Miami Music Festival

People come to Miami for the beaches, climate, and music festivals. There are various opportunities to perform or catch a performance from famous artists all over. However, these festivals have been affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic because they draw masses to their venues. Here are some Miami, Florida, music festivals to look out for.

Ultra Miami Music Festival

The Ultra Miami Music Festival is usually a three-day electronic music festival. Alex Omes and Russell Faibisch started the festival in 1999, and they named it after Ultra, a 1997 Depeche Mode album. The Ultra Miami Music Festival is also like a "grand finale" of the Miami Music week, another electronic event. It takes place all over the Miami region before people gather for the Ultra Miami Music Festival. Ultra Miami Music Festival has grown into a global brand known as Ultra Worldwide. It holds festivals in countries like Brazil, Columbia, South Africa, Singapore, and more.

Where Is the Ultra Miami Music Festival Held?

Image via Flickr by macwiz

The festival first took place in Miami Beach. After that, it switched the venue to downtown Miami at Bayfront Park. However, the festival has also used Virginia Key and Bicentennial Park as venues briefly. Ultra Miami Music Festival had to move because the City had revoked its license to operate at Bayfront. In 2019, Miami commissioners voted to give the festival a revocable license at Bayfront Park.

How Long Is the Festival?

The Ultra Miami Festival was a one-day festival between 1998 and 2006. The organizers later changed it to a 3-day festival which takes place in March. However, in 2013 Ultra Miami Festival was celebrating its 15th anniversary, and the festival took place on two consecutive weekends. The festival has registered some record attendances. For example, in 2013, both Festival weekends had a total of 300,000 people in attendance. The one-weekend festival the previous year also had a record attendance of 155,000 people.

Why Has Ultra Miami Music Festival Been Postponed for Two Consecutive Years?

The Ultra Miami Festival last took place in 2019. The 2020 festival was canceled to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep people safe. Likewise, the 2021 edition has also been postponed to 2022 for similar reasons.

Rolling Loud Miami

Rolling Loud Miami is arguably the largest hip-hop festival in the world. Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif co-founded the Rolling Loud Miami Festival and launched it in 2015. The two have been friends since high school and are currently Co-CEOs.

How Big Is Rolling Loud Miami?

Rolling Loud Miami is also a three-day event like the Ultra Miami Festival. Each day features main performances from some of the biggest names in hip hop music and upcoming hip hop talents. In 2018 alone, Rolling Loud Miami had a physical attendance of 180,000 people and an online attendance of 20 million. The tickets for the 2021 Rolling Loud Miami have already been sold out.

Where Does the Rolling Loud Miami Take Place?

The Rolling Loud Music Festival originally took place at Bayfront Park. They later changed their venue to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Rolling Loud has expanded its festivals to many other locations across the country and internationally. However, the Miami edition is the flagship edition. Some of the other Rolling Loud Festival locations in the USA include New York, Los Angeles, and Oakland. In 2021, there is also a Rolling Loud Festival scheduled in Portugal.

When Does the Rolling Loud Miami Take Place?

Rolling Loud Miami usually takes place in February. However, the 2021 edition has been postponed from February to May. There was no 2020 version because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Miami Classical Music Festivals

The Miami Classical Music Festival is different from the other festivals. It focuses on training young artists from South Florida, all over America, and international artists to become classical musicians. Michael Rossi founded the Miami Classical Music Festivals in 2013. It usually takes place in the summer. The young artists train and perform under the watch of a world-class faculty. As the young artists develop and showcase their skills, the Miami community also gets to witness live concerts. The audience will witness some of the best performers in classical music alongside young rising talents.

How Big Is the Miami Classical Music Festival?

The Miami Classical Music Festival receives more than 1500 applications internationally and only selects 300 participants. It has hosted young artists from over 25 countries. The program usually takes about eight weeks. During this period, there are about 70 public events.

They include:

• 20 opera, zarzuela, musical theater, and chamber music concerts.
• 7 recitals that include students and faculty.
• 5 full opera productions.
• 4 symphonic concerts.
• 30 Masterclasses in various venues in Miami.

At one time, there was a performance for over 5000 people in Lummus Park. The festival also focuses on outreach programs to engage the local youth. They provide accessible tickets, events, and various community partnerships. The Miami Classical Music Festival also has an Alumni Division. Its purpose is to engage individuals who graduate from the programs they offer. They also connect them to paid concerts to help them transition into the professional setting. 

Final Thoughts

Music festivals have become part of Miami's culture. They have a major impact on the economy of the surrounding areas. For example, the Ultra Miami Music Festival had an economic impact of almost $1 billion between 2012 and 2018. In 2018 alone, it generated $168 million for the Miami economy.

However, COVID-19 has interfered with many schedules, including most Miami music events like the Ultra Miami Music Festival and the Rolling Loud Miami. It is essential to check the websites of these events to avoid missing out on an important update. Furthermore, you should check all the rules and regulations of these festivals and follow them to the latter.

Successful concert and festival hosting need proper planning and durable equipment. You should check for factors like durability and waterproofness. Visit Wet Sounds to get high-quality equipment for the ultimate in outdoor performance experience and entertainment needs.