{"id":2348967,"date":"2026-03-28T08:54:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T08:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2348967"},"modified":"2026-03-28T08:54:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T08:54:25","slug":"best-ultra-music-festival-performances-of-all-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/best-ultra-music-festival-performances-of-all-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Ultra Music Festival Performances of All Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Few music festivals have been going on as long as Miami\u2019s Ultra Music Festival<\/a>. For a quarter century, it\u2019s been championing dance music, first a one-day beach festival<\/a>, then a two-day bash, and currently as a three-day spectacle<\/a> with editions across the globe.<\/p>\n

Because most publications didn\u2019t pay attention to dance music<\/a> and its many subgenres until the 2010s EDM bubble, New Times<\/em> is one of the few media entities with a history of covering Ultra almost since its inception. (At one point, there was even a New Times<\/em> stage at the festival.) Perhaps that\u2019s why reliving the most important moments and performances of the festival\u2019s past 26 years felt appropriate.<\/p>\n

From Ti\u00ebsto\u2019s debut and Carl Cox\u2019s first stage to the Cure\u2019s headline performance and Swedish House Mafia\u2019s reunion, here are the most unforgettable moments in Ultra\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

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Ultra Music Festival started as a one-day beach party in Miami Beach on March 12, 1999.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ultra Beach Music Festival (1999)<\/h2>\n

Before Ultra became the Ultra we know today, it started as a one-day beach party on the sands of South Beach directly across from Collins Park. The first lineup featured sets by Hybrid, LTJ Bukem, Armand van Helden, Josh Wink, Icey, George Acosta, and others, with Tampa-based act Rabbit in the Moon serving as headliners. Rabbit in the Moon returned to the festival several more times, including in 2003, where they shared top billing with Underworld, and in 2004, coheadlining with the Chemical Brothers.<\/p>\n

Move to Bayfront Park (2001)<\/h2>\n

After two years, it was clear Ultra had outgrown its original home. Organizers decided the best course of action was to look for more room across the causeway, and they found it at Bayfront Park. Headling that year were Paul Oakenfold and Paul van Dyke, who spun on the Main Stage (today\u2019s Live Stage). Other acts included Sasha & John Digweed, Carl Cox, Bob Sinclar, Andy C, Sander Kleinenberg, Pete Tong, Deep Dish, and Timo Maas.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Ti\u00c1\u00absto\u2019s Debut (2002)<\/h2>\n

By the early aughts, Dutch DJ and producer Ti\u00c1\u00absto was already conquering the European dance music scene, but American audiences were definitely less familiar with it. Still, one has to imagine that savvier American dance music fans were excited for Ti\u00c1\u00absto\u2019s debut set at the festival. Though not a headliner, he was still given a slot on the Main Stage, where we played an all-trance set \u2013 a far cry from the EDM\/progressive house sound he\u2019s known for today. <\/p>\n

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Josh Wink (left) and Carl Cox at Ultra 2005<\/p>\n

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Ultra Music Festival photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Carl Cox & Friends Debut (2005)<\/h2>\n

Save for 2024, the Carl Cox stage has been a fixture at the festival for two decades. It all started in 2005 with the Carl Cox & Friends Arena. In addition to Cox, the evening featured sets by Christian Smith, Danny Howells, and Josh Wink. Over the years, Cox\u2019s stage would grow in prominence, hosting a who\u2019s who of dance music talent.<\/p>\n

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Rock band the Killers headlined Ultra 2006.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Killers (2006)<\/h2>\n

You aren\u2019t misreading that. Months before the release of the band\u2019s sophomore album Sam\u2019s Town<\/em> and still riding the high of 2004\u2019s Hot Fuss<\/em>, the Killers headlined Ultra. It marked the beginning of an era when Ultra wasn\u2019t afraid to book actual live acts \u2013 something absent from the festival today. I witnessed this set in person, and the Killers\u2019 danceable brand of alternative rock did not feel out of place at the festival. The stage they performed at was packed with excited festivalgoers wanting to see the band live.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The Prodigy (2006)<\/h2>\n

Besides the Killers, the other 2006 headliner was the UK big beat act the Prodigy. It marked the first time they appeared at the festival. Liam Howlett, Keith Flint, and Maxim delivered an energetic set filled with the bangers like \u201cTheir Law,\u201d \u201cFirestarter,\u201d \u201cVoodoo People,\u201d and \u201cSmack My Bitch Up.\u201d The Prodigy\u2019s last appearance at Ultra was in 2017, two years before Flint\u2019s untimely death.<\/p>\n

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Goth-rock icons the Cure headlined Ultra 2007.<\/p>\n

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Ultra Music Festival photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Cure (2007)<\/h2>\n

Ultra founder Russell Faibisch has repeatedly said in interviews that he\u2019s most proud of having the Cure headline the festival \u2013 and it\u2019s hard to disagree. While the Cure might not seem like the kind of band that would perform at Ultra, it makes sense, especially in the 2000s, where there was more overlap between dance music and alternative goth scenes. The band played the Main Stage, drawing just as big of a crowd as the EDM superstars would do so in later editions.<\/p>\n

Black Eyed Peas (2009)<\/h2>\n

In 2009, the Black Eyed Peas were gearing up to release The E.N.D.<\/em>, one of the first pop music records that would embrace the emerging EDM trend. In February, they gave listeners a taste of what to expect with the single \u201cBoom Boom Pow,\u201d an electro hip-hop cut that leaned heavily into EDM. The album also featured collaborations with David Guetta, Mark Knight, and Boys Noize. The quartet\u2019s appearance at Ultra was a way to solidify the Black Eyed Peas\u2019 bona fides regarding EDM to a skeptical public. Also joining the group on stage was LMFAO, who were riding high on the success of their debut, Party Rock<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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