It’s always tough to get back on track after coming back from Miami, but here we are, back to everyday life, after yet another dream lived in the Magic City. The 25th anniversary of the Ultra Music Festival was truly amazing, and we shared it with you through our Instagram stories and posts on our Facebook community.
There were ups and downs for this 25th edition, which once again had to deal with bad weather, flooding, and a risk of cancellation. But when you’re in a subtropical area, you just have to be ready for anything. At EDM Lab, we chose to focus on the mainstage instead of jumping from stage to stage, so we could fully enjoy the main experience, the less underground one, that this legendary festival has offered for a quarter of a century.
Unlike what many complain about on social media, Ultra is not the same every year. Sure, it’s a festival that doesn’t want to change its inner spirit, but even this 25th edition brought lots of surprises. And of course, if you’re looking for circus-style shows, maybe you should check out other festivals.
Day 1
Day 1, cooled down by strong winds that surrounded Miami during all of MMW, started off great with top names from the scene. We really enjoyed seeing someone like Sam Feldt opening the festival—he’s been dominating radio charts and playlists in recent years with his tracks, he truly deserves this festival. Same goes for Subtronics. Even if he plays for a niche audience, festivals need to represent everyone: great set! Timmy Trumpet isn’t one of our favorite artists, but watching his opening act was emotional.
When the sun starts to set behind the skyscrapers of downtown Miami, you know it’s time for the king: Tiesto. Just like Sam Feldt, he’s been ruling the charts with remixes of basically every track out there. That’s what he gave us, blended with some iconic songs and the first big surprise: his new track “Tell me Where You Go” with Clean Bandit, who joined him on the mainstage. From this set, we captured one of the most epic moments of the festival.
Ready for an over-the-top set with Afrojack? Well, not exactly (and luckily!). Afrojack recently said he wants to go back to making epic tracks. He’s mellowed out, and gave us an amazing set with instrumental parts that retraced his most iconic songs. But the real gem of his set was bringing David Guetta and Sia to the Ultra stage to sing “Titanium” live for the first time ever (and more). We covered that moment in our video, and it was super emotional.
Alesso was definitely the highlight of the night, at least for us. A set full of IDs, his usual unique style, and a closing with some of the best tracks ever that, yes, we admit, made us tear up again. There was also a sweet surprise during Alesso’s set. On stage was the iconic voice behind some of the greatest songs ever, we’re talking about Nadia Ali, who gave us a live version of “Pressure” (video), played by Alesso in several versions, including his own. We recommend watching the full set here.
The night closed with the spectacular b2b between John Summit and Dom Dolla. We could consider them the new EDM scene, because ten years ago a set like that on the mainstage would’ve only been a dream. These two modern-day legends absolutely crushed it. The best tracks from both, with unmatched energy and emotion, all leading into their project “Everything Always.” A surprising ending for Day 1, but one we truly loved.
Day 2
It’s the longest day of UMF, and we arrived a few hours late to save energy, but just in time for Joel Corry. We don’t want to sound repetitive, but like we said before, there are so many new artists representing the EDM scene, and Joel Corry is one of them. So many hits, his, of course, one after the other. It was a pleasure to hear them live again. Then came the classic Steve Aoki, who not only threw cakes but also brought along a bunch of artists, including the Italians Marnik, Swae Lee, Trippie Redd, and Mike Posner. It was a huge party! But it’s time to give the stage to another king of this festival: Armin Van Buuren.
Last year, the great master dropped dozens of IDs that got released throughout the year. This year was no different. His show is always flawless, and this stage is perfect for premiering new bangers. Armin had tons of ID tracks, but one of the big surprises was the performance of his recent single with Adam Beyer, who joined him on stage to jump around.
We’re not big fans of the style from Anyma & Solomun, so we won’t comment much on their set. We watched from a distance while trying some of Ultra’s super expensive food & beverages, and that’s okay. Representing the missing Swedish House Mafia this year was Axwell, who delivered another epic set. Classics from the Swedish trio and beyond mixed with a few IDs, like the new one from Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello, “No Enemies,” and other new SHM music that who knows when we’ll hear again. The rest is history. Another set totally worth rewatching here.
The long night kept going with another historic moment: Skrillex’s return to the Ultra mainstage after ten years. America loves Skrillex like Skrillex loves America, no one can top that. His fire set was packed with new and old sounds, plus special guests like Damian Marley, who performed the iconic remix of “Make It Bun Dem.” Also appearing were Flowdan, Young Miko, and Naisha. There were special tributes to the now-defunct Jack Ü project and to the late Avicii, with Skrillex’s legendary remix of “Levels.” Here’s one of our epic moments.
Exhausted but ready for Hardwell’s closing set. We all hoped for a throwback set with the best tracks ever, but this is Ultra, nothing is guaranteed. Hardwell opened with his new single “Sanctuary” and followed with a mix of old tracks and killer mashups. His set had something for everyone, ending with a bunch of new IDs and a final blast of his signature Modern Techno. That’s how Day 2 ended.
Day 3
The weather doesn’t look good. We enter around 3 PM and immediately start jumping at the Worldwide Stage with some Drum & Bass, which is always a good idea. But within minutes, the sky over Miami turns dark and a heavy storm hits. The festival is quickly paused for everyone’s safety, and we run to find shelter however we can. After about an hour, the sky begins to clear, the music starts again, and we rush to the mainstage because another new act in the EDM scene is playing: Sonny Fodera. But the break doesn’t last long—while we’re vibing at the mainstage, another downpour hits. We have to find cover again while Bayfront Park turns into a mud pool that stays with us all night.
The event schedule shifts a bit, and here comes MORTEN. After dreaming of that stage for over 10 years, as he said himself, he finally gets there and keeps his promise. Between one Future Rave track and another, he gets a haircut live on stage, broadcast worldwide.
Soaking wet, we enjoy the special guest of Ultra25, the legendary KASKADE. There’s not much to say, he’s a Canadian icon. If you don’t know him, you’re in the wrong place. Next up is Gryffin. His set mixes different genres, and the crowd loves it. We’re getting close to the end. The tiredness of three days is real, but we know some epic moments are still coming, like the Drone Show that displayed past mainstages. (Video).
Zedd is on stage now, playing all his classic hits perfectly synced with stunning visuals and effects, thanks to his amazing team. It’s pure magic. But now it’s time to close with Martin Garrix. Not much else to say—his shows are total game changers. Watch it and watch it again to understand why he’s the number one DJ in the world. We captured the epic closing moment where Martin Garrix plays one of his latest tracks—the first time he’s used his own voice on a vocal.
What has changed over the years?
Ultra still keeps its soul as the most important festival in the world. Not the biggest, not the most colorful, not the one with the most fireworks (as if that were the most important thing), but the one where artists want to perform, where they want to premiere new tracks and leave a memory in the hearts and minds of fans. So yes, Ultra wears its 25 years very well, and Miami with Bayfront Park is the perfect setting for this festival.
Having experienced this event for several years, we also noticed a generational shift among the attendees. There are many more young people now and fewer ravers from the golden era of EDM. You can even tell by the crowd’s reaction when older evergreen tracks are played. But that’s okay — the EDM phenomenon is about 15 years old now after all.
The 26th edition of this Made In Miami festival is set for next March 26, 27, and 28 in 2026. This year, tickets went on sale even before the 25th edition began.
It was a fantastic edition, full of surprises and emotions. All we can say is: Thank you Ultra, thank you Miami and see you soon!
