Ultra Music Festival 2018 Sells Out of General-Admission Tickets

If you were hoping to celebrate Ultra Music Festival's 20th anniversary along with Eric Prydz, Carl Cox, Axwell & Ingrosso, and Jamie Jones, it just got a lot more expensive. That's because general-admission tickets to the EDM bacchanal have sold out. Those hoping to attend can still purchase three-day VIP tickets for $1,499.95.

The festival hasn't acknowledged that GA tickets are gone, posting on Facebook February 20 that tickets were almost sold out. New Times has emailed the festival asking for a statement and whether VIP tickets are close to selling out as well and will update if Ultra responds.

Last year, Ultra sold out of general-admission tickets in January, so it took about a month longer this year. Is it the lineup? Some criticized this year's lineup for being "underwhelming," especially considering the huge milestone the festival is celebrating. "Part of Ultra’s charm and success is its ability to book literally every act under the sun. Unfortunately, that’s also one of its biggest weaknesses. By booking everyone, you’re losing a bit of a tastemaker status and just presenting all these acts on a platter to attendees and saying, 'Here you go, have at it,'" YourEDM wrote about the lineup.

However, Ultra has been known to surprise audiences at the last minute, so there's always the chance that the festival is preparing something big. (My bet is on a Swedish House Mafia reunion.)
The festival is also celebrating its 20th anniversary with a series of videos that highlight its history. Episode 1 looks at Ultra's inaugural year, the beachside bash that started it all. The video includes plenty of '90s raver fashion and stages that are comically small by today's Ultra standards.

Episode 2 takes a look at how Ultra and the popularity of electronic dance music in the United States have grown together. In particular, it examines the early Bayfront Park and Bicentennial Park (now known as Museum Park) years. That was the time when the festival seemed to find the perfect balance between DJs and live acts, giving the United States its first "European-style" music festival.

It's unclear how many more episodes the festival will issue before the first day of Ultra, but it has certainly been amazing to watch all of this dance music history being highlighted.

Ultra Music Festival 2018. Friday, March 23, through Sunday, March 25, at Bayfront Park, 301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-358-7550; bayfrontparkmiami.com. Tickets cost $1,499.95 via ultramusicfestival.com.