Two weeks ago the Miami City Council shot down a contract extension for Ultra Music Festival at Bayfront Park. The contact would have cemented Ultra's iconic home for another 5 years. A vocal minority of residents opposed the festival being held in downtown Miami due to the noise which it created for one weekend a year, despite driving millions to the local economy.
City Council members took it upon themselves to make it near impossible for Ultra to continue to use the grounds. While the contract can be renegotiated moving forward, giving Ultra the chance to find a solution, the council just took another step to make sure Bayfront Park will no longer be the home of the United States‘ most well-known dance music festival.
Council Restricts Bayfront Park's Event Usage
In years past there was no limit upon how many days Bayfront Park could be closed for private events. In 2017, the park was closed 155 days for different festivals and private functions. This past week the council has voted to limit the park to only 55 days for private events. To put things into comparison, the setup and break down of Ultra takes around 20 days – nearly half of the quota of days the park can be closed to the public.
This is nearly a death blow for Ultra. That being said many believe that council members are only using this intense rhetoric to get re-elected this November. Once they secure their sets, fans think that they will go back to working with Ultra Worldwide to create a solution. This does make sense considering the festival drives more money to Miami than any other outside event help during the year.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story continues to develop.
