Update: After a formal hearing with the city, Ultra Music Festival will proceed to have its second weekend. The festival has agreed to pay for extra police presence at the festival and around the city to make sure delays/disturbances are kept to a minimal. However, it doesn’t look good for the festival remaining two weekends next year.
It looks as if the city of Miami isn’t too happy with the influx of ravers that flock down to their city during Ultra Music Festival. Winter Music Conference has considered the city its home since the mid 80′s and Ultra Music Festival has had its roots in Miami since 1999, but it seems the mainstreaming of Electronic Dance Music has finally taken its toll.
After reaching the peak of its popularity, much like California’s Coachella Music Festival, the festival had decided to expand to two weekends. After residents lodged multiple complains against the festival the City of Miami issued a “resolution of the Miami City Commission affirmatively opposing the second weekend of the Ultra Music Festival in Bayfront Park”. The resolution states the reasons for cancellation are that the “event will be disruptive to the local business community and area residents due to noise, nuisance behavior by festival goers, and grid locked traffic” and “one weekend of disruption may be tolerable to residents and the business community, but two (2) consecutive weekends will cause disruptions in work and local offices and create difficulty in accessing residential buildings”
The decision will have an impact on attendees and DJ’s all over the world planning on attending the festival’s second weekend (March 22nd, 23rd & 24th), including Swedish House Mafia’s members and fans alike, who plan on holding the groups “last show” at Ultra Music Festival. Those attending the festival’s first weekend, (March 15th, 16th & 17th) will not be affected.
In economic times like these, one must wonder how residents of Miami can afford to cancel such a profitable festival. The tremendous boost to the city’s economy should be incentive enough to allow the festival to take over for two weekends in a row.A study conducted by the Washington Economics Group and commissioned by Ultra Music Festival, reported the EDM fest’s annual economic impact on Miami-Dade County is an astounding $79 million. However, because of the loans and finances involved, and the potential for tremendous legal action against the City of Miami by festival promoters, the chances of the festival being cancelled seem unlikely.
EDM fans have decided to fight back, and have drafted a petition on change.org to allow the festival its right to inhabit city of Miami. To sign the petition, Click Here!
Read the resolution below:
