Many in our world see Miami's Ultra Music Festival as the ultimate escape, a place that wraps us in a cocoon of sunshine and the pure, unfiltered energy of dance music.
However, that all changed over the weekend, when an unprecedented deluge of rain hit the festival on its first day. But while the elements transformed Bayfront Park into a quagmire, they were no match for the team behind Ultra and the tens of thousands of ravers they worked tirelessly for.
Under the lights of the historic festival, a different storm broke out. Rain-soaked hair whipped through the air. The mud squelched under the shiny boots. Ponchos became capes. And music turned out to be the definitive refuge.
By devising a festival that sparkled with nostalgia and novelty in equal measure, the 2024 organizers reinforced Ultra as a radiant touchstone for lovers of electronic dance music around the world. Along with the rain, they cultivated fertile ground for the genre's growth by offering a plethora of musical rarities, such as Calvin Harris' first Ultra set in over a decade.
And their eyes are still on the sky after they announced the dates and released Tickets for its 25th anniversary festival, which is scheduled for March 28-30, 2025.
But it will be 12 long months before that historic weekend. In the meantime, read on to find out what you missed from this year's extraordinary Ultra Music Festival.
SLANDER hits head in torrential downpour
In a true “you had to be there” moment, SLANDER transformed a rainy nightmare into festival folklore on Friday night as lasers cut through a torrential downpour. The duo's punishing dubstep matched the energy of the rain's relentless onslaught during their set, their last on the main stage before Ultra closed for the night.
Slander really made us walk on water 💦 @OfficialSlander @ultra pic.twitter.com/6XzV4xwPdV
—SCVNO (@Scvno_) March 23, 2024
The streets of Miami became a pool party
Although it was clear and sunny for the remaining two days of Ultra, Miami reportedly received 2.34 inches of rain on Friday, a daily record for the city. White shoes turned to mud bricks as Ultra's free-spirited ravers frolicked through the floodwaters, partying and dancing in the streets.
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Ultra icon Hardwell's set was canceled, but the city of Miami recovered
“I'm crying right now,” Hardwell said in a post on X after her performance was canceled due to weather. “3 months of work from the team and me. Wow.”
It was at this point that the festival organizers faced their biggest stress test, finding themselves in a pressure cooker as they struggled to deliver a prevailing Ultra icon. They finally achieved the unthinkable after the city of Miami made the unprecedented decision to lift its sound ordinance, leading to an additional hour of Ultra and an impressive set from Hardwell.
Calvin Harris's first Ultra performance in over a decade
In a festival packed with surreal moments, Calvin Harris' Mainstage finale on Sunday felt like its undeniable highlight. Returning for the first time in 11 years, Harris delivered a masterclass in crowd control, turning us into puddles at times with classics like “Feel So Close” and galvanizing techno-driven purges at others, like during her spectacular coda.
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Martin Garrix played a lot of unreleased songs
One of the biggest crowds of the weekend came on Saturday night, when Martin Garrix delivered a typically electrifying set packed with unreleased music. After another instant Ultra classic outing, Garrix, considered by many to be the world's quintessential DJ, appears to be building a Hardwellian legacy at Bayfront Park.
Ultra Miami was crazy!! @Martin garrix What is your favorite ID? 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/rdLidEVvbe
— STMPD RCRDS (@stmpdrcrds) March 24, 2024
Armin van Buuren brought Jon Bon Jovi on stage to perform a new song
One of the most unexpected moments of the weekend unfolded when Armin van Buuren brought out rock legend Jon Bon Jovi. Together they premiered a previously unreleased collaboration, the former's eerie remix of the latter's timeless 1992 track, “Keep The Faith.”
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420 drones illuminated the night sky over the Mainstage
The technological terra firma under Ultra's feet remained at the forefront this year. Festival organizers put on a magnificent drone show on Sunday night, when 420 choreographed helicopters danced in the night sky, transforming into a celestial ballet as rhythms thundered below.
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RL Grime and Knock2 Released ISOxo to Reveal Big Collaboration
Prior to Ultra's inception, an undisputed focal point of their lineup was the rare b2b set between RL Grime, one of the electronic music scene's most revered producers, and Knock2, a standard-bearer for its future. In the end, they delivered arguably the best performance of the weekend, and at one point brought out another rising superstar, ISOxo, to debut a monster collaboration.
IS ISOKNOCK APPEARING WITH RL GRIME IN ULTRA TO RELEASE THEIR INEDIC COLLABORATION??!!!!
😵😵😵😵@ISOxo_ @Knock2Music @RLGRIME pic.twitter.com/GcZVxv8ocQ
— Brownies and lemonade🍫🍋 (@TeamBandL) March 24, 2024
Peggy Gou made her debut in Ultra's iconic RESISTANCE megastructure
Notably absent from Ultra's beloved RESISTANCE megastructure this year was Carl Cox, whose annual stage performances are considered one of Ultra's biggest draws. Peggy Gou stepped in as a de facto replacement on Saturday night, closing RESISTANCE with a cathartic performance.
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Chase & Status' spectacular drum & bass set on the world stage
Chase & Status' victory lap continued on Ultra's stunning Worldwide Stage, where the legendary drum & bass duo, who were named in EDM.comThe list of the best music producers of 2023 produced one of the best sets of the weekend.
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ILLENIUM teamed up with Excision for a surprise appearance at Ultra Mainstage
Excision's spectacular main stage performance felt like a defining moment for dubstep music. The energy boiled over when he invited ILLENIUM on stage to perform her spectacular collaboration, “Feel Something.”
Spinoff at Ultra Miami (@ultra)@ILLENIO & @Excision – Feel something [ILLENIUM on stage]pic.twitter.com/1lbUqDt2A8
– Festival Season (@Festseasonmedia) March 24, 2024
A special performance by Tiësto at sunset in the rain
Billed as a special “sunset space,” Tiësto's Friday DJ set offered neon-drenched visuals and nostalgia as the Dutch dance music icon played covers of “Adagio For Strings” and “The Rhythm of the Night” by Corona, among other classics.
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