Ultra Music Festival Day One Performances Halted by Severe Storms in Downtown Miami

Ultra Music Festival suspended performances at 9 p.m., asking the crowd to evacuate Bayfront Park.

March 22, 2024

The rain was coming down during Tiësto's on Ultra's Main Stage on Friday, March 22. Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "12",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "leaderboardInlineContent",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "tower",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]

On Day One, Ultra kicked like any year: Despite somewhat dire weather forecasts, the sun was peeking out and the breeze was cooling. Then Mother Nature stole the show.

No stage was protected. Some members of the crowd scurried for cover, while others embraced the downpour, donning ponchos. Amid Apache’s set at the Live Stage, some danced jubilantly, heedless of the rain above and the mud beneath.

In the end, lightning had the final say, prompting festival organizers to enforce an evacuation.

Around 9 p.m., after Slander performed on the Main Stage, Ultra announced on social media that it would be suspending the evening's performances owing to the severe weather.

"For your safety, Ultra Friday is temporarily shutting down. Please calmly leave the park now," Ultra announced on its social channels.

The livestream was suspended, switching over to a re-broadcast of performances from earlier in the day.

By 10:30 p.m., the festival confirmed the rest of Friday's performances would be scraped. "Severe weather is still in the area. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow," organizers wrote its social channels.

With the curfew set for midnight, the cancellation of the rest of the evening's performances was inevitable.

The last time Ultra was affected by weather was in 2015, when wind and rain forced organizers to suspend four of the seven stages for a time.

This is a developing story; check back for updates/edits.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Miami New Times has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.

Grant Albert was born and raised in Miami with little intent to move elsewhere. In addition to the New Times, you can read Grant's works on Mixmag, Beatportal, and NPR. Most importantly, he likes music — a lot of music.

Contact: Grant Albert

Follow:

Twitter: @GrantAlbert6

Instagram: @arantgalbert

Jose D. Duran is associate editor of Miami New Times where he primarily oversees the arts and culture and music beats. Jose joined the New Times staff in June 2008 but has been covering Miami culture since 2005. His work has also appeared in publications likeVice, Billboard, and Spin. He’s earned numerous accolades including placing first for Weekly Newspaper Contest: Business Reporting from the Florida Press Association in 2020; placing third for the Writing: Light Feature from the Florida Press Club in 2019; and placing third in Weekly Newspaper Contest: Best Obituary from the Florida Press Association in 2015. Jose holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Florida.

Contact: Jose D. Duran

Follow:

Twitter: @jose_d_duran