The weekend we wait for all year starting from the day after it ends was finally upon us, as hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world gather for Miami Music Week, culminating with Ultra Music Festival as the highlight every year.
We returned for the first of three amazing days of quality music ahead of us with the sun shining bright over Bayfront Park. We walked around and spoke with some of the most passionate dance music fans you could ever meet. One could sense the excitement everywhere for the likes of Martin Garrix, Kygo and Armin van Buuren along with a whole host of other musicians that were going to grace the festival over the next three days.
The first thing to catch our eye was the outstanding design of the Main Stage. Following last year’s controversial reviews despite our personal approval, this year’s left no doubt regarding the unanimous positive feedback. Illuminating the dark sky and the hovering skyscrapers behind the Bayfront Park, the Main Stage delivered a power-packed set of surprises for our visual pleasure with a ‘fireworks spectacular’ over the course of three days that’s a worthwhile draw on it’s own.
We keenly observed the monstrous Main Stage as dusk started to settle in for Friday and Kygo took center stage. After closing out last year’s Live Stage, the Norwegian Tropical House phenomenon has reached further dizzying heights of fame and success. We arrived just in time as Parson James was making a special appearance on stage alongside Kygo to perform their collaborative hit “Stole The Show”. The atmosphere couldn’t be better for the evening as confetti cannons decorated the crowd and Kygo played some of his most memorable originals and remixes setting us up for a perfect evening.
We brisked past the UMF Radio Stage which was being hosted by Hardwell’s Revealed for the day and discovered Sick Individuals closing out their energetic set. Upon closer inspection we realized Hardwell was on stage supporting the duo as they concluded with a personal mashup of their renowned production “Lost and Found” with Tiesto’s classic “Loves Comes Again.”
The Live Stage has delivered year after year of outstanding, eclectic lineups and this year’s continued the trend in attracting top talent for music lovers. Chet Faker provided a unique sound and style for our exploration and was supposed to be featured on the Ultra Live broadcast, however we were sadly informed there was a delay with the performance. We waited patiently alongside thousands of dedicated fans that ultimately welcomed him with an enthusiastic roar. His voice echoed through the crowd of loving fans as the band emerged from the backdrop, with him eventually joining them for a memorable live performance. Even with a shortened set, they were able to squeeze in their greatest hits including “No Diggity.”
Upon nightfall, the Resistance Stage is worth the visit, towering over you in an eerie, tree filled corner of Ultra. The stage, in association with Arcadia, featured the iconic Arcadia Spider stage and was reminiscent of a massive fire breathing mechanical spider straight out of a Sci-Fi film, featuring a unique 30 minute show each night where acrobats and color came together in the Arcadia Fire Show. This fire-breathing monster watched over the dancing crowd with its laser eyes, delivering massive, rhythmically synced bursts of flames into the night sky. Spinning a wide variety of techno across an outstanding lineup, Friday featured the likes of John Digweed, Hot Since 82, Joris Voorn and Jamie Jones.
With just too much to see, we closed out the day having missed a few of our desired acts but rushed over to catch the Main Stage’s headliner Martin Garrix. The young Dutchman delivered on the big stage, dropping an astonishing 10 new tracks and leaving fans in absolute awe which we will provide extensive coverage later as more information is released. The pyrotechnics perfectly accompanied his set as they blazed over the night sky in a wonderful closing to the day.
SATURDAY
Day two brought on another anticipated lineup as we headed over early to take advantage of the beautiful weather. It was a bright and warm sun shining over us for most of the weekend, and Saturday provided no less. Passing through the crowd we witnessed the ever vibrant Swedish duo Iconapop on the Live Stage, with the crowd chanting along as they performed their hit “I Love It.”
After continuous years of closing out Friday night, Tiesto returned to the Main Stage at an unfamiliar time slot: an extended Saturday evening sundowner set. The legend had special guest Vassy open with “Secrets” as he came onto the stage and she continued to intermittently perform throughout his set. Tiesto, who has been known to use his sets as a launchpad for up-and-coming artists, brought out the young Mike Williams (Netherlands) for an extended feature amongst various guest appearances, including The Chainsmokers for their hit “Roses.” His set was littered with ID’s and we can’t wait for several amazing releases to come.
With Marco Carola at the Carl Cox and Friends Stage as the penultimate act before the legend himself took over, we made our way towards the massive tent. Marco at the time was playing a hard hitting bass driven set accompanied with blue lasers and green visuals, illuminating the stage and dancing techno loyalists.
We made sure to watch Avicii’s return to the Main Stage following last year’s unforgettable release of new music, a typical occurrence for the Swedish phenomenon. This year’s performance featured no less, debuting a host of new music. As we have learned from past years his unpredictable sets are always refreshing as they debut a preface for a new single or even an entire album release. The first half hour of his set almost entirely featured new music with the exception of “Levels” followed by familiar classics.
We were notified earlier in the day through the official Ultra 2016 app that The Prodigy wouldn’t be able to perform due to illness and the befitting replacement would be none other than Deadmau5 on the Live Stage. We found some empty seats at the amphitheater and relaxed while the Canadian played a classic Deadmau5 set featuring almost entirely his home-grown beats, although he made sure to pay homage to The Prodigy by playing “Smack My Bitch Up” and wishing lead singer Maxim well wishes.
Our final goal of the night was to see KSHMR, one of the best producers in the world. We made one final trip to the Ultra Worldwide stage and watched him showcase his versatility as a producer, giving the crowd an absolutely amazing time and showcasing a couple of new songs while at it. It was a great way to end the night, as he closed out with “Secrets” and “Kashmir.”
SUNDAY
The day started off with a bang for us, as we arrived to hear Fedde Le Grand mixing in some 80s tunes (“Sweet Dreams,” “Rhythm of the Night”) with his own signature brand of progressive house. Galantis was up next, and the Swedish duo that sprang up late last year with their hits “Runaway” and “You” delivered a high octane set sure to propel them to new heights for 2016. Closing with their famous songs, their set included various remixes while incorporating a wide variety of music from their peers.
The ASOT Stage boasted an absolute dream lineup for Sunday featuring Aly & Fila, Markus Schulz, Deadmau5, and extended sets from Eric Prydz and Armin Van Buuren. Many in the crowd could be seen throughout the evening maintaining their location, completely camped out for this fantastic back to back extravaganza.
We were eager to see what the legendary Eric Prydz had in store for us, as his sets are always accompanied by an unparalleled production of lasers and visuals. We can never predict the avatar that would greet us, whether it be “Pryda” or “Cirez D,” the only certainty was that we were in for an aural and visual treat. He eased into his set seamlessly transitioning from one bass driven track to another before finishing the last half hour on a more melodic note. We can say we got the best of both of his avatars accompanied by the best array of strobes and lasers. Throughout the evening various DJs were spotted supporting and enjoying the music of their peers, with Eric Prydz drawing the likes of DJ Snake and W&W on the sidelines.
The main event was finally upon us to mixed feelings, as we were ready to see Knife Party perform with their former bandmates but upset that the weekend was finally coming to an end. We watched a mesmerizing fireworks display for Zedd at the Main Stage, awaiting the grand finale of Pendulum – Knife Party.
For one final extended set, Pendulum was loaded with surprises, bringing out legendary guitarist Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine provided a hint of what was to come. As Morello jammed along, it reminded us of the fact that Deadmau5 had closed his set with “Ace of Spades,” another legendary rock song. Soon enough, Deadmau5 himself came out for the end, providing the most colorful moment on the Main Stage we have ever seen (his third appearance at Ultra 2016).
This year’s production lived up to the standards we’ve come to expect from Ultra, delivering a world class showcase in what has become the industry’s benchmark for music festivals around the world.
With fireworks ringing into the sky one final time, it signaled that another Ultra had come and gone, leaving us looking forward to the already confirmed dates of Ultra 2017 (March 24, 25, 26).
Written by: Kanov Bagai
Edited by: Pranav Gupta