Break out those thick jackets and silly beanies: Winter officially starts this week! As temps continue to dip into “stay inside and wrap yourself in a blanket” territory, Ultra Music Festival 2018: Miami has us thinking warm thoughts. On Monday, the world’s “premier electronic music festival” revealed its star-studded phase one lineup, headlined by Armin van Buuren, Kaskade, Steve Aoki, and so many others.
To think that there’s a second phase to come, and maybe a third, Ultra is going all out to celebrate its 20th anniversary. While Miami Beach is nowhere close to the Pacific Northwest, here are SOME reasons why you should ditch the usual Ultra Miami livestream and catch all the action in person next year!
1. Something To Satisfy All Tastes
Bass. Trance. Techno. Pop-EDM. UMF 2018 will have it all, enlisting artists across virtually every electronic genre to help create one of the most diverse, and in-depth, dance music festivals in the world.
The Neon Hues of South Beach (Photo: Time)
2. Location
Sunshine. White sand. Art deco. Fusion of flavors in food and beverages. All things that come to mind when you think about Miami. Located in the city’s downtown Bayfront Park, the Ultra grounds are a quick drive from all of this. Paradise awaits.
3. An International Affair
Thousands from around the globe journey to Ultra Miami to celebrate what has become the official start of festival season. Last year, it was reported 165,000 people, representing 60 different countries, attended Ultra earlier this year. Festivals here in the Pacific Northwest do draw a diverse crowd, but they don’t do numbers like that! Ultra 20 is a great opportunity to meet and interact with fellow dance music enthusiasts from different pockets of the world. Who knows: you might find love, or build lifelong friendships.
4. Miami Music Week
The party doesn’t begin when Ultra opens its gates on Friday. It starts the Monday before! The prelude to Ultra, Miami Music Week is a weeklong marathon of dance music events that take place throughout the city. We’re talking parties, conferences, pop-up shops, even more parties; you name it. The fun doesn’t stop as Miami takes its place in the center of the EDM universe during this week-long extravaganza.
Thousands of College Students Flock To The Beaches of Miami For Spring Break Each Year (Photo: Florida Rambler.com)
5. Spring Break and Ultra Collide
In addition to hosting Miami Music Week and Ultra, South Beach draws thousands of Spring Breakers from across the country. Add in the International crowd, and you can bet the partying will be non-stop!
6. A Taste of Cuba
The Cuban influence in Miami is heavy, with food receiving the most notoriety. If you’ve never had authentic Cuban eats, we’re talking pastelitos, croquetas, and some other shit that’s hard to pronounce, you’ll be in for quite the treat! Not to mention Cuban coffee, and Cuban cigars. Come check, and taste, the hype for yourself!
Virtual Self, aka Porter Robinson, Has The Dance Music World Talking (Photo: Billboard.com)
7. Virtual Self
Porter Robinson’s newest alias, Virtual Self, is currently all the rage. After Virtual Self’s debut show earlier this month, he will take to the Ultra 20 Mainstage to perform in what will be his biggest crowd to date. We can’t wait to see what he has in store!
8. Surprise Appearances
You’ll never know who will show up at Ultra. In recent years, P Diddy, Usher, Justin Bieber, and many more superstar singers/rappers, have made on-stage appearances, often causing the crowd to lose its shit. You can bet some of the performers of Ultra 20 will be bringing some of their musical friends with them.
Dance Under A Giant Spider at the Resistance/ Techno Stage! (Photo: deephouseamsterdam.com)
9. The Stages
Currently, Ultra 20 will host 11 stages across Bayfront Park, including a few from some of the biggest record labels in dance music. While the mainstage will have some amazing performances for sure, wander around and discover new artists and creative stage designs.
10. Daft Punk?
In the Phase One lineup release graphic, Ultra promotes “special anniversary performances” and to “expect the unexpected”. Daft Punk have performed in Ultras past. As the festival celebrates the big 2-0, could this be the time we see our favorite elusive French robots return to the UMF mainstage?
Need more convincing? Check out the official Ultra 2017 after movie! Tickets are still available, but options are running slim. Will you be joining us in Miami for a little fun in the sun?
Important things happen in Pacific Northwest nightlife, and DMNW will send you alerts!
