In addition to performing "Titanium," Guetta and Sia performed their newest collaboration, "Beautiful People," while Afrojack premiered the song "Never Forget You."
Beyond that, Friday had plenty of memorable sets to kick off the 25th edition of the festival, from Chase & Status' barrage of drum 'n' bass to Partiboi69's back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back and John Summit and Dom Dolla's Everything Always set on the Main Stage. Check out the highlights from the first day of Ultra Music Festival 2025 below.
Check out photographer Michele Eve Sanberg's photos from the first day of Ultra 2025 here.
Tiësto
Ultra wouldn't be Ultra without Tiësto, and his set, while not quite at the level of his 2024 performance, was still a highlight of the night. At this point, catching a Tiësto set at Ultra has become a tradition, and who would dare skip that—especially for the festival's 25th anniversary? His set included fresh remixes, including a rework of Bad Bunny's "DMTF" and several new IDs. The most intriguing moment came when he played his edit of "Interbloom," sending the crowd into a euphoric state. Things took a wild turn when he announced he was switching things up, mashing "The Business" with Knock2 and RL Grime's "Come Alive" — a chaotic but thrilling mix. As the set peaked, he threw unexpected drops like "Tokyo Drift" and "Hollaback Girl," leading to an epic finale with a certified classic. Osvaldo Espino
Chase & Status
Ultra hitting 25 years requires visiting all the highlights throughout the years, and one pit stop was seeing the early 2000s British drum' n' bass duo Chase & Status. The two transported the audience to the halcyon days of British drum 'n' bass. Saul Milton (Chase) and Will Kennard (Status) gave a brief introduction, saying, "Were the mighty Chase & Status." Without more of a preamble, they placed a concrete block on the accelerator. The famed breakbeats shot out the speakers; the percussion and the jackhammering bass can turn one primal and pound the ground in jubilation. They gave room for other sounds from jungle to trap, where the crowd craned their necks like geese. Nonetheless, the two asked the crowd, "Can you make some noise if you love drum' n' bass music?" and returned to their work. The form is simple: furious breaks, an ethereal moment of clarity while the drums slowly filter back in and the caldron overflows again. In roughly 20 minutes, they dropped eight tracks, mostly from their discography, such as "Selecta," "Liquor & Cigarettes," and "Gunfinger (Salute)." The crowd never stopped stomping the concrete. Grant Albert
Boris Brejcha
Germany's Boris Brejcha had the chance to help christen the Resistance Megastructure stage with all its bells and whistles — LED panels that can be lowered and risen, myriad lights and lasers, and dancers hoisted 20 feet off the ground while wearing a bodysuit made of disco ball material. Brejcha kicked it all off with a blend of his patented high-tech minimal and euphoria surges. He brought a sound featuring spongy chords, undulating melodies, and thick bass lines. The spell Brejcha can put you under makes you realize that 30 minutes have elapsed, and you're now just noticing that he has worn his famed joker mask the entire time. Brejcha is also a supporter of proportionality. Severely melodic sounds contrasted the heady and hard minimal he dropped. He did this repeatedly to great fanfare. When it got too sweet, he would hypnotize you back into his techno blend, so much so that it took another hour to see that he had taken his mask off long ago. Grant Albert
Alesso
Practically Ultra royalty at this point, Alesso kicked things off with a countdown visual of a rocket launch before diving into "Under Control" with Calvin Harris. His set was a nostalgic ride through classics like "Lonely Heart," "Surrender," and "Zig Zag," but the real standout moment came when "Calling (Lose My Mind)" was played on the Main Stage for the first time in two years. "If I Lose Myself" had the crowd in a frenzy, proving that while Alesso's set was traditional, the energy it created was undeniable. He closed with "Heroes," and to top it all off, Nadia Ali made a surprise appearance to perform "Rapture" live — a moment that cemented the night as unforgettable. Osvaldo EspinoPartiboi69 B2B Juicy Romance B2B Skream B2B Interplanetary Criminal B2B Ketboi69 B2B VTSS B2B Ahadadream
There is no prohibition against an artist playing the part. Australia's Partiboi69 decided to play the role of a ribald party machine via his name and aesthetic. Maybe there is a kernel of truth there — who knows? However, the fact is that he and his six partners in crime can throw down. Each artist played their sets at the UMF Radio stage, only to join forces at the end for a 90-minute rapid fire of house, trap, techno, and whatever felt right. No classic was safe from being thrown into the mix. There were remixes of Green Velvet's "Percolator," Fedde Le Grand's "Put Your Hands Up for Detroit," and the Bucketheads "The Bomb," each flambéed and burnt to a crisp. The magic was how low stakes it all felt to everyone as if the artists were playing one big house party. As soon as the BPM took a high step, it returned to some funky house blend. At one point, there was confusion on the decks — they forgot who was supposed to go next. Partiboi69 unintentionally skipped someone's turn. But no worries, everyone was just there to have fun. Grant Albert
Dom Dolla and John Summit delivered an Everything Always set at Ultra.
Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg
