THATBlog

The THAT Agency is more than just business. Based in South Florida, it’d be hard to ignore all the exciting events going on around us. Two weekends ago was the West Palm Beach Boat Show, and this weekend the Ultra Music Festival closed out Winter Music Conference just south of us in Miami.

Downtown Miami - Ultra Music Festival

If you haven’t heard, Ultra is an electronic music festival hosted each year in Miami that has thousands of people traveling from all across the world. In fact, a friend of mine was traveling back from France last week on a plane full of partygoers. She was woken up by her over-excited neighbor on the plane to ask her where he should go in between his time at Ultra. Yes, all the way from France and many other countries, fans traveled to take part in what was promised to be an epic weekend. Ultra 2014 did not disappoint.

Main Stage - Ultra Music Festival

This year’s festival made more waves than years past. There’s even talks for ending Ultra in Miami for good. In the next few weeks, the city will meet to discuss denying permits for next year. Why, you ask? Some might say this year was trending for all the wrong reasons.

Day One/Strike One

Bayfront Park in Downtown Miami has been home to the Ultra Music Festival for years. In 2013, Ultra lasted two weekends – the weekend before and the weekend after Winter Music Conference. Last year it was noted that several EDM (electronic dance music) fans without tickets were rushing the fences. Unfortunately this year, concert crashers critically injured a female security guard.

Day Two/Strike Two

From dance injuries to overdoses, Miami Police were kept very busy this weekend. Saturday evening, police had reported 26 arrests, up four from the day before.

*Unrelated news – Scheduled Ultra performer Avicii was hospitalized due to gall bladder issues and had to cancel his show. Luckily deadmau5 closed out the main stage on Saturday night.

Day Three/Strike Three

The mess left behind by more than 55,000 EDM fans was not only excessive, but also left Bayfront Park littered with strange items (anyone missing a feather tutu?). Almost 200 people made up this year’s cleaning crew, and it seems like they needed every one. The estimates for how many gallons of trash have been picked up are extreme.

*Unrelated news – Afrojack was also hospitalized, but for exhaustion and he did play his set on Sunday.

It’s no mystery as to why some South Floridians are upset about the three day festival, but will the city really deny permits for next year? With all the money Ultra brings to the area through tourism (and arrests), it will be interesting to see what happens here in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!