It’s that time of year again when the beats rattle your bones and tens of thousands of EDM fans flood downtown with fluorescent fashion and questionable dance moves. Yep, it’s Ultra Music Festival weekend. As you prepare to dance your face off or flee the city to avoid those sick drops, check out this graphic of some fast facts on Miami’s most loved — and hated — musical event.
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The New Tropic: Fast Facts about Ultra Music Festival
A brief history of Ultra
- 1999: Ultra starts in Collins Park on Miami Beach with 10,000 attendees.
- 2001: Moves to Bayfront Park.
- 2005: Attendance hits 45,000.
- 2006: Moves to Bicentennial Park.
- 2007: Becomes a two-day event.
- 2008: 10-year anniversary sets a city record with 70,000 tickets sold for an event.
- 2011: Expands to three days and draws 150,000.
- 2012: Ultra moves back to Bayfront Park.
- 2013: Ultra spans two weekends, and residents push back over noise and nuisance behavior.
- 2014: Gate-crashing incident leaves a security guard trampled.Source: Wikipedia, http://goo.gl/6P6Ji7
Economic Impact
According to documents from an April 24, 2014 Miami City Commission meeting, Ultra generated:
- $79 million in annual economic impact in Miami.
- 915 jobs per year
- More than $1.7 million for agencies and Bayfront Park in 2014:
- Police: $609,000 (rounded)
- Fire Rescue: $318,000 (rounded)
- Bayfront Park $609.000 (rounded)
- Parking Authority: $186,000 (rounded)
- 160,000 total attendees in 2014
- 60% of attendees are from outside of Miami-Dade County
- 50,000 average daily attendance in 2014
- So, during a day of Ultra, the festival’s population exceeds that of the City of Coral Gables.
Source: Miami City Commission minutes, http://goo.gl/APosfm
Miami Public Opinion
A 2014 survey of 1,197 residents by the Downtown Neighbors Alliance asked:
Did Ultra Impact Your Life?
- Positively: 21%
- Negatively: 48%
- Neutral/no: 31%
A 2014 survey of 97 downtown businesses asked:
How did Ultra affect business?
- Positive: 22%
- Negative: 51%
- Neutral: 27%
Source: Miami City Commission minutes, http://goo.gl/APosfm
If you go
Security:
- Bring your government-issued ID. You must be 18 to enter, and 21 to drink.
- Expect increased security presence and a pat-down on entry.
- No drugs will be tolerated, and undercover police will be on duty in the venue.
- Only transparent bags and backpacks will be permitted into the park.
- No weapons, toys, chairs, umbrellas or outside food or drinks are allowed.
Hours:
- FRIDAY: 4 p.m. to midnight
- SATURDAY: Noon to midnight
- SUNDAY: Noon to 11 p.m.
Northbound lanes of Biscayne Blvd. will be closed in front of Bayfront Park. Southbound traffic will be rerouted along NE 2nd Ave.
Source: Ultra festival info http://goo.gl/P8mv1u
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