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[FESTIVAL REVIEW] Ultra Miami 2024 Proves Why It Is The Pinnacle Of Music Festivals
There are is virtually nothing that compares to a mini hurricane when it comes to testing the capability and preparation that a music festival has in place. This was exactly the case once Friday came around and electronic music fans from across the world began getting ready to head over to Ultra Music Festival.
As the forecast predicted, Day 1 in Miami was filled with rain. From early in the morning until around 5, the showers were steady but not overwhelming. Then, a massive storm took over the city, accompanied by strong winds and a heavy downfall of rain.
Coming from the Insomniac Pool Party, we hurriedly wove in and out of the crowd to get to the front gates. We quickly realized that the majority of the attendees were coming from inside, seeking shelter in their cars and hotels, which meant giving up on Ultra for the night.
Once clearing the gates, we were absolutely soaked to the point where you just had to smile and have fun with the torrential downpour. The rain actually lightened up a bit during Apashe's incredible set. Joined by his talented orchestra, this innovative artist and his team executed a genre-bending electronic-live hybrid that was equally majestic and thrilling.
Following Apashe's performance, the rain picked backed up, so we beelined it to the RESISTANCE Megastructure for cover. We arrived in the middle of Nina Kraviz's set, who was relentlessly throwing down a slew of thundering techno anthems.
After about 30 minutes, actual thunder entered the mix, and an announcement that Ultra would be shutting down for its guests safety took over the loudspeakers. Fans were distraught, especially due to the fact that Drumcode labelboss Adam Beyer was just a few minutes away from hitting the decks.
When disaster like lightning and hundreds of tons of water exert dominance over one's festival grounds, it always out of their control. However, the festival's ability to bounce back the next day and adjust to difficult conditions on the fly is completely in their hands.
Ultra demonstrated why it is the #1 festival brand on the planet this past weekend. Its sizeable crew worked through the night to dump truckloads of wood chips on the mud and small ponds throughout Bayfront Park. They were miraculously able to combat most of the soaked grounds and only delay Day 2 a few hours.
To everyone's surprise, Ultra then declared that it would be extending the festival an extra hour and working in many of the headlining acts that did not get to perform on Day 1. They also adjusted set times and paired some opening artists together (Tape B b2b Levity) to make fans as satisfied as possible given the circumstances.
The peak stage of Day 2 was definitely RESISTANCE's The Cove. Turkish superstar DJ, Mahmut Orhan, had the crowd roaring during the entirety of his set. At certain points he queued up mesmerizing tracks from his debut album, Pangea, which had dropped the day before.
CLICK TO CHECK OUT OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MAHMUT ON PANGEA AND HIS SET AT ULTRA 🌍🌎🌏
Proceeding Mahmut, Spanish DJ-producer Wade put on the best set of the weekend. This generational tech house maestro has ravers buzzing with a barrage of groovy IDs, intense buildups, and high-energy drops.
Around the same time as Wade, Masterhand was ripping a masterful set at the Live Stage. Originally supposed to perform on Friday, this trio consists of bass-fueled legends SVDDEN DEATH, Eptic, and Space Laces.
Over at the Worldwide Stage, iconic UK drum & bass duo Chase & Status were ripping a nonstop set filled with 130+ BPM anthems that had their audience bouncing up and down uncontrollably. The MC work was prolific, adding a complementary component to each original song, remix, and mashup.
For the ravers that didn't were looking for an overload of dubstep and riddim jaw-droppers, Excision made history at Ultra's Mainstage. Per usual, the visuals were gripping and captivating, in sync with the chaotic drops and ecstatic riddim flips of popular non-electronic hits.
Delivering us to the closing set, Adriatique showcased their phenomenal mixing and production skills with a plethora of riveting melodic techno tunes. The basslines were deep and hypnotic, occasionally blended with soulful vocals. The standout track was a beautiful edit of RÜFÜS DU SOL's “Innerbloom.”
Wrapping up Day 2, Peggy Gou held nothing back. Even though she mixed in her 2023 chart-topper “(It Goes Like) Nanana” towards the end, Peggy shocked the crowd with an assortment of thrilling underground house heaters and euphoric red-tinted visuals, such as fireworks.
Turning up the heat for Day 3, Andy C signaled that the DnB presence as Ultra is here to stay, with an infectious set of fast-paced, hard-hitting tracks. Similar to Chase & Status, his MC was absolutely shredding it alongside the music.
Transitioning from Day 2 at RESISTANCE's The Cove and Megastructure, Worldwide was now the place to be. While the sun set, Wooli had moshpits and headbanging spreading like wildfire.
Following Wooli, Black Tiger Sex Machine weaponized multiple synthesizers, drum pads, and more during their breathtaking Anime Show thematic performance.
Finishing off the weekend with the most hellish and vicious riddim-packed set, SVDDEN DEATH unleashed a wave of audiovisual madness onto his subjects. The whole Worldwide Stage was under his demonic spell as they raged to one earth-quaking drop after another.
Meanwhile, the mainstage hosted some of the greatest artists of all time in Armin van Buuren and Calvin Harris. Both had unforgettable performances, between Armin bringing Jon Bon Jovi on stage and Calvin extending his set with a couple more anthems than planned.
Through its near-perfectly executed recovery from the weather and pivoting to work in almost all of the artists on its original lineup, Ultra is clearly at the top of its class. When March 2025 hopefully brings in clear skies, there is no telling what Ultra will have in store for its returning dance music fanatics and newcomers.
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Photos courtesy of ALIVE COVERAGE and Ultra.
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