Ultra Music Festival’s Unforgettable 2024 Edition

To say that Ultra Music Festival delivered an unforgettable experience this year would be an understatement. It was a whirlwind of surprises, highs and lows, iconic performances, lasting memories, and historic moments spread throughout three days at Miami’s breathtaking Bayfront Park. 

The kickoff day on Friday ignited the festival with an electrifying lineup that left us all in awe. The Main Stage roared to life with unforgettable performances by 3LAU, Nicky Romero, Alan Walker, Tiësto, and Slander, captivating the crowd with high-powered beats and euphoric melodies. The A State of Trance (ASOT) Worldwide Stage Takeover pumped out the volume with sets from Laura van Dam, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Ben Nicky and Maddix, delivering an immersive journey into the realm of trance. The Ophelia Records takeover at the UMF Radio Stage, the Live Stage, The Cove, and Oasis showcased an eclectic mix of talent, featuring captivating performances by K?D, Gem & Tauri, Mind Against, Nina Kraviz, Nostalgix and Jimmie Page b2b Richard Fraioli among others.

Despite intermittent rain, festival-goers headed to Bayfront shores, undeterred in their quest to dance with the music. As the rain intensified, thousands of people clad in colorful ponchos and every pattern imaginable danced into the night, fostering an atmosphere of unexpected unity and excitement. It was one of those times when you couldn’t help but enjoy the ridiculousness of the situation, knowing everyone was working their hardest to put on the best festival possible despite the worsening weather conditions. Being out in the Main Stage crowd surrounded by the thumping bass and soaked strangers huddling beside each other under the trees felt comical, and everyone seemed to do their best to embrace the madness while appreciating the unpredictable beauty of nature. It was even possible to catch moments of serenity amidst the craziness, taking a few moments to feel the rain pouring overhead and the magic of the music.

Tiësto felt the rain come down hard throughout his entire set until the mixer eventually gave out, struck by too much rain. Not long went by before he was back up and running but it seemed those minutes of silence foreshadowed the rest of the evening, as Slander continued afterward and nearly finished their incredible Main Stage set before the announcement rang that everyone needed to evacuate due to deteriorating conditions. The ensuing chaos of evacuating thousands amidst a Florida rainstorm underscored the severity of the situation, however in retrospect, this was a testament to the power of music to transcend adversity, uniting strangers in a shared experience of resilience.

Saturday brought a sense of anticipation as everyone eagerly awaited news regarding the fate of the festival’s second day. Despite adjustments to schedules and the disappointment of some cancellations, Ultra Miami 2024 ultimately opened its doors for day two, even extending its hours. The day made a remarkable comeback, with standout performances that more than compensated for any setbacks. Standout sets included Gryffin rocking down the Main Stage followed by Hardwell’s epic and emotional performance, Hedex going absolutely wild at the Worldwide Stage, Martin Garrix’s masterful and heartwarming set, and Peggy Gou’s dance-heavy Resistance takeover.

While there were dozens of top-tier performances on Saturday, we have to hand the crown over to the utterly insane back-to-back sets. Joris Voorn and Kolsch followed by Dubfire and Ilario Alicante had the crowd surging at Resistance’s Cove stage for hours. Although it was hard to decide who to watch close out the night, we stopped by an absolute pleasure of a set at the talented hands of Madeon and San Holo at the Live Stage. The energy was blissful and pure happiness was plastered across the widespread crowd, jamming in unison to their feel-good tracks. The visuals were backed by live cam footage of the guys on stage jumping around, sending out huge friendship vibes and nostalgic tune after tune. This was honestly one of the most fun sets of the weekend in our book.

The overarching back-to-back that completely stole Ultra (and the internet) was the massive Worldwide takeover from RL Grime and Knock2. Seriously, what a show. This set was absolute mayhem and easily one of the most packed crowds we have ever seen gather at the Worldwide Stage. The energy exuding from the pair was beyond electric and the crowd was radiating it all right back to the stage. The new lighting and overhead setup of this year’s stage aided in creating a warehouse-level energy and club-worthy production for the framework of this set. Of course it got even more wild when they brought out ISOxo, leaving the crowd unsure of how to comprehend the level of iconic magic being presented before their very eyes. This wasn’t surprising considering how on fire these acts have been – super hot commodities in the electronic world and beyond.

The final day of Ultra Miami’s 2024 edition featured all the makings of the perfect festival day…sunshine, good vibes, best friends, delicious food & drink everywhere you turn and most of all, a fully stacked lineup to provide the soundtrack to an unforgettable day. Finally kicking the day off bright and early, we enjoyed sets from incredible artists like Sasha & John Digweed, Artbat, Camelphat, Nora en Pure, Oliver Heldens, Afrojack (and his alias Kapuchon), Black Tiger Sex Machine, Wooli, Dimension, Trivecta, Subfocus, Eli & Fur, Eelke Kleijn and so many more.

Sunday’s headliners set the stage ablaze, etching Ultra 2024 into history. Armin van Buuren, a forever favorite, brought out a number of very special guests for his Main Stage performance. Joined by Artbat, Gryffin and Jon Bon Jovi, this was definitely an eventful and very special set for the Ultra staple. At the same time, Nora en Pure enjoyed sundown at her Purified Stage, home to a number of vibrant and synergetic sets throughout the day. Nora’s energy is always unmatched and provides the most calming, euphoric tone to relax the mind and body. Elderbook was making waves over at the Live Stage and left viewers both inspired and humored. His one-man showcase included a variety of instruments, singing, dancing and intriguing visual design. A surprising favorite of the weekend, he left us feeling refreshed and wanting more. And then, there was the triumphant return of Calvin Harris to the Main Stage after an eleven-year hiatus, igniting waves of nostalgia with a euphoric set brimming with beloved classics. Eric Prydz, Adam Beyer, Svdden Death and others also helped bring the weekend to a close in front of crowds that were thousands upon thousands deep.

The return of the Ultra drone show overhead at the Main Stage all weekend also marked a fan-favorite, depicting futuristic images of a moonman, space, a rocket ship, a DJ, countless variations of Ultra’s infamous ‘U’ and many others. This breathtaking showcase has evolved into an essential component of the Main Stage experience, elevating it to new heights of wonder and excitement.

Of course the iconic Ultra Live Stream was running all weekend long for those at home to keep up with all of the antics, huge performances and massive back-to-backs. This year operating with four channels, the stream did an incredible job showcasing the magic being created at each stage all weekend long. No one does a live stream quite like the Ultra family and we have to give them props for consistently curating the hottest, most energetic, FOMO-inducing live stream, year after year after year. Being in the crowd and seeing the gigantic live stream cameras operating overhead gives an additional layer of excitement to the festival, knowing that there are thousands of people watching right along with you at home.

All in all, this was quite literally a show-stopping weekend that was packed with incredible music, talent and memories. As the final notes faded into the night and the festival drew to a close, it was clear that Ultra had once again left an indelible mark on electronic music history, solidifying its reputation as a premier event in the industry.

Tickets for the monumental 25th Anniversary of Ultra Miami, slated for March 28-30th, 2025, are now available for purchase. Don’t miss the excitement – secure yours HERE before they’re gone!