Ultra Pulls Out Of Miami Amid Chorus Of Complaints

MIAMI, FL — After two decades in Miami, the Ultra Music Festival announced Wednesday it is pulling up stakes amid a chorus of resident complaints and on the eve of a planned vote by city commissioners that was to decide if one of the world's largest electronic music events would remain in the Magic City.

"Ultra did have the option to opt out of the agreement irrespective of the commission and exercised that option," city spokesman John Heffernan told Patch on Wednesday evening.

In a letter addressed to "Ultranauts" that was posted on social media, festival organizers said they were in the process of "putting the finishing touches on the final details" of a new South Florida location. Earlier, organizers sent a one-page letter of termination to City Manager Emilio Gonzalez.

"After listening to feedback from many of you, including over 20,000 fans who took our post-event survey, it is clear that the festival experience on Virginia Key was simply not good enough," organizers penned on social media. "This is Ultra Music Festival, after all, and our attendees expect us to deliver on our commitment to excellence."

Ultra's departure potentially takes with it millions of dollars from the local economy around Miami. The estimated 165,000 to 170,000 attendees stay in local hotels, eat at local restaurants and spend money at local businesses in what the city manager compared to the economic equivalent of a Super Bowl that comes around every year.

Attorney David Winker, who filed a lawsuit against the city on behalf of the Brickell Homeowners Association to block the move from downtown Miami to this year's location on Virginia Key, said there was considerable opposition to having such a large event within city limits.

"It became clear to me through my litigation with Ultra the past few months that there was only one group that wanted Ultra on Virginia Key — the City of Miami," Winker said in response to Wednesday's announcement.

Last month, Miami commissioners heard from a chorus of angry residents complaining of thunderous bass notes, out-of-key traffic and a less than encore-worthy performance by some festival goers.

The noise concerns were exacerbated by transportation problems when thousands of festival goers took to the streets because of an insufficient number of buses on the first night of the event. The problem was corrected for the other two nights, but the experience didn't sit well with event goers.

The complaints from residents about the noise and traffic brought a crescendo of calls for Miami commissioners to pull out of its agreement with Ultra ahead of next year's three-day event or find another place to put the 165,000 to 170,000 attendees.

The commissioners planned to decide whether or not they would allow next year's music festival to take place at Virginia Key Beach Park and Miami Marine Stadium, where it was moved from downtown Miami amid similar complaints. The commissioners were contractually bound with Ultra to make a decision before May 27.

"I believe it was bad management by the city to force Ultra onto Virginia Key. It was just a totally inappropriate place for a music festival the size of Ultra," added attorney Winker. "I think Ultra did the best they could with the cards they were dealt by the city."

Commissioner Wifredo Gort said he wanted to hear from supporters of Ultra at the May meeting.

"Everyone that's against it, shows up," said Gort last month. "But people in favor of an item, they stay home. It's up to them if they want it, then they better come up and tell us why they want it."

Assistant Chief Manny Morales of the Miami Police Department told commissioners that there were 37 arrests made at this year's festival. He said there were two incidents involving festival goers jumping into the water that surrounds the venue to avoid purchasing tickets, including one person who jumped off the Rickenbacker Causeway.

Most of the arrests were for attempted trespassing but 11 were for felonies, according to Morales.

Commissioner Joe Carollo, who had been critical of moving the festival to Virginia Key, told fellow commissioners that he doubted whether Ultra would have been able to sufficiently dampen the noise in the future.

"This is something that no matter what we’re going to be promised, every year we’re going to be going through the same thing," said Carollo, a former city mayor.

Ultra previously said that its 2019 festival sold out, drawing attendees from 105 countries.

"The 21st edition proved to be the biggest yet for the world’s premier electronic music festival," Ultra said immediately after the March event, which included performances by Marshmello, Martin Garrix, The Chainsmokers, Galantis, Gigantic NGHTMRE, GRiZ, ILLENIUM, Louis The Child, ODESZA, Tom Morello and deadmau5.

Event organizers said they have had offers from a number of locations.

"We are now finalizing a new South Florida location that will serve as an incredible and permanent home for Ultra Music Festival," organizers added. "We have been approached by many interested parties over the years with offers to host the festival at some very unique and impressive locales. One of these, however, has shined far above the others and we look forward to making our home there for many years to come."