On Thursday September 27th, news broke that Ultra Music Festival in Miami was being kicked out of their venue, Bayfront Park. The new 5-year agreement for the festival was unanimously denied by the City of Miami Commission on Thursday.
Ultra released a statement on the same day insisting that the festival is still on. What does this mean for Ultra ticket-holders? Here’s what we know, and what you can expect.
1) Ultra was getting too big, too loud, too fast.
Commissioner Joe Carollo from the Miami City Commission argued repeatedly that the festival had made no attempts to shelter the local Miami residents from the noise and chaos that fell upon the city during Ultra. It’s interesting to note that Carollo had helped draft the agreement to begin with.
Supporters of the festival tried to defend the festival by reminding Carollo that the festival has called Miami home for 18 years. He responded: “That was a different Miami. The kind of music that Ultra plays is not the same as other venues where the music changes… It’s thump, thump, thump.”
2) Ultra released a statement saying that the festival will continue. How, exactly, is the question.
— Ultra Music Festival (@ultra) September 27, 2018
Ultra’s statement makes it clear that the event will continue as planned. The question now stands: will the festival be able to negotiate new terms for holding the festival at Bayfront Park, or will it have to move?
Most of the festival’s ticket-holders are assuming the event will have to move. This is a safe assumption considering the outcome of the city commission vote. An important detail to note is that when asked to allow for a one-year contract extension for the festival, the Miami City Commission was not interested.
Considering the stubborn stance from the city commission, it certainly looks like changing venues is the easiest route to take.
3) Ultra has moved before, so they can move again.
The festival first started on Miami Beach in the year 1999. From there, it moved to Bayfront Park in 2001, then to Museum Park in 2005, then back to Bayfront in 2011. The festival has not moved venues for eight years, but that’s not to say they won’t be able to do it again.
So, where would the festival go? Some have suggested Homestead Miami Speedway. This would provide a similar vibe to EDC Las Vegas, which currently operates out of Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Another potential venue is the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins. This option is a little less popular for fans who prefer multiple stages and a more open environment. However, it certainly has the capacity to host the huge crowd that Ultra Miami draws.
No matter how you spin it, Ultra Miami is here to stay.
Even if the venue changes, Ultra has made it clear that the festival will continue. Since many fans have already booked hotel rooms and airfare, the likelihood of the event being moved to another city is extremely low.
We’ll keep you updated on this story as it develops. In the meantime, if you’d like to take a leap of faith and book your tickets to the festival, you can still purchase tickets on their website here. However, we’d recommend holding off on booking your hotel until the location of the festival is confirmed.
Watch the Ultra Miami 2018 Aftermovie:
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