Miami Beach welcomed the Ultra Music Festival in 1999. The electronic dance music fans moved the party to downtown Miami in 2001.
This year, the preparations for the three-day UMF at Bayfront Park were ongoing on Wednesday. Biscayne Boulevard closes in both directions.
Miami Fire Rescue personnel and police officers had a plan. During a news conference, Chief Manuel Morales said his teams were ready.
“We search everybody as they’re coming in to make sure there are no weapons, or illegal items coming in,” Morales said.
About 55,000 worldwide take over the park starting Friday. The most popular sets will likely be that of Swiss DJs Adrian Shala and Adrian Schweizer, better known as Adriatique; Swedish DJ Adam Beyer, the founder of Drumcode Records; and Dutch DJ Nick Leonardus van de Wall, better known as Afrojack.
The lineup includes Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren, Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, French DJ David Guetta, English DJ Alexander “Elderbrook” Kotz, and Swedish DJ Eric Prydz. There are a few women: Belgian DJ Amelie Lens, Russian DJ Nina Kraviz, Swiss-South African DJ Daniela “Nora En Pure” Di Lillo, and Italian Instrumentalist Giorgia Angiuli.
“We have undercover officers inside, not only looking for individuals looking to prey on victims — but any type of suspicious individuals,” Morales said.
City officials anticipate the challenges with the EDM fans will likely be drug-related. Last year, Miami police officers at UMF reported there were 19 arrests and most of the cases were because of narcotics.
The $350 tickets sold out fast and the waiting list was growing. There were four-hour Ultra-Yacht Experience charters. For more information about UMF, visit his page.
