My First Ultra Music Festival Lived Up to the Hype

At 13 years old, I knew little about music, still experimenting with my own taste. So, when my cousins forced me to watch a livestream of some festival called Ultra, I kind of just rolled with it. At the time, I didn't understand why they were so hyped about something happening halfway across the country, far away from Dallas.

They all seemed to be in love with this new DJ — at the time — named Martin Garrix. I wanted to play Call of Duty, but they wanted to watch this guy turn knobs in front of a massive crowd. At the time, I was just an average Kanye West fan, so performing me was a lot more than just pressing buttons and moving switches.

That all changed once I saw Martin debut a song called "Tremor" at Bayfront Park. I witnessed a sea of people bouncing and getting turnt under the Florida sun, and it just looked like so much fun. After that night, we made a pact to attend Ultra together at some point.

After that experience, I dove into DJs like Deadmau5, Tiesto, Skrillex, Zedd, Hardwell, and Benny Benassi. I watched EDM blow up into the mainstream and attended the occasional rave in Texas while watching the livestreams for Ultra, EDC, and Tomorrowland.

Fast-forward a decade, and last weekend, I attended the festival that started it all — sadly, not with the group I vowed to go with one day.

A few days before Ultra, I was getting myself pumped up by watching sets from Caleb Calloway, Cloonee, John Summit, and Chris Lake spinning at local venues like Club Space and Factory Town, thinking this would help me mentally prepare.
As the Metromover got closer to Bayfront Park, I got a glimpse at the stages for the first time. Once I got into the festival on Friday, the rain didn't stop me from watching and vibing out to a set from Nostalgix at the Live Stage (which desperately needs to go back to its "live" roots), setting my expectations on how the weekend would unfold.

After making my way to the Main Stage, I finally witnessed Tiësto perform right before me. I didn't care that people said he was past his prime; he was still an icon of the scene.

Amid the sea of people, it hit me: I was at Ultra.

A bit overwhelmed and angling for a good spot, I did what any logical person would — I climbed a tree to get a decent view of the Dutch EDM legend. As he played tracks like "Contigo," I bobbed my head and sipped on my beer, just taking in the moment, and nothing could ruin it — until it began to rain halfway into the set. I quickly decided that letting the rain shower down on me was not how I wanted to live at that moment, so I hopped off and decided to get into the crowd.

In the crowd, I danced and jumped in the rain as Tiësto played alongside his new collaborator, Mother Nature, dropping a remix of "Set Fire to the Rain" just before it started to turn into a downpour. Once the sound and equipment hiccups began, I decided it was best to find shelter.

At 9 p.m., organizers ask everyone to evacuate Bayfront Park for their safety, eventually scrapping the rest of Friday's performances altogether. It meant that many acts, like Fisher and Chris Lake, Mastermind, and Zeds Dead, would see their performances canceled. (Other acts, like Hardwell, Amelie Lens, and Adam Beyer, saw their sets rescheduled to Saturday and Sunday.)

On Saturday, I donned my vaquero gear in anticipation of Deorro's set. I had been relishing the opportunity to dance with a beer in my hand to his hit song, "Y Las Pongo." I brought my Mexican flag and boots, hoping to represent my culture during his set. I wanted to be one of those proud flag wavers at the front of the crowd.
Unfortunately, Ultra opened its gate late on the second day, releasing the updated set times after Deorro had finished playing and early into Steve Aoki's set. I got there with just enough time to enjoy Aoki playing some anime remixes and one of my bucket-list moments, "Pursuit of Happiness," a song that influenced my taste as a kid.

Hardwell and Excision followed on the Main Stage, but I looked most forward to Martin Garrix. A little after 10 p.m., the Dutch wunderkind appeared on an elevated platform in front of a custom LED background. For the next hour, I watched as "The Prince of Ultra" went in and gave it his all, and I was finally baptized once he played "Tremor" and "Animal." I was on the verge of tears from the joy I was experiencing at the pure surrealism of the moment. (I got to meet Garrix at the Ultra afterparty on Sunday in the backstage press area. It was a full-circle moment for me.)

Still, I didn't want my entire Ultra experience to be camping out at the Main Stage, so I bounced over to the Worldwide Stage to see Knock2 and RL Grime go back to back. I'm thankful I did because they delivered one of the best sets I witnessed during Miami Music Week. I went hoping to experience the euphoria that usually accompanies the "Dashstar*" beat drop, but I left more than satisfied.

Before leaving the grounds, I peeked into the Resistance Megastructure to check out Peggy Gou's set. I grooved for a bit before heading home, happy that even though my day didn't go as planned, I enjoyed most of it.

Sunday was all about Calvin Harris. Over the years, his music has also meant a lot to me. I remember my uncle playing Harris' 2014 album, Motion, and being completely awestruck. The Scottish producer has effortlessly released hits like "One Kiss," "Summer," and "Sweet Nothing." Nothing was going to stop me from catching his set.

As he closed out the final day, Harris took me on a nostalgia trip. The joy I felt as I danced and sang "Blame" with a bunch of strangers is one I hope to experience again in my life. His set exceeds my expectations. Hell, I wasn't even mad that he didn't play "Slide," and he played many songs that, at times, were just the studio version. I grabbed onto my friend as he played "Feel So Close," and that was when I realized that I wanted to go to Ultra every year.