ULTRA Music Festival is massive rave that takes place in downtown Miami and collects dozens of thousands of partyers under the blue skies and sunshine to dance for hours to a wild variety of music. For some people, it isn’t Winter Music Conference without Ultra, while others prefer smaller parties to the crazy crowds. Educate yourself about Ultra so you can decide if the insanely huge party will be a good fit for you- either way, Ultra Music Festival is without doubt one of the biggest and best electronic music festivals anywhere in the world.

Experience two days full of your favorite DJs, both homegrown and international, playing everything from the dirty house beats of Robbie Rivera to the to the airy trance melodies of the Dutch legend Armin Van Buuren. An almost palpable passion and connection between electronic music lovers can be felt. This is what makes Ultra so special; you can’t quite get the feeling of being such a part of the international electronic music community anywhere else. You can mingle at the funky drum and bass stage, grab a Red Bull and vodka, check out who is playing at the Amnesia Ibiza tent, then be mesmerized by the tantalizing tunes and laser beams in the Carl Cox tent… Ultra is your musical playground to explore.

With crowds regularly surpassing 50,000 at the festival’s longtime home, Bicentennial Park, Ultra Music Festival has been THE go-to event of Winter Music Conference for the last twelve years. However, the question still lingers: “is it worth attending?”

When it comes to attending Ultra Music Festival, half of the people say it “can not be missed” and “is a must” while the other half say skip it and go to the parties at nightclubs which more often then not host to the same artists performing at Ultra – minus their headlining acts.

Should You Go to Ultra?

Go to UMF if:

• you love electronic dance music
• like being outside at night in Miami in March – great weather
• enjoy big concerts and festivals
• don’t mind thousands of kids and “ravers” – it is an 18+ event and you will see plenty of pacifiers and fuzzy pants
• happy to spend $100 for two days of one of the very best, if not the best, dance music festival production in the United States
• you don’t feel like jumping from party to party
• you like hugs

Skip the festival if the DJs you want to see are playing elsewhere during WMC, if you don’t like festivals and being surrounded by thousands of fucked up youngsters.

Ultra Basics.

Ultra is a two day event, Friday and Saturday at the end of Winter Music Conference, taking place in 2010 on March 26 and 27. There will be 16 stages set over two days, featuring more than 200 DJs, bands and producers. The first day is from 4PM to midnight, and the second day is from noon to midnight. Ultra takes place half during the day when you can see people and enjoy the sun, and half is in the dark with the laser shows and wild visuals, so you get the best of both worlds and a double party experience.

Taking place at Bicentennial Park, located in downtown Miami, Ultra is just cab or bus ride away from the Collins strip or South Beach. If you are with friends, have predetermined places that you can get to in order to meet up if you get separate- because you probably will.

Leaving Ultra is much more difficult, as traffic is madness and cabs are next-to impossible to get. Prepare yourself for the clusterfuck, and know where you are headed before you get into the cab. Sometimes you can persuade a someone with a car that isn’t full to give you a ride in exchange for a smoke, alcohol, or other party favors.

Getting In.

Ultra will have a line that stretches forever, with hundreds of people looked stressed, anxious, or bored- and then there are the smart partiers who don’t bother with the line. There are lines and booths for will-call, for press, for performers, for VIP’s and for WMC badges. Head straight for whatever applies to you- don’t just find a line and wait in it. If you are confused, find a staff member near the entrance and ask them where you should go.

What to Bring to Ultra.

This is a rave; you will be searched at the door. Officially the list of banned items includes alcohol, bottles, cans, glass, animals, sound systems, backpacks, and audio and visual recording devices.

That said, a large number of people at Ultra will have backpacks, candy, glowsticks, drugs, flasks, cameras, and even video cameras. Some people report being charged by the bouncers to take in these items, while no doubt others find creative ways to sneak their possessions inside. Whatever you decide, remember that the bouncers have the legal right to take your contraband and keep it- so if you don’t want to risk having to trash your new camera, you might want to leave it at the hotel.

What you definitely should bring: sunscreen, sunglasses, blankets and cash. Food and beverages including alcohol will be available, but you are better off getting a good meal in you and a good buzz on you before you arrive on site.

What to Wear to Ultra.

Ultra is a massive rave and you will encounter more candy, mini Care Bears backpacks and neon hair than you thought existed- so feel free to wear your own. Some people swear by flip-flops at raves, while others prefer to keep their feet protected from the dance floor sludge. Whatever outfit you choose, make sure it will go from day to night and stand up to hours and hours of dancing, eight million hugs and possibly a cuddle puddle.

Tips for Ultra Virgins.

• Be prepared to get not only down and dirty with the music, but just plain old dirty! If you wear a new white skirt, plan on it becoming an old brown skirt by the end of the day.
• If you need a break from all of the action, take a walk through the Eco Village, where 20 + charity groups and non-profit organizations set up post, including Dance 4 Life (supported by loved DJ Tiesto), which supports finding a cure for AIDS.
• Glowsticks and rave gear are not, in fact, out of style or “too 90′s” at Ultra. In fact if you wear khakis and a polo shirt, you are going to look like a freak. Even if you don’t participate in the pageantry, you can people-watch, for many of the Ultra-inspired outfits you will never see at your local mall.
• Be sure to make new friends! You will meet some of the most unique people from all over the world right here in Miami. Ravers may be many things- but one thing they do well is inclusion, and almost all of the people you meet will have a smile on their face for you- if not a hug in their arms as well.

UMF: The Music.

During UMF, there are basically two types of shows, DJ or live.

A DJ set is exactly that – DJ/club tracks played by a DJ. A live performance can be one of two things – either a performer playing a set from pieces (ie from hardware or from Ableton multitrack segments) or a band (ie with a drummer, live guitarist, vocalist, etc).

For the purposes of Ultra, the DJ sets will always sound the better of the two, for one simple reason – audio control. DJ tracks are produced and mastered to be played through a mixer directly into a speaker system. Live music with vocals, drums, or guitars has to go through separate processing chain. There is no way for a live show to have the same audio quality as a DJ set. Even with an excellent audio engineer, something happening right now is never going to sound as good as something recorded and processed in a studio. Be aware of that during UMF. If you like the raw, emotional quality of live, go to the live shows. If you like the audio quality and depth of studio engineering, then go watch the DJ sets.

All in all, ULTRA Music Festival is about the experience, so enjoy.

ULTRA Music Festival

Friday March 26th 4PM-12AM & Saturday March 27th 12PM-12AM @ Bicentennial Park

>> $140/2-Day pass buy tickets here (all ages)<<