“Is that a guy?” a raver asked his friend, peering over his dark boxy sunglasses. “No, she’s a woman.” Sophie was the only trans woman to grace the stage Ultra 2019, and she planned on making it known. Her décolletage made its debut, peeking from her heather gray blazer. Her ginger hair flourished in a wavy set, hovering above her shoulders.
Sophie's logo
The dancing quickly came to a halt when the set took a hard left into a track that sounded nothing short of nails scratching a chalkboard. The screeching continued until she noticed the crowd starting to thin. So she volumed
Adam Beyer. By all accounts, Adam Beyer & Cirez D — also known as Eric Prydz — put on one of the nuttiest live shows in techno. Unfortunately, their Ultra set had a few things working against it, namely, the lack of their customary light rig and the absence of Prydz himself. Earlier this week Prydz

Odesza came to play — with a drum line. View more photos from day one of Ultra Music Festival 2019 here.
Photo by Daniella Mía
Catacombkid and BeachesBeach took the stage, dressed in all black, and the crowd lost its shit. After an instrumental piece, Catacombkid took the stage to welcome the crowd. “
The duo began giving the crowd what they wanted: instrumentals, a light show, and hypnotizing visuals to match. The two went into a remixed version of “Locomotion,” by Little Eva which was later accompanied by the band. As the band exited, Naomi Wild entered to give the crowd a taste of their single “Higher Ground.” Draped in a blue dress, her bangs bounced as she delivered her vocals. “Ultra, what’s going on? Can you sing with me?” she called as she took center stage. While the crowd didn’t sing along, they threw their hands up in excitement for the featured act.
Odesza continued to serve what they'd missed four years ago. Through instrumentals by the duo along with help from their band, the pair powered through their hourlong set. “I don’t want this to stop!” yelled a raver dressed in a hot pink bra and panty set and a long braided ponytail. She swung her hair around and slapped a guy in the face. He didn’t seem to mind; he was too busy living his best life. The lights went black again only to power up with the Odesza drumline and horn section ready to end the show. As the horns blew their final blow and Odesza thanked Miami for the last time, it’s safe to say that the four year wait was worth it. — Cristina Jerome
AC Slater. AC Slater has been in the game for some time. The Night Bass maestro has made his name for trafficking in just that: bass. Playing to a packed Worldwide stage and accompanied by lunar visuals worthy of the Night Bass name, Slater mixed up the sound he’s known best for with his fair share of hip-hop derived vocal samples and fleeting moments of melody. The visuals imploring him to ‘pump up the bass’ had a synergistic effect, pushing him to do what needed to be done to

The Dog Blood duo of Skrillex and Boys Noize. View more photos from day one of Ultra Music Festival 2019 here.
Photo by Daniella Mía

Marshmello, bathed in blue. View more photos from day one of Ultra Music Festival 2019 here.
Photo by Daniella Mía
The crowd began to chant for Marshmello as white lights shined upon a dark Main Stage. Suddenly, they cut to blue, and stretched synthesizers
“Let’s go Ultra, let me see your hands up,” yelled Marshmello into the mike. From there, he went into Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling,” as euphoric rainbow visuals projected on the screens, making even the soberest of ravers trip. “I want to hear you all sing this,” Mello demanded into the mike. As he played Post Malone’s “Better Now,” fans sang along in key. As the night grew into well past 1:30 a.m., the crowd did not run out of energy.
Every time Mello asked the crowd to sing as he faded the sound out for their live vocals, the audience turned it up a notch, and there was no sign of them slowing down. Marshmello continued into his set, playing remixes of pop favorites including DJ Alice’s "Better Off Alone" and his track with Anne-Marie, “Friends,” while lights flashed, fireworks soared, and flames engulfed the night sky. Marshmello may have set the tone for the rest of Ultra’s weekend with an epic set — but those who lingered to catch it risked a safe trip home, as shuttles stopped running at 1:30 a.m. leaving many stranded. —Cristina Jerome