THE HISTORY
Six things you need to know about Ultra
01
Ultra Music Festival was founded in Miami in 1999 by EDM pioneers Russell Faibisch and Alex Omes, who named it after the 1997 Depeche Mode album,
Ultra. While that first event attracted an audience of 10,000 people, it has since grown beyond all recognition, becoming one of the biggest dance music events in the USA. In 2019, Ultra drew 170,000 fans over its sell-out three-day programme, which is now seen as the annual start of the global dance music festival calendar.
02
While Miami remains UMF’s home, the festival has expanded exponentially since its launch, spanning the globe under the umbrella of Ultra Worldwide. By the end of 2020, the event will have reached live audiences in six continents and 29 countries, including Japan, Spain, Croatia, China, Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, India, Australia – deep breath – Thailand, South Africa, Mexico, Peru, Medellin, Panama, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia.
03
Ultra attracts some of the biggest names in the EDM industry, welcoming everybody from Tiësto, Paul van Dyk and Pete Tong to Erick Morillo deadmau5, Groove Armada, Afrojack, and Steve Aoki over the last few years. Even Madonna has made a cameo, introducing Avicii in 2012.
04
In 2015, the organisers of the Miami event introduced a new stage, branded Resistance, which focussed on lesserknown ‘underground’ electronic musicians in genres such as deep house and techno. The Resistance title has since gone on to become a defining feature of the festival, diversifying its offering and featuring at a host of Ultra’s global events, including Abu Dhabi, where it has its own programme.
05
In addition to its line-up, Ultra is renowned for its technologically-advanced production, featuring largescale installations, pyrotechnics and digital displays. Ultra’s brands are also seen as pioneers in live streaming – more than 2.3 billion viewers have used Ultra Live since 2012, while UMF Radio, which is syndicated across more than 60 countries, reaches more than 22 million listeners a week.
06
UMF’s trophy cabinet must surely be among the biggest in the dance music industry. Twice named the World’s Best Festival by DJ Magazine, it has also picked up DJ Awards’ Best International Festival gong and been named Best Music Event five times at the International Dance Music Awards.