They say that it’s the intense pressure that turns carbon into the beautiful diamonds that we all treasure. Ultra Music Festival experienced that process for itself in 2024. After a showstopping edition in 2023, Ultra was set for a slight tweak in the formula for 2024. Carl Cox would not be the focal point for Resistance, but that freed up attendees to explore the various Ultra stages in ways they hadn’t even dreamed of doing in years. It was a change that put pressure on Ultra to deliver another epic outing and they delivered in spades. However, the real pressure came from nature.
The Week of and Friday
As the big week approached, fans and staff alike were watching the weather forecast and not liking what they saw. As time went on the forecast only solidified. Friday night had a 90-100% chance of rain essentially throughout the day and night. As Music Week geared up I remember remarking to concerned friends that “Ultra has never cancelled due to rain. There may be a temporary stop at a few stages, but this is Florida. We can handle the rain.” As Friday kicked off, it seemed like we might get a reprieve as the sky stayed grey but dry. Ponchos in hand, we explored the gorgeous new Mainstage, the mindbending Megastructure, the re-imagined Worldwide Stage, the UMF Radio Stage, and the newly beloved Cove Stage.
Then as Tiesto was rocking the mainstage, the rain started pouring down like you might see during Hurricane season. Except this wasn’t a 15-30 minute storm and the rain didn’t stop. As Friday night was reaching into prime time, the unthinkable happened. The music stopped and everybody was told to evacuate the grounds. It took people in the Megastructure a while to be shuffled out by security teams, because everybody assumed it was just a temporary pause. For the first time in its history, Ultra Music Festival was forced to clear out due to severe weather. Everybody was in a state of shock and confusion that this could actually happen. The Ultra team scrambled to monitor weather developments and determine whether the festival could re-open. By a bit after 1030pm, the call was made and Ultra was cancelled due to weather for the first time. It was undoubtedly a heartbreaking moment for all. The pressure was on.
Saturday
Ultra thrived under this pressure, commanding a battalion of vehicles to go to the festival site and suck up all the water puddles. Then the soggy grounds were coated with mulch. The end result was a festival site that was pretty much fine when everybody returned on Saturday afternoon, save for a few muddy areas here and there. Then, Ultra went to work re-shuffling its entire lineup to accomodate DJs from Friday like Hardwell, Adam Beyer, and Amelie Lens. Lastly, Ultra was able to pull off the impossible. It was granted an extra hour on Saturday night and some extra time on Sunday so the festival could accommodate this new schedule.
When people returned on Saturday there was a palpable energy in the air that drove Ultra 2024 to become unforgettable. The drama and the disappointment from Friday had sparked a fire in Ultra’s team and in Ultra’s attendees to absolutely kill it on Saturday and Sunday. The sets were incredible across the board, and everybody was so happy to be there.
The Ultra formula had more or less already been perfected – and this continued in 2024. Clean bathrooms had replaced most of the nasty port-a-pottys, the food options were stellar and well-placed, the production was top-notch, and Ultra pushed the boundaries of technology with its spellbinding drone shows.
For the first time since 2019, and the first time ever at Bayfront, Ultra attendees got to experience the clock hitting 1AM while still being on the festival grounds. In a hilarious turn, this extra hour that was a godsend for Ultra’s attendees upset the Downtown Karen’s Alliance – and they made a big hub-bub in the press in the week afterwards. Considering the fact that Ultra has only ever had to cancel due to weather once in its 24 years, the Karens can take a breath because Ultra won’t be needing that extra hour very often, if at all.
Sunday
With Sunday’s arrival came that gorgeous Miami sun that Ultra is famous for. By this point, everybody could feel that magic in the air that will elevate Ultra 2024’s place in history from being just the year before a big anniversary (2025) to being a legendary edition in its own right.
The closing day DJs played their hearts out. While the attendees remained in a bit of a stupor, not exactly sure of who was playing at what time anymore, none of that even mattered. The energy was particularly intense over at Resistance, whether it be the Megastructure or the Cove. Literally every single set was on fire and the crowds were loving every second of it. You would have been plenty satisfied if you spent the entire weekend bopping between the two Resistance stages. The vibes were simply immaculate.
In comparison with the bummer that everybody felt on Friday, this beautiful Sunday at Ultra was a paradise. Somehow, against all odds, Ultra stuck the landing and left everybody feeling like they still got the full Ultra experience, and then some. The pressure created by the weather situation turned Ultra 2024 into an absolute diamond, an edition that will be remembered in the stuff of legend.
As Ultra looks ahead to its huge 25th Anniversary edition in 2025, the spunky energy and attendee goodwill generated in 2024 will only add to the excitement. There’s a reason Ultra Music Festival remains one of the best music festivals in the world, and 2024 was an epic reminder of that for everyone there.