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Ultra Music Festival '05

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deeMunk
deeMunk
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5 out of 5
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Ultra Music Festival '05

  • April 3, 2005
  • Rated 5 of 5 by deeMunk from New York, New York
Ultra Music Festival '05

Getting to see Dance Music's top international artists and DJs live at one place and the adrenaline rush you feel, being in a crowd of 40,000 screaming fans all unified for their love of electronic music, is a totally surreal experience. It’s like allowing yourself to be hypnotized and enjoying the state of intoxication.

Ultra Music Festival (UMF) is the final event of the weeklong Winter Music Conference (WMC) that Miami hosts every March. During this period, Miami hotel lobbies, pools, bars and clubs are packed with DJs, artists, industry executives, and fans alike. I was told that after this final week of madness, spring break town Miami goes into hibernation until the arrival of next winter. Without a doubt, this is the biggest dance music event in the Western Hemisphere. So if you are serious about networking with other professionals in the industry, WMC is one event not to be missed at all—plan on being in Miami a week before the UMF. Mind you, though, that the number of parties might be a little bit overwhelming if you are not already prepared. As for me, thirteen-hours-long UMF was wild enough an experience to satisfy my appetite for trance music and keep me going for a while.

UMF kicked off around 11am with DJ Skribble and other breakthrough DJs performing in the various stages/tents set up in downtown Miami’s Bayfront Park and Amphitheatre. Located right in the heart of downtown Miami, with the skyline on one side and the beautiful Biscayne Bay on the other, Bayfront Park provided the perfect setting for the festival. I can’t imagine a better place to prepare for the frenzy of the evening to come. I spent my afternoon enjoying the lush greenery, tropical rock garden, sand beach, and waterfalls in the park while going around the various DJ stages/tents with shish kebabs and chilled beer in my hand. By the time the sun went down over the Biscayne Bay, I was prepared to party like rock star.

Ferry Corsten (Netherlands) kicked off the sunset show with his punk remix, followed by another great DJ, Paul Okenfold (England). By the time DJ Tiesto came onstage, being in the middle of the screaming crowd (with hundreds of people displaying their “Tiesto is God” shirts) amidst ultra laser light show and huge screens displaying high-tech graphics was a totally surreal experience. The final performance by Paul Van Dyk, the German DJ of all DJs, left the crowd wanting for more as they headed for the after-party in the nearby American Airlines Arena (home of the Miami Heat). As for my friends and me, being in the festival for thirteen hours had already taken a toll on our bodies, and so we headed back to my friend’s apartment in North Miami (obviously, after putting up a struggle to get a cab).

Overall, it was $70 well spent.

From journal The Madness of Miami and the Quiet of Key West

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