It’s time again for the yearly music and party bash that is Ultra Music Festival, starting today, Friday, March 18th, 2016, running through Saturday, the 19th, and finishing off on Sunday, the 20th. Locals and travelers alike head to its scenic Greater Downtown Miami location to partake in this celebration of the EDM (Electronic Dance Music) music scene.
This means a lot of good and bad things for the greater area of Miami, especially with the crowds flocking in for spring break and the one week break between this weekend and Calle Ocho Festival earlier this month. While Miami is known for its history with Ultra Music Festival, its crowd of young adult patrons flocking to see big names in DJ’s and other performers alike.
Positive Effects:
- Tourist Attraction
- Business Opportunity
- Expression of Music
The positives are high on the list of reasons why Ultra Music Festival is so popular. The attention the festival brings to the city for these three days has put it on the map for one of the most popular spots in Miami, grounding its reputation as a tropical, artistically guided paradise.
Ultra brings in a large crowd for the business sectors around Downtown Miami, who are guaranteed a great turn around on food and drinks. It’s a great place to excuse to go down and enjoy the best offers around that area in Miami, with both sun and sand in mind.
And to top it off, the EDM scene has become a standard in popular music related to parties and good times. The local reputation stands that anyone who comes to our area expects a good time, fresh drinks, and a memorable experience.
Negative Effects:
- High Traffic
- Large Parties
- Negative Reputation
Like any large event that tends to make a crowd gather, they provide problems for both locals and attendees alike. City officials hate the rougher crowds and reputation that come with an event like Ultra, especially with the drugs and trash that may follow along.
Streets have and will be rerouted to cover the traffic that will occur around the area. It’s happened in previous years, and has led to a lot of problems on the surrounding streets. If you’re a resident of the downtown area, and even up to Biscayne Bay, I hope you’re planning for a longer commute. It’s going to happen regardless of when you leave as long as it’s within this three day period.
With new rules in place, there are no longer underage attendees allowed at Ultra Music Festival. This means that only responsible adults who purchase tickets can attend, which would hopefully lower the risk of any incidents or reckless abandon.
It’s only been two years since that last incident when a security guard was trampled by raging fans without tickets outside of the fenced off area. This rings fresh in the minds of any officials, and the near cancellation of the event for the near future was the result.
In all, we hope you enjoy the event and come back next year.
The ships will be in Split harbour for Saturday and Sunday night, offering you the opportunity to get in the Ultra Music Festival on both Saturday and
Sunday!