This weekend, Ultra Music Festival hits Miami for the 16th year, bringing the biggest names in dance music from all across the globe to South Beach. All of the usual suspects return this year- Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, Avicii, David Guetta – all there, just like always. But what many people don’t know, is that Ultra does an awesome job curating their live stage, featured in an amphitheater within the festival grounds. You can expect live bands, vocalists, unique productions, and all types of set ups that would seem out of place on a random festival stage.

Past performers have included The Disco Biscuits, Lotus, Kraftwerk, Justice, Pendulum, Capital Cities, Faithless, Snoop Dogg, and so many more. We’ve highlighted some of the best of this year’s live sets at Ultra below.

  1. Chromeo – Last year’s White Women was one of the funkiest albums of the year on the heels of catchy tracks like ‘Jealous’ and ‘Sexy Socialite’. This Canadian duo enlists a live band to bring their songs to life, creating a live electronic disco act. Despite DJs playing in all corners of Miami, Chromeo may command the biggest dance party of the week.
  2. Die Antwoord – These rap ravers may be the most unique on Ultra’s line up, pioneering a style they call ‘Zef’ into a one of a kind rap/rave hybrid. Over the past few years, they’ve transitioned from niche act to being front row at fashion shows and starring in movies, but they still maintain their sometimes bizarre, always high energy stage show that is a can’t miss.
  3. Big Gigantic – These two guys out of Boulder are no strangers to a festival stage, having performed all over the place from Bonnaroo to Coachella to Lollapalooza. Armed with a saxophone and a drum set, Jeremy Salkin and Dominic Lalli mix dance music, jazz, funk, and hip hop together to create a one of a kind explosion of dance music.
  4. Royskopp – Royskopp’s career may be the only on this list that is older than Ultra itself. These electronica pioneers from Norway are known for elaborate live shows with costumes and multiple instruments, spanning genres like house, disco, and ambient. They recently released a full length album with famed dance music vocalist Robyn that was released to critical acclaim, and will be much welcome on the Ultra stage.
  5. ODESZA – If you could buy stock in a band, ODESZA would be blue chippers right now. These guys are on the rise, with festival bookings coming from all over. Playing electro pop with an indie twist, this Seattle duo blends all these genres masterfully. Their success is bound to draw imitators, but these guys are the real deal.
  6. Porter Robinson – This may be the only name on the list that you’d expect to see on Ultra’s main stage, but there’s a reason you shouldn’t sleep on this performance. Porter’s recent live tour in support of his incredible latest album Worlds was so ambitious, he had to cancel several dates when the venue was too small to handle the massive production. On Facebook, he explained that he’d probably lose money on every date of the tour, but it was a labor of love for him. This may be one of the last times you can see this incredible live set up.
  7. Anamanaguchi – If you’re not familiar with chiptune music, it’s a style of music created through the soundchips of vintage video game machine. Mixing this video game inspired music with pop guitars, Anamanaguchi create incredible unique, if not slightly nerdy music that manages to be extremely catchy and danceable as well.
  8. Goldfish – This South African duo is one of the biggest names back in Cape Town, and is finally beginning to gain prominence in America with a bunch of memorable and jam packed shows. Mixing together poppy house originals with live instruments, these guys always put on a great show.
  9. Kiesza – This young singer is poised to be dance music’s next big vocalist. Her breakout song ‘Hideaway’ was pretty much unescapable on the radio, bringing a house beat that is rarely heard outside of the club into the mainstream. She was also tapped by Skrillex and Diplo to provide vocals on Jack U’s first single ‘Take U There’, which will most likely be the first of many featured vocal tracks for this young woman.
  10. Bassnectar – How can you forget about Bassnectar? With a legion of Bass Heads following him from show to show, Bassnectar is one of the few DJs with a fan base more akin to Phish than Avicii. Fans travel all across the country to catch Bassnectar’s shows due to his ever changing sets, incredible light shows, and dedication to his fans. You can expect something special for the Ultra crowd this year.