Armin Van Buuren in 2015

Armin Van Buuren

Photo: El Pics/Getty Images

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Ultra Music Festival 2018 Phase 1 Lineup: Armin Van Buuren, RL Grime, & More

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The first batch of top tier DJs, live headliners, and supporting acts for the 20th installment of ULTRA Music Festival have been announced
Brian Haack
GRAMMYs
Dec 19, 2017 - 1:29 pm

The first phase of headliners and supporting acts for the 20th-anniversary installment of the massive three-day electronic dance festival ULTRA has officially been announced.

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Many of the biggest names in dance music, including previous ULTRA headliners, are featured heavily in the phase one announcement, which touches all major dance/electronic genres fairly evenly. Names like Carl Cox, Armin van Buuren, Eric Prydz, RL Grime, Empire Of The Sun, the Crystal Method, Infected Mushroom, and Marshmello are certainly no surprises for any dance festival lineup these days.

But there are a few unexpected bookings as well, with controversial rap/hip-house artist Azealia Banks joining the live headliners group alongside the somewhat surprising inclusion of the Wailers and Julian Marley. (How might a classic reggae act play off against a surrounding sea of thumping bass music?) There's also Porter Robinson's mysterious new hard house/trancestyle project VIRTUAL SELF.

The 20th installment of ULTRA Music Festival will take place on March 23–25, 2018, at Miami's Bayfront Park. Some GA and VIP tickets are still available but are likely to sell out soon.

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Rezz

Rezz

Photo: Michael Tullberg/Getty Images

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Ultra 2019: The Chainsmokers, Marshmello & More To Perform

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Additional DJs include Deadmau5, Martin Garrix, David Guetta and many more
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Dec 20, 2018 - 4:07 pm

On Dec. 20, the Ultra Music Festival announced the first phase of its lineup for the bigger-than-ever Ultra 2019, relocating to the historic Virginia Key Beach Park And Miami Maritime Stadium for the first time ever on March 29–31, 2019.

DJs including Martin Garrix, Marshmello and many more will break in the expanded venue grounds during Miami Music Week following the Winter Music Conference for an epic series of electronica events.

GRAMMY winners performing at Ultra 2019 include Afrojack, the Chainsmokers, Dubfire, David Guetta, Tiësto, and Zedd. Previously nominated artists appearing include Alesso, Armin Van Buuren, Deadmau5, Galantis, and Odesza.

Less well-established DJs and artists are part of the upbeat dance excitement Ultra festivalgoers count on catching. The 2019 Phase 1 lineup includes Adam Beyer, Carl Cox, GRiZ, Illenium, Jamie Jones, Joseph Capriati, Loco Dice, Louis The Child, Maceo Plex, the Martinez Brothers, Nicole Moudaber, Paco Osuna, Rezz, Richie Hawtin, Sasha & John Digweed, Tale Of Us, and Testpilot.

Tickets are available at the Ultra website, including special packages.

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Will Smith, Marshmello at Ultra 2018

Will Smith and Marshmello

Photo: aLIVE Coverage/Ultra Music Festival

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Inside Ultra Music Festival's Record-Breaking 20th Anniversary

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Look back at the amazing surprises and record-setting stats from Ultra's 20th anniversary
Brian Haack
GRAMMYs
Apr 5, 2018 - 2:16 pm

As the event set to celebrate a whirlwind 20 years in the game grew closer, expectations were unbelievably high for Ultra Music Festival 2018. The dizzying, non-stop bacchanalia spread across three gorgeous days saw staggering attendance, record-setting viewer numbers on the official livestream, and countless amazing surprises.

With marquee performances by festival mainstays like Tiësto and David Guetta, plus a whole host of incendiary sets lighting up the floor throughout the weekend, Ultra 2018 had something for every flavor of dance music fan. With such a variety – and immensely high quality – of both talent and production, it's no surprise that the 20th anniversary of the festival drew over 165,000 attendees from 60 countries around the world, while the official livestream drew a record-shattering 30 million (!) viewers worldwide.

Surprise appearances by music's biggest acts are always a part of the energy and excitement  that takes over downtown Miami each year, but for their 20th birthday Ultra pulled out all the stops. Along with scheduled performances from both Rabbit In The Moon and Josh Wink – both of whom played the very first installment of the dance festival in 1999 – attendees were treated to shocking surprise appearances by Above & Beyond, Halsey, Desiigner, Yo Gotti, and even Will Smith, who took the stage with Marshmello and banged out his timely international smash hit "Miami."

And of course, the close of the festival brought about what will undoubtedly remain one of the most talked-about surprises of the 2018 festival season: the triumphant return  of Swedish House Mafia after a nearly five-year hiatus following their supposedly last-ever performance together at Ultra 2013.

The intersection of the event's special anniversary, its unparalleled slate of scheduled talent and unbelievable roster of surprise guests led Ultra to once again take the crown as No. 1 trending topic on worldwide social platforms over the weekend for the fifth year in a row. In addition, the festival's extensive advance communication and collaboration with local, state and federal authorities helped pave the way for a collective execution of security and safety measures that was categorized by EDMTunes as, "the safest Ultra Music Festival ever."

Attendees still buzzing from this year's massive intersection of dance music and culture – as well as the untold millions still working to get over their post-festival F.O.M.O. – need not fear the long interim between now and next year's Ultra, as the dates are officially confirmed for their 21st installment: March 29 – 31, 2019. Mark your calendars now!

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Carl Cox, 2016

Carl Cox

Photo: Future Music Magazine/Getty Images

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Carl Cox, Adam Beyer: ULTRA Music Festival 2018 Drops RESISTANCE Miami Lineup

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The official lineup for Ultra's RESISTANCE stages – the Carl Cox Megastructure and Arcadia The Spider – has been announced
Brian Haack
GRAMMYs
Feb 1, 2018 - 1:55 pm

2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the massive three-day ULTRA Music Festival.  Held in Miami annually during Miami Music Week since 1999, the festival has grown into one of the world's premiere electronic dance events.

Inside Miami Music Week with top DJs

The phase one lineup for ULTRA 2018 has already been announced, and just this week the festival promoters have followed-up with the official lineup for their house and techno stages, branded jointly this year as RESISTANCE.

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With an exciting stable of some of the biggest names in underground dance music, the RESISTANCE stages – the Carl Cox Megastructure and Arcadia The Spider – will be helmed by legendary DJ Carl Cox and dark techno visionary and Drumcode label boss Adam Beyer.  Along for the ride with Cox and Beyer, house heads at the Carl Cox Megastructure will be treated to a special joint b2b2b set featuring Dubfire, Nicole Moudaber and Paco Osuna, as well as the minimal techno stylings of Pan-Pot, the bouncy crossover U.K. vibes of Jamie Jones, and the special brand of ethereal melodic ambience always brought to the table by Maceo Plex.

Dancers at the Arcadia The Spider stage – a fan favorite spider-shaped staging structure from previous years that is making a welcome comeback in 2018 – will be treated to a series of supergroup sets, courtesy of J.E.S.u.S. (Jackmaster, Eats Everything, Skream, and Seth Troxler) and Better Lost Than Stupid (Davide Squillace, Matthias Tanzman, and Martin Buttrich). The stage will also play host to the live synthesizer wizardry of Stephan Bodzin, the patented tech-house of Patrick Topping, Technasia, Matador, and Hot Since 82, as well as the inimitable track selection prowess of Pete Tong, Nic Fanciulli, and Friday night headliners Sasha & John Digweed.

GRAMMYs

ULTRA Music Festival will take place in Miami on Mar. 23-25. General admission tickets are still available, but will likely sell out before the forthcoming release of the festival's phase two lineup.

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Mija (Amber Giles) in 2015

Mija (Amber Giles)

Photo: Nicholas Rhodes/Getty Images

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Dirtybird Campout 2018: Mija, Just Blaze, Phase 1 Lineup Announced

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The first-ever East Coast edition of the camping-themed underground music festival has announced its initial lineup
Brian Haack
GRAMMYs
Nov 1, 2017 - 12:45 pm

San Francisco-based underground tech house and bass music label Dirtybird Records' yearly three-day Dirtybird Campout music festival is all set for its inaugural expansion to the East Coast in February 2018.

The new festival is aptly titled Dirtybird Campout East, and standing tall atop the first batch of performers announced are big names like Just Blaze, Mija and Soul Clap, along with label boss Claude VonStroke and Dirtybird festival mainstays such as Justin Martin, Christian Martin, J. Philip, and Justin Jay.

In keeping with its West Coast forbearer, the first East Coast edition of the festival will feature a broad range of talent encompassing techno, trap, hip-hop, deep house, tech funk, and all manner of sub genres in between.

Dirtybird Campout East will take place on Feb. 2–4 in St. Cloud, Fla. Tickets will go on sale on Nov. 4.

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