MIAMI — After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the Ultra Music Festival returns to Miami this weekend – back downtown after a brief and problematic interlude on Virginia Key.
For festival veterans, it’ll feel like 2018 again.
That’s because Ultra organizers aren’t requiring proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 test or masks for entry. Though the festival will make available free masks to any ticket holder who wants one, the addition of hand sanitizing and hand-washing stations will likely be the only visible remnant of a pandemic that derailed the three-day electronic music extravaganza for the past two years.
But the return to Bayfront Park will be a fresh test for the city, which has had to weigh the economic and cultural impact of the festival against some complaints from neighbors about the thundering noise from the performances and the infusion of tens of thousands of mostly younger, and often intoxicated, music fans into the heart of the city.
“We’ve had communications with the police department in light of Miami Beach imposing a curfew, as it may relate to traffic with people leaving the event,” said Ray Martinez, Ultra’s chief of security and a former Miami Beach police chief. “Obviously, they are taking steps to address that. But we’re not concerned about the crowds coming here.”
After multiple lawsuits, neighbors reached an agreement with Ultra organizers in 2021 to drop their opposition to the festival under terms that have remained confidential. Both sides have declined to share details, other than to say Ultra will implement a community standards program to address issues including construction schedules, park closures, traffic management and noise monitoring.
The festival will utilize three different techniques to monitor sound reverberating around downtown buildings to make sure artists maintain certain decibel levels agreed to with the city.
But Martinez warned, “It is going to be loud.”
Downtown will be packed
Now in its 21st outing, Ultra averages a total of 165,000 attendees who travel from all over the country and world to see the top DJs in the growing electronic genre. Over 150 acts will grace seven different stages between Friday afternoon and Sunday evening to showcase close to 34 hours of music.
“Downtown is going to be so packed. It’s going to be ridiculous. But that’s part of it,” said Lesan Sierra, a 29-year-old Miami resident who runs an Instagram page dedicated to the festival called @everythingultra.
Sierra, who will be attending his eighth Ultra festival, had no qualms about the event moving forward without any type of coronavirus restrictions.
“Nobody’s going to be wearing their mask. You might have one or two. It doesn’t really bother me as much. It’s a music festival. You can’t really have fun with all the restrictions,” he said.
The return of the DJs
Australian-born Alison Wonderland, a classically trained cellist turned DJ, songwriter and singer, is the highest billed female on this year’s Ultra line-up. She’s promising to unveil seven unreleased songs from her new album, “Loner” during her Friday evening set which will feature her own live vocals and a line of drummers.
“When you’ve got a festival that’s only centered around electronic music, I feel like it brings a very scented crowd. Everyone’s there for that type of energy and that type of music. I feel like everyone’s very open-minded and just there to enjoy themselves and have a good time,” said the 35-year-old Wonderland, who last played the festival in 2016.
“It’s never felt pretentious … It really has just felt like people are there to kind of do the same thing I do on stage, like let go. It’s a very therapeutic thing to go to these type of shows.”
British house and techno producer Carl Cox is scheduled to play all three evenings. Other headliners include Alesso, David Guetta and Fisher as well as rising stars Sofi Tukker and John Summit.
Fans are sour, but ready
Kris Clinton of Sunrise has been to Ultra six times but is sour about how the festival wouldn’t refund her tickets after its 2020 cancellation due to COVID. She said she would’ve liked to have the approximately $900 to spend elsewhere during the two-year gap.
“Ultra really didn’t treat their fans properly, so we’re going begrudgingly,” Clinton said. “I don’t even want to go, but I’m going so I’m trying to get myself psyched up.”
Still, she’s glad the festival is back in the downtown space.
“It has to be back downtown. Virginia Key was a joke,” she said, referring to the transportation crunch that left tens of thousands of attendees without a way off the island in 2019.
The festival wasn’t prepared for the logjam of people exiting the grounds all at once, making it impossible for the allocated shuttle buses to service the exiting masses.
Ultra later called the aftermath “unacceptable,” and the logistical snafu led to momentum for the festival’s return to Bayfront Park.
“What we really hope is the check-in, the entry is not a nightmare,” Clinton said. “We hope security is not a problem with everything that’s been going on. We hope there aren’t problems with people that are off their rocker.”
Emma Kapotes, who hosts a YouTube show on rave culture, reminded viewers that Ultra’s bag policy is among the most strict of any festival, limited to items that are clear plastic or vinyl and don’t exceed 13 by 17 inches.
“You cannot bring in a normal backpack. I’m thinking of a Jansport backpack, do not try to bring that.” Kapotes said on her YouTube channel this week.
Poles, sticks and totems are also not permitted but attendees may bring flags and non-professional cameras, including Go Pros.
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(Joey Flechas contributed reporting.)
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