Every March, Miami transforms into an electronic music haven for a week-long celebration of music. Hundreds of thousands of ravers descended upon the city to partake in the annual Ultra Music Festival at Bayfront Park and immerse themselves in Miami Music Week (MMW), the marathon leading up to the premier event. This year’s MMW proved to be exceptionally eventful, with remarkable energy that prevailed despite significant weather disruption. Whether fans were looking to groove to house music poolside, sweat it out in the dark with hard techno beats, or raise adrenaline with drum & bass, Miami played host to loads of events, appealing to fans of every subgenre.
The highly anticipated Ultra Music Festival encountered a rocky start on Day 1. For the first time in its history, Ultra was forced to shut down early due to heavy rainfall, leaving 55,000 attendees drenched and heading home much sooner than anticipated. Ultra’s team managed to bounce back with a clean-up crew that erased most traces of the downpour and by hosting an extended Day 2 of the festival, making up for Friday’s shutdown. Excision, RL Grime, and countless heavy hitters delivered outstanding sets, while performances by Calvin Harris and other EDM superstars stirred waves of nostalgia among fans.
Kick-off events began Tuesday night leading up to Ultra, with gatherings in every venue from South Beach to downtown. Iconic hotel venues held pool parties throughout the week, including Claptone’s famous Masquerade, Festvibes, Heldeep’s Pool Party, and sets from OMNOM, Nicole Moudaber, Hot Since 82, HUGEL, and more. South Beach offered plenty of options for party-goers looking to groove under the sun. Artists such as Deadmau5, Sara Landry, Honey & Badger, Wax Motif, Shiba San, Alison Wonderland, San Holo, and What So Not lit up clubs and open-air venues all over Wynwood, sending nonstop electronic vibrations through the infamous art-filled neighborhood.
Attendees of Factory Town, one of Miami’s hottest venues in recent years, stormed its many stages until sunrise to catch Charlotte de Witte, Ben Sterling, Chris Lake, El Row, Indira Paganotti, I Hate Models, and more. The venue’s newest stage, The Warehouse, offered the perfect ambiance for techno stars to deliver the classic dark rave experience.
Club Space welcomed music lovers at all times of the day, hosting exciting sets and B2Bs from tech-house stars, including Pawsa, Loco Dice, Andrea Oliva, Sosa, Chris Stussy, and Paco Osuna. Famous for its 24-hour parties, the energy showed no signs of slowing as Sunday rolled around, and the show persisted until early Tuesday morning.
MMW also held numerous networking events, giving industry professionals a perfect balance between work and play. Eden Roc hosted the EDMAs, where the Moon Lvnding team got to interview artists and mingle alongside media groups and stars, including Mark Knight, Hayla, Armin Van Buuren, Kaskade, Deadmau5, and Martin Garrix.
Rain or shine, with the week-long spectacle and Ultra Music Festival at its finale, 2024’s MMW marathon was as strong as ever. This year’s edition may go down in history as one of the most memorable, with highlights including countless shows, surprise guests, rare star-studded B2Bs, fireworks, drone shows, and impressive stage productions. For those who missed out, sets from the week’s hottest shows have already made their rounds on X, Instagram, and YouTube. Stay tuned for more on Moon Lvnding’s team at MMW 2024, featuring highlights from our interviews with your favorite artists and much more!
