Miami

Ultra Music Festival: From Street Closures to Lineup, Here's Everything You Need to Know

The outdoor electronic music festival draws thousands of people to South Florida every year for the showstopping headliners and overall Miami experience

NBC Universal, Inc.

The Ultra Music Festival is officially returning to South Florida and kicks off this Friday at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami.

The outdoor electronic music festival draws thousands of people to South Florida every year for the showstopping headliners and overall Miami experience.

“People from over 100 different countries are coming into Miami to attend Ultra Music Festival,” said Ray Martinez, Event Entertainment Group, LLC. “We have that kind of global reach.” 

From street closures to safety measures, here is everything you need to know about the upcoming festival:

When is the Ultra Music Festival?

The festival kicks off Friday, March 24 until Sunday, March 26.

  • Friday: Gates open from 4 p.m. until midnight
  • Saturday: Gates open from noon until midnight
  • Sunday: Gates open from noon until 10 p.m.

Who will headline the Ultra Music Festival?

Ultra will showcase countless DJs throughout the weekend.

On Friday, Martin Garrix, Zedd, Afrojack, Gryffin, Charlotte De Witte, Endless Summer and Frank Walker will take the main stage.

Marshmello, Alesso, Hardwell, Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, Dom Dolla, Vintage Culture, Nicky Romero, Fedde Le Grand, MYKRIS and Syn Cole will perform on the main stage Saturday.

Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta, Oliver Heldens, Tchami, Vini Vici, Timmy Trumpet, Deorro, Cedric Gervais, and Kapuchon will close out the main stage on Sunday.

More than 165,000 festivalgoers are expected to visit Ultra this weekend. NBC 6's Heather Walker has more on how the city of Miami is keeping you safe.

How will the Ultra Music Festival impact traffic?

Because the festival coincides with the last week of spring break and the Miami Beach Fitness Festival this weekend, it could add to already backed-up traffic in South Florida.

Miami police are set to close streets and set up barricades around parts of downtown Miami Thursday night in preparation for the more than 160,000 people expected to attend.

Police officers will also be stationed throughout downtown Miami to help control and direct traffic.

Detours and Street Closures

Starting at 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 23, all Biscayne Boulevard northbound traffic will be rerouted to the southbound lanes at Southeast 1st Street and will route to the normal trajectory at Northeast 4th Street.

All Biscayne Boulevard southbound traffic will be rerouted westbound at Northeast 6th Street.

There will be no southbound traffic on Biscayne Boulevard from Northeast 6th Street.

All southbound traffic will be detoured to Northeast 2nd Avenue and North Miami Avenue.

Access to PortMiami will remain open throughout the event on Northeast 5th Street. Officials advise drivers to use the PortMiami Tunnel which can be accessed from Interstate 395.

Barricades will be removed at 10 p.m. on Sunday and traffic will resume regular patterns.

Miami-Dade Transit

Metrorail and Metromover service hours have been extended for Ultra.

Service will begin at 5 a.m. and run through 2 a.m. the following morning on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, the service will end at midnight.

Parking

Parking at any Metrorail garage or surface lot is $4.50 for the day. Parking garages will remain open until the following day.

Transit riders can pay for parking at Metrorail garages and surface lots at the ticket vending machines or via mobile devices with the PayByPhone app.

What safety measures will be in place at the Ultra Music Festival?

The Ultra Music Festival aims to keep the health, safety and well-being of fans, artists, and
staff as a top priority.

“An incredibly unfortunate incident happened over in our sister city on the beach, and I can tell you from looking at the video that was a targeted incident,” said Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales. “So we’re going to have the vast majority of the police department on hand working, that includes special units like SWAT, OEM, K9, mounted motors so you’ll see the full contingent.”

The City of Miami Fire Rescue will have foot patrols around well-crowded areas, along with paramedics on bikes and scooters where patients can be placed on stretchers.

Fire Rescue said it’s a well-orchestrated patrol with about 100 firefighters at the festival every day, in addition to police and festival security.

Along with the full force of the department, there are new bag rules for entering the Ultra venue. 

“There’s no purses,” said Martinez. “You can bring a clutch purse basically the size of your hands, or you can bring a clear bag in.”

There will be a zero-tolerance policy prohibiting illicit drug use and possession. Narcotic laws will be strictly enforced and police officers will be working the event in an undercover capacity.

Eventgoers are urged to stay hydrated and first aid tents will be plainly visible and located throughout the event grounds to help anyone in need.

What type of identification do I need for the Ultra Music Festival?

If you are going to Ultra, you will need to show ID to enter. Below are the acceptable forms of identification for entry to the festival.

  • A valid U.S. passport or U.S. passport card
  • Valid foreign government-issued passport (must have photo and date of birth)
  • Valid foreign government-issued identification card or driver's license (must have photo and date of birth) along with a photocopy of a valid passport from the same country as the identification card or driver's license provided
  • U.S. military ID (active duty or retired military)
  • Valid U.S. Drivers Licenses or other state photo identification cards issued by a State Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent) for the sole purpose of identification (must have photo and date of birth)
  • Valid Native American tribal photo ID (must have photo and date of birth)
  • Valid Canadian Drivers License or Identification Card (must have photo and date of birth)
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