Ultra Music Festival

This place changed my life it was a great experience… Obviously crowded but why shouldn’t it the place and people were awesome I’ll be back there every year. My favorite was Carnage on Sunday he took a rainy day and turned it into flames congrats to him the fans the staff and the Ultra Corporation for creating such a life changing experience I’ll deff be back down there sooner

Had VIP tix for 2016 Miami. It was an amazing 3 days of music. Stayed at the viceroy. The vip tix were Def worth it, but I think they need to improve the lines that we still had to wait in. No doubt was it a better experience than if we didn’t have vip but the main stage needed to have more capacity to accommodate all the ticket holders. The people working needed to be better informed on vip information and where the stages and entrances were for vip. Thank god for the vip lounge so we could go to nicer restrooms too. I’d absolutely go again. It was a definate music high!

This year’s 2016 was incredible from the live video streams. So looking forward to attending 2017 Ultra Music Festival with my friends.

This was my first trip to ultra music Festival after many hours of watching live via YouTube since 2012. I was excited to make the trip because of all the headliners that ultra brings, but once we arrived I was very disappointed about a few things.
Number one I expected the world-​class DJs to play at least some of the music that made them famous and that we are used to hearing on XM radio. I was disappointed to find them only mixing different beats and tunes similar to what I can hear at any club with an amateur DJ cross the country.
The most frustrating was deadmau5 He started his set my plane some death metal or screamo and then just mixed up some regular old beats for one hour never touching any of his famous songs.
It took way too long to get through the different security checks and ticket checks and IB checks, and they had way too few of Porta potty’s for the 50,000 people. It was very common to go to the restroom and see hundreds of people doing the PP dance while waiting on one of the nasty portapottys
The food was extremely overpriced and fact I ordered a chicken burrito from one of the food trucks and it was $ 17.50!
It was very difficult to drink enough beer to even get a slight buzz because it takes too long to wait in line for a beer, they only sell you two at a time, and they’re eight dollars for an 8 ounce glass.
I don’t mind paying eight bucks for a beer but if I was the vendor I would come up with a way to sell the bear a lot more quickly at that price.
I purchased VIP tickets for electric Daisy Carnival in Chicago and was disappointed at the lack of services for VIPs. The next time I go to ultra music I will definitely purchase VIP tickets because of the shorter lines, clean restrooms, exclusive access to stages buy VIP platforms, and access to drinks.
If you go to Miami ultra, plan early and try to get a hotel room at the Intercontinental facing bayfront park because that will give you an excellent view of the entire festival area.
The best big-​name said that I seen was Tiesto who tore it up.

WOW! If you like electronic dance music (EDM) this is a must see event!
That statement alone should be enough, but let me elaborate about the collaboration of these techno trance music DJ artist, and the 3 day Miami Ultra Music Festival 2016. It was filled with beats that made you unable to resist the urge to move around and dance in one form or another. It was pure awesomeness at its best!
The wild and skimpy costumes worn by many attendees was also exciting to see. The crowd on the final 3^rd day seemed like it either expanded or everyone decided to congregate in the same area, as it was packed. But this is expected for certain artist on certain stages.
The 7 up stage was a really cool smaller stage, and had free phone charging stations. The State of Trance stage was a huge half dome with a 40 foot ceiling that was able to be lowered.
Another stage was a canopy type with lights going crazy all over it. The main stage was a huge flame shooting stage with all types of wild lights going and fireworks shooting.
All the stages were great in their own way! Amazing light shows on all stages! Mesmerizing to the optical and audible senses. World famous, and not as famous DJ’s mixed the beats, as it was an overwhelming experience that by the end of the 3^rd day your feet probably hurt, but in a good way!
People from all walks of life and from all over the world showed up to this event. Even if they could not speak the local language, it did not matter and the music being played is a universal language all in its own, known around the globe. Mind blowing experience!
The beer was $ 8 a can, mixed drinks $ 12, burritos $ 15, bottled water $ 5, red bull $ 5, non-​alcoholic fruit drinks $ 10, and you get the idea… high prices, haha.
They had AC room with merchandise for sale, all types of hats, shirts, flags, sunglasses, and other accessories to commemorate the event. The location was great for this event, although parking was a bit hard to find close by, unless you wanted to pay $ 50 per day to park.
The lines getting in were slow moving and long, the restrooms were nasty and had long lines. I feel bad for all the females using those port-​a-​potties, yikes! The drink and food lines were long. But these are sort of expected at this type of event with this many people.
If you spent the $ 1250 per ticket for the VIP, you were in luck, short lines for booze, restrooms, upper stage access, and their was not much of a crowd in the VIP areas, so it was excellent.
Overall the people, facilities, cleaning crews, vendors, artist, and everyone else made this a memorable event not to be missed. I will be back again and again!

I would leave 0 Stars if I could, the worst experience I’ve ever paid for my life. I was unable to reach any of the VIP areas, I was disrespected time and time again when I try to speak to event staff I was told that I was going to get thrown out if I didn’t step away from the VIP area. If you were VIP and had a similar experience please contact me as I plan on suing Ultra.

Ultra was fun, very great experience, i think everyone should at least get to experience it at least once in their life time. My friends and i had a blast but unfortunately did not attend the the third day so i sold my last day ticket. I had a blast thought the first two days. If your into the whole trance and EDM vibes then this is a must go. It was super packed but thats what makes it unique and also the DJ’s were awesome.

Awesome time! The entrance can be pretty chaotic (VIP is nowhere near as bad as GA).
*** If you have VIP passes— make sure you get your goody bag and VIP wristband in addition to the regular wristband. This should be given at the very beginning before you officially get in and can easily be overlooked with all the commotion around! (it is difficult to get it once you’re already in!) This is mandatory to get you in all the VIP venues either on the side or back entrance of the stages.

Do not waste your time or money on VIP it’s a joke — waited in line for 45 minutes and didn’t move $ 1300 for «VIP» right this is why edc is better ultra is a horribly run company

Go to an Insomniac event they do it far better and they really care about the people that attend their events not like the ultra cattle in it for nothing but the money greedy greedy greedy Group. what you pay for the tickets in the rip off trust me. this is like EDM music white trash event. #EDCLV way better. Not to mention they care about your safety at the event. Ultra who’ve gotten in trouble numerous times by the city of Miami for a violation of code fencing and other things.
I went to Ultra once nasty Gross and disgusting overly crowded and cramped you can’t even move your Packed in like a bunch of animals.
when you’re walking around from stage to stage you have to push shove to get anywhere.
in fact Miami doesn’t really want them but it’s money and politics unlike you go to an insomniac event especially the one in Las Vegas where the Vegas people and town love playing host to the event.
Once you experience an Insomniac event you will know why. Away worth the money even their vip.

Looking for table service for ultra! It’s difficult getting ahold of any promoters for this event. Anyone available for promoting this event? Let me know.

A must experience even if you are not a big fan of the music. The energy and feeling is amazing and overwhelming. I personally wouldn’t be able to enjoy ultra without VIP. In VIP, you have a air conditioned mobile CLEAN bathroom with a sink. The lines aren’t long since there is plenty and not too many people in VIP. Walked out of VIP to experience the crowd (it’s a must) and when I visited the regular bathrooms I almost fainted. Pretty gross. (Just google ultra bathrooms lol) make sure to wear shoes you don’t care about. You’ll be stepping on ALL kinds of insane things or puddles. You witness ALL kinds of different things here. Literally.

This is the festival that started it all for me! I first attended this event when it was a small one day affair and have watched it change so much since that first experience over a decade ago.
This last Ultra (2015) was a huge success. I feel the raising of the age limit was the correct thing to do. Definitely made a difference in the crowd. Ultra also had a much better vibe this go around though that is relevant to the Miami scene. A group of friends visiting from the West Coast said they felt like they could get beat up for bumping into someone. Though this is not the case, it says something about the vibe and crowd.
Lines moved quickly with no choke points, the area around the megastructure aka Carl’s House aka The Temple was walkable this year. Was almost caught in a stampede there a few years ago.
Definitely happy with the new direction this event has gone. It will be hard to stop attending this event!!!

One of the top music festivals in the U.S.
My husband and I try to experience a different music festival each year. The only time we attended UMF was in 2013 but it still remains the best organized music festival, in our opinion. Especially for the number of people who attend this music festival, it’s actually quite impressive how smooth operations are at UMF.
We didn’t plan our experience well enough, so we stayed at a hotel about 20 minutes away, around South Beach. We took the shuttle every day but we didn’t experience staggering lines. Security barely glanced at us. We just walked through.
The entire festival ground is humongous. Several stages with many DJs and artists playing at once. Check out the line-​up before you go and plan out who you want to see and what time you’ll leave each stage. This becomes increasingly harder to do as the night goes on because the more popular DJs are saved for the end.
The main stage was our favorite, obviously. Bathrooms weren’t an issue. Don’t expect luxury and understand that this is a music festival. They will be port-​a-​potties. No lines ever. But the further away from the entrance you walk, the nicer the port-​a-​potties will be. It’s a LONG line of bathrooms, you DO NOT have to wait.
Food is festival-​priced but UMF does have decent food. No food trucks in 2013 when we went, though.

Tips
Stay at the Hilton and walk to the festival (15mins tops)
Go early to avoid long waits in line (we got there everyday during opening and got in under 15 mins (also, bonus of going early free stuff from sponsors)
Bring a camelbak, chapstick, shades, cash, gum, ear plugs, poncho w/​hood, sanitary wipes/​flushable wipes)
Eat a healthy, filling yet light breakfast and minimize how much you eat at festival and avoid drinking alcohol unless you want to frequent the bathroom
Day one go buy merchandise to avoid missing out on sold out product (merch shop is indoor with AC)
Stages are really close to each other so easy to move between them just make sure you are on the outer part for ease of exit
Food choices are quite plentiful so take the time to explore your options
Pace yourself and use the live stage area (Klipsch Amphitheater) as part of your must sees to help rest (we were able to go from start to finish all 3 nights by doing this)
Bathrooms suck especially for girls since there are no gender based sections (green stalls are best options since they have urinals for guys) or go to the bathrooms that are near the main stage (more stalls/​shorter lines)
Prepare for a ton of new music from artists you love!
Firework show on the last night is weak so don’t expect it to be like EDC LV
Overall Thoughts
UMF hands down better than EDC LV

Hooray! I am officially the Duchess of Ultra!!!
Here’s an update and I’m including tips from my previous review for you mobile app users who won’t be able to see them.
Here are a few tips:
BEFORE YOUR TRIP
1. Buy your tickets early because it sells out hella quick. But even if you miss ultra, the after parties are worth coming down for. There are also tons of people buying tickets for single day from each other but beware of scalpers and counterfeit tickets.
2. If you want to dress the part and you’re a chick, you can get some cute outfits from the net.
WHAT TO BRING
3. Don’t bring a lot to carry. If you’re planning on being in the crowd near the stage, you just need money, your tix, your ID, earplugs, and some cash for food and souvenirs, a camera (optional), and your cel. You really don’t need much else. You’ll be jumping up and down most the time if you’re anything like me, so pack light. Most people if they did carry a bag had a runner’s backsack or a purse. Runner’s belts could be handy too. If you plan on sitting far from the stage and chilling on the lawn, then bring a towel. Read the rules to make sure your bag is within guidelines. Some people had theirs thrown away.
4. Many places only take cash. Please bring enough cash. There are ATMs if you need to use them, also.
5. If you have a camelback, BRING IT! These are lifesavers! (They must be empty when you enter the fest.) There are FREE water-​filling stations and they will fill up your water bottles, too.
6. The experience is so much better closer to the stage. But the music gets hella loud, so bring earplugs. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!
7. (Optional) Bring wipes in case there is no toilet paper in the port-​a-​potty. I also bring hand wipes to clean my hands since the hand washing water stations tend to run out early.
8. (Optional) If you want to represent your country or region or love for your fave music subgenre (Trance Family!!), bring a flag and show it off with pride. It also doubles as a cloak in case it rains.
9. If next year implements the stupid transparent bag policy, be prepared to keep an eagle eye on your things. My wallet was stolen from my clear bag. Best to keep the cell phone and wallet on your body and reserve your bag space for souvenirs, bathroom wipes, and whatever you don’t mind being stolen.
WHAT TO EXPECT
10. Scheduling: Please download the Ultra app so you can plan your schedule ahead of time! The schedule staggers a bit, so you can see a bit of each of your favorite artists if you plan it right. They have the printed schedules available which includes the time at the information booth in the merchandise tent. Definitely pick this up as soon as you arrive so you can plan out your days. There are so many stages and different artists, so the schedule is a MUST to grab. Otherwise, you can take a picture of the schedule signs posted at the entrance of each stage.
11. The experience near the front of the stage is definitely no contest. When the confetti comes down, or the fog fills the area, or just the sheer massiveness of the screens (even the ones under the ceiling) it’s unlike anything else. The beach balls come and it’s hella fun to throw those around, too. I was overstimulated by the giant light shows, stage effects, massive crowd, and fabulous music that it was enough to send to me to a higher state of mind, and I don’t even drop E.
12. People dance everywhere. and I mean EVERYWHERE! There were people dancing on sign posts, park monuments, upside down trashcans, even TREES! Anywhere where there was an empty spot, it became someone’s dance floor. Crazy!
ESSENTIALS
13. Drinks are $ 5 for water, $ 12 for mixed drinks. I’m not sure about beer.
14. Eat and drink BEFORE coming, so you don’t have to worry about buying alot to eat inside. It’s much cheaper. But eat fast. You will have to throw them away before you go inside. Some guy ate a banana I threw away before he got in. Lol.
15. There are real bathrooms, so that was a nice thing to know. They are located below stage 7 and at the far left corner of the kipswitch (live) stage.
ONE MORE THING
16. If you meet up with friends, pick a very unique and distinguishable landmark, please! DO NOT SAY «meet me next to the trees»!! Lmaooo.

Great music. Beautiful weather and area and people… but I just wasn’t impressed… and after attending EDC Vegas and TomorrowWorld — sorry, UMF. I gotta put you 3^rd on my list. First off, there was no age limit so seeing children (yes, I mean children 8 – 10 years old) walking around in booty shorts and making totems, it was just a killer.
The venue itself is pretty small and I wasn’t impressed by the main stage. It definitely gets crowded and super packed, especially by the main stage. The location is great, but the set up was a bit of a pain. Some of the stages, you had to walk a little further too, but the nice part is that there were tons of grassy areas where you can sit and relax in between sets.
Either way, music festivals are always fun and the music is always great! The vibe was fun at Ultra, but I didn’t feel nearly as many positive vibes from people as I did at EDC Vegas and TomorrowWorld. I actually had tons more fun at the after-​parties meeting people from the festival! So, I’d probably come back during Ultra week but not attend the festival and instead go to the parties afterwards. I just didn’t think the ticket price and experience was worth it compared to the other popular festivals.

Holy Hell. UMF. I went my senior year of college (2013) and did not know what to expect and had the most amazing time! Traffic does get crazy and the parking expensive but you just have to do it. I bought parking online from a site that supposedly had owned a parking lot. the company was called «parking panda’ but it ended up not even existing. After trying to reach out we did get a refund but barely.
ANYWAYS, the stages are a little distance but as long as you know who you want to see and get a schedule down then it’s all good. Honestly just go, meet people, dance your face off, have an amazing time! The year I went there were NO water stations even though they promised there would be. The bathroom was also always crowded and had no toilet paper…
Bassnectar, Zedd, Avicii, Knife Party, Deadmau5, and Calvin Harris were some of my favorite sets and I was just so llost in the music.
The visuals of the stage are amazing and all the performances were to DIE for. I would love to go again at some point in my life if I ever get the chance to travel to Miami again.
PLUR.

The most fun I’ve had all year! Definitely is on the top of my lists in terms of music festivals. Great vibes, great fun, great music!
Tip: bring a poncho if there’s a chance of rain…
Too bad UMF is sooo expensive. … but I’ll still most likely try to save every penny to come again next year!

My 5 star review is based on the old school Ultra, not this new garbage that is nothing but overly commercialized, big lights, CDJ’s, iPod mixing, big light shows and overly priced tickets.
My girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife used to attend Ultra Music Festival back during the good days, 2004 – 2008, first it was at Bayfront Park and than Bicentennial Park. We really loved it back than, there were about 30,000 — 70,000 people and now I believe it is over 300,000, so it is completely over crowded and almost no room to walk around. Talk about a fire and safety hazard.
Now Ultra is all over the world, it first was just on one day weekend event, than became two days, now it is spread over two weeks. Back in the days a person could buy a WMC badge for about $ 185 bucks and it included tickets to all sorts of events, free stuff (2005 I got about $ 900 worth of free DJ stuff) and free tickets to both days at Ultra, but not any more. Last year right after the event, they started selling tickets for the future Ultra, which makes the promoters desperate for money.
What is Ultra? A huge electronic music festival with some of the best DJ’s in the world that are all in one location. Why travel from event to event, when you can see them all at one location.
Rabbit in the Moon of course always put on a good show and the classic DJ’s Paul van Dyk, Sander Kleinenberg, Paul Oakenfold, Sasha & Digweed, Armin van Buuren, Carl Cox (in his house tent), Above & Beyond, DJ Icey, Faithless, Crystal Method, BT, ATB, Goldie, Bad Boy Bill, Infected Mushroom, Dynamix II, Seb Fontaine, AK 1200 and so many more.
it is cool because the age range is pretty big. I remember seeing people in their 50’s and even a few in their 60’s who were dancing away. Now day’s because the event is so jam packed there really is no longer any room to even dance. You basically just bob your head back and forth. Ha!
[ FOOD /​DRINKS ]
As you can imagine, food and drinks are extremely expressive, here and else where in Miami. I would highly recommend eating a big meal and having a few drinks before going through the gates at UMF. You will save a lot of money this way. The clubs charge about $ 10 just for a rum and coke. The drink prices are like they are in NYC, just usually weaker in sobe.
[ CLOTHING ]
Yes, Miami is warm, but sometimes during UMF the weather gets very cold at night. One year after UMF ended it was probably about 45 outside and we did not bring any jackets or sweat suits, because earlier in the day it was about 75. Don’t be fooled, bring at least a zip up if possible and wear it around your waist or carry it in a backpack, if they still allow them.
[ BATHROOMS ]
When you attend any event with this many people, one thing is for certain, bathroom lines will be LONG… and the rest rooms will be nasty and probably be out of tissues and water. I highly suggest you use the bathroom before hand, and bring extra hand cleaner/​toilet tissues/​wet wipes so you can stay clean.
[ LEAVING UMF at Night ]
The night time comes and before you know it is time to head back to the hotel. After UMF is over it is IMPOSSIBLE to get a taxi because all of the numbers are turned off for cab’s. After the first 2 years of going we decided it was best to get a hotel within 5 miles of walking, because getting a taxi is not possible, there just is not enough cabs.
If you never been to Ultra, you at least need to check it out once in your life. It is Disney world for dance music lovers!
I just feel it is a rotten shame that UMF has became all about production and less about the muzik. Back when we used to go, UMF was $ 39, now tickets for 2014 is $ 500, which includes a almost $ 100 service fee, which is just another way for them to make more $$$
1 LOVE!