From Miami to the World: The Global Reach of Ultra Music Festival

Over the past two and a half decades, Ultra Music Festival has transformed into a global brand that finds itself at the summit of the global music scene.

There’s no denying that the Ultra Music Festival has become one of the most sought-after events on the dance music calendar for many around the world. From its small, intimate beginnings in Collins Park in 1999, over 150,000 fans from across the globe now descend on Miami every year, continuing to expand Ultra’s global imprint. Like Tomorrowland with it, Ultra Miami has played a crucial part in growing the electronic scene exponentially, bringing thousands of the brightest DJ talents to America, onto one of its biggest festival stages.

While Ultra definitely rode the crest of the wave during the golden era of ‘EDM’, the way it reached millions on social media definitely put it in good stead for the digital age. While thousands actually walk through the grounds of Bayfront Park for the festival every year, many around the world tune in to the #ULTRALIVE stream from the comfort of their own homes, which has made Ultra one of the most unmissable occasions even if you can’t attend yourself. Since 2012, artists’ sets that have been captured and uploaded following different editions of the festival have accumulated over 2.3 billion views collectively. On top of that Ultra’s audio broadcasting platform, UMF RADIO continues to broadcast to FM radio in over 62 countries, reaching more than 22 million listeners a week.

Having opened many people’s eyes to Ultra through platforms such as YouTube, it wasn’t long before the potential of the Ultra brand was realized and the organizers broke the international shackles and began down a path of world domination with Ultra Worldwide. Ultra was recently recognized as the world’s most international music festival brand having hosted its own events in 23 different countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan among many others. With each new edition that has been founded in their respective continents, Ultra has made sure to provide the most diverse, and technically advanced live productions in the world.

Alongside all that has happened in the aforementioned countries, Ultra Worldwide’s renowned house and techno brand RESISTANCE has also continued to flourish, bringing the underground sound to the masses alongside the mainstream. From the RESISTANCE stage in Bayfront Park, the brand has come a long way such as to the extent that has since hosted its own residencies in Ibiza.

Collectively, it is evident to see what a huge impact Ultra has made upon the world of electronic dance music, branching out beyond its Florida roots over the years. More recently it has been impressive to see the brand push new boundaries, with the recent addition of Ultra Abu Dhabi in the Middle East. With the festival being an immense success upon its debut, it will be interesting to see where Ultra goes next as it continues to strive to be the world’s premier electronic music event.

Image Credit: Rukes.com