They came. They raged. We loved. As another massive edition of the annual Miami Music Week came to an end, it was yet again signed off by one of the premiere music festivals of North America, that’s right, Ultra Music Festival in Miami. With a lineup which can put any other rival to shame, this past weekend was truly dedicated to dance music fans across the world.
As the nostalgia continues to set in, let’s take a look at some of the highlights from the three-day extravaganza. Between a now-seasoned Martin Garrix closing down the mainstage on Day 1, and a cover up headlining performance by deadmau5 at the Live Stage on Day 2 and a behemoth comeback by Pendulum on Day 3 which saw them close out Ultra Miami 2016, it was a true spectacle packed by an awe-inspiring stage setup, visuals, and of course, an insane count of unreleased IDs which we can’t wait to get our hands on.
Image Credit: edmphotos.com
Dutch prodigy Martin Garrix lived upto the hype and promise surrounding his headlining performance at Ultra this year as he boasted of a set full of original music which consisted of 10 unreleased Garrix IDs. Wait, is it Christmas time already? One of the leading producer/DJs in the game, check out Martin’s entire set in all its glory below!
After witnessing an exceptional kick-off to the 18th edition of Ultra Miami which saw performances by industry heavyweights Kaskade, Armin Van Buuren, Kygo, DJ Snake, Carl Cox, John Digweed amongst more, Day 2 was a task in itself to further up the ante. With a schedule packing in the likes of Steve Angello, Maceo Plex, Avicii, Afrojack, NERO, KSHMR, The Chainsmokers and more, the audience was treated to a truckload of high-octane music alongside OWSLA curating the UMF Radio Stage which felt nothing short of a pure adrenaline rush.
And as far as taking up the job of closing down festivals go, it goes without saying, the former #1 DJ Hardwell boasts of enough experience to do so. With consecutive mainstage performances at Ultra Miami over the years that have already added to his repertoire, 2016 gave him any less as the Dutch extraordinaire shut down Day 2 in incredible fashion. As fans were treated to 60 mins of pure unadulterated Hardwell, the ‘Spaceman‘ producer showed off 12 brand-new originals including 7 of his own upcoming productions. A wet dream for any die-hard fan, check out his entire set below and be on the look out for DJ Snake who makes a cameo somewhere!
But Day 2 had some uncalled-for surprises in store. With a last moment cancellation coming in from legendary group The Prodigy, the Live Stage lacked a headliner which was filled in my Ultra‘s seasoned backup plan aka deadmau5. With a similar cover up back in 2014 for Avicii, Joel was handed the duties to close down Day 2 at The Live Stage which previously saw performances from the likes of Nero, Tycho, Chet Faker, Thomas Jack, Crystal Castles and more. As cool as you would like, the mau5trap bossman wrecked havoc as he delivered an hour-long set full of classic and newer cuts alike. A fantastic prelude to his highly anticipated performance at the ASOT Stage on Day 3, it was a nice surprise for every single mau5 fan out there.
March 20th, 2016 will be etched in the memory of every single hardcore dance music fan. With what was poised to be a historical day for electronic music by far, the final day of Ultra Miami gave fans what they wanted. Now, before we touch down entirely on Pendulum, the Main Stage also saw thrilling performances by the likes of Zedd, Carnage, David Guetta, Galantis and more. But, the action was set to take place at Armin Van Buuren‘s legendary ASOT Stage which was blessed by Markus Schulz, Aly & Fila, Eric Prydz and the man of the moment, deadmau5. As real as it gets, Joel and his care-free attitude was omnipresent on the stage as he dished out a set which was exemplary on its very own.(Note: Live visuals begin at 46:40)
And now finally, the great honor bestowed upon Knife Party and Pendulum to close down Ultra Music Festival was done justice in high fashion by Rob Swire and his crew. A long awaited return after 4 years, the legendary live electronic band thumped their authority with a thrilling b2b performance which also saw guest appearances from Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine and deadmau5 for a short live cut of their famed collaboration, ‘Ghosts n Stuff‘. A memorable set which has now rightfully established itself as one of the best festival performances to have ever taken place , you can check out a few highlights from their comeback below!
With another sensational edition of Ultra Music Festival coming to a close which sent the audience home with not just cherishable memories and a big smile, but a placeholder in their hearts for the next twelve months until Ultra makes its return to Bayfront Park on March 24-26, 2017.
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