for a single event! The Whip and The Black Eyed Peas showed the fans a great time.
2011 was a big year for the Ultra Music Festival as it was expanded to three days and sold out for the first time. A record attendance of 100,000 people was seen that year as they got to groove on the electrifying beats of Markus Schulz, Cosmic Gate, ATB, Gareth Emery, Alex M.O.R.P.H. and Sander van Doorn. The famous DJ Armin van Buuren along with Ruben de Ronde celebrated the 500 episodes of their hit radio show “A State of Trance” on the festival’s 13th edition and since then it has remained a mainstay at the music festival.
Along with shows in Miami, 2012 saw the festival travel to Argentina and South Korea. In 2014, it held its inaugural event in South Africa and 2018 will mark the festival’s 5th anniversary in the continent. Promised to be the most happening event ever, Afrojack, Axwell /\ Ingrosso, Armin Van Buuren, Hardwell and Dubfire will take the stage as the headliners. The two-day event is scheduled for 9 and 10 February, in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
In 2017, Asian countries ranging from India to China and even Korea witnessed performances by big-name international DJs. Having stopped all across North America and Europe, the Ultra Music Festival has become a force to be reckoned with.
Cheap Ultra Music Festival Tickets
Here’s what you need to know about the tickets – they sell out within days of release. So, you’re better off finding relatively cheaper tickets early on as compared to later dates. Ultra Music Festival continues to up its game in all these years, presenting the attendees with big surprises and special moments. In some earlier shows Canadian heartthrob Justin Bieber also made a guest appearance and Madonna also graced the event with her presence. Arianna Grande and Swedish House Mafia, all have been a part of Ultra’s eclectic lineup.
Presenting an exciting sound, EDM has been called the music of future due to its ingenuity and freshness. Ultra Music Festival captures all that and more. Its appeal has stretched worldwide and when a kid in Amsterdam asks a friend, “Are you going to Miami in March”, you know where he’s heading. As the Ultra Music Festival continues to bring the house down, check for the updated schedule. If you can’t be in Miami, no sweat. After all this grand extravaganza travels to all parts of the world.
