For a quarter of a century, Ultra Music Festival has reigned as one of the world’s most iconic electronic music festivals, bringing legendary performances, surprise guests, and unforgettable pop culture moments to Miami’s Bayfront Park. This year’s 25th anniversary was no exception, if anything, it was even more chaotic, unpredictable, and history-making than ever before.
From Skrillex’s long-awaited return to the global debut of Anyma b2b Solomun that sent the crowd into a frenzy, Ultra 2025 delivered everything a raver could ask for: mind-melting drops, larger-than-life stage productions, and the kind of euphoric energy that keeps festival-goers coming back year after year. And just when we thought we’d seen it all, Mother Nature had other plans. A lightning storm on the final day forced attendees to evacuate, sending thousands of soaked ravers running for cover. A few hours later, the festival roared back to life, proving once again that ravers aren’t made of sugar — we’re made of bass, sweat, and pure adrenaline.
With so many legendary moments packed into one weekend, narrowing it down to just 25 was no easy feat. But from historic live performances to unexpected festival antics, here are the wildest, most unforgettable things that went down at Ultra’s 25th anniversary, plus a look at the best place to recover from it all.
The 25 Moments That Stuck Out To Us
1. Overheard mid-bass drop, “I had an epiphany. I don’t think I should marry this girl,” proving that Ultra is not just a music festival but also an existential crisis generator.
2. One guy took his festival spirit to the next level by holding up his prosthetic leg to rage during Skrillex’s set. The ultimate totem flex.
3. Jesus headbanging to Peekaboo. Because even the Son of God loves a filthy drop.
4. Zeds Dead debuted their new “Return To The Spectrum Of Intergalactic Happiness” set, remixing Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” into a spine-tingling bass anthem.
5. Afrojack, David Guetta, and Sia made pop history when they performed “Titanium” live together for the first time ever, sending the crowd into absolute euphoria.
6. Watching over 50,000 people attempt to squeeze through the General Admission gates was like witnessing an Ultra survival challenge.
7. Skrillex played his first solo set in a decade and brought out special guests Flowdan, Damian Marley, Naisha, and Young Miko for an unforgettable performance.
8. Martin Garrix and Armin van Buuren = pure magic. Garrix closed out the festival by welcoming Armin on stage to premiere their massive new collaboration and was the first artist to close out Ultra with his own live vocals.
9. Carl Cox shut down the RESISTANCE Megastructure on Saturday with the debut of his Evolution live set, proving why he’s still the king of underground techno.
10. Solomun, Mau P, Four Tet, and Chloé Calliet joined forces for an unplanned but mind-blowing b2b session.
11. Anyma and Solomun teamed up for their first-ever b2b set on the Ultra Main Stage, creating an unforgettable moment for melodic techno fans.
12. Steve Aoki blurred the lines of music with his star-studded performance featuring Trippie Red, Swan Lee, and Mike Posner.
13. deadmau5 roasted the people who actually paid $500,000 for bottle service (yes, this was a real thing on the VIP menu).
14. John Summit and Dom Dolla’s “Everything Always” debut was kind of a letdown. The hype was unreal, but their set lacked the high-energy magic fans were hoping for (at least for me).
15. Tiesto proved he’s still the GOAT. His set was packed with bangers, reminding everyone why he’s been at the top of the game for decades.
16. Hard techno at the RESISTANCE stage turned into full-blown mosh pits that even metalheads would be proud of. Thankfully I did not get caught in one (otherwise we wouldn’t be here writing this).
17. The festival’s award-winning Mission:Home program returned for its fifth iteration with over 60 initiatives focused on pollution prevention, nature preservation, waste reduction, climate action, and community engagement, proving that large-scale music festivals can be intentional and proactive.
18. Feeling a sense of accomplishment for being an attendee at a festival that reached 100% recycling acceptance for the fifth year in a row.
19. Being tardy on Sunday but avoiding being one of the thousands of ravers that ran for cover as Ultra was temporarily shut down due to a lightning storm. But like true warriors (and with a little help from festival staff), everyone returned in full force once gates reopened hours later.
20. Ultra’s drone show over Bayfront Park stole spotlight each night. Hundreds of synchronized drones created pulsating visuals of Ultra’s iconic “U” logo, legendary DJ silhouettes, and the American Flag in the sky.
21. While Sullivan King was stuck in the Miami airport, NGHTMRE FaceTimed him and still had him onstage for what would’ve been their world debut b2b set.
22. Seeing the most insane post-festival traffic and prices for Ubers but deciding to walk 0.7 miles to get one half price and swerve all of the traffic.
23. Constantly asking yourself “what song is this?” as you very well know its an unreleased track ID or remix from Hardwell, 50 Cent, or Swedish House Mafia (yes these all happened).
24. Ultra premiered its first-ever psytrance stage takeover on the UMF Radio Stage with Vini Vici’s Alteza label, because who doesn’t love a little psytrance representation at the world’s biggest electronic music festival?
25. Knowing you were a spec on someone’s TV screen as the #ULTRALIVE reached more than 30 million impressions around the world. Hi mom!
Best Stay Of MMW: Eden Roc Miami Beach Resort
Eden Roc Miami Beach Resort has hosted legendary artists for decades, including Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Nat King Cole, and the world’s best electronic music DJs. With its sophisticated mix of nostalgic glamour and modern luxury, the hotel proved to be the perfect retreat from the festival madness while still keeping the energy alive.
Eden Roc’s location is unbeatable, putting you right in the heart of Miami Music Week‘s action and just steps away from Winter Music Conference, which celebrated its 35th anniversary this year perfectly aligning with Ultra’s own 25th milestone. The oceanfront views from the spacious rooms are a dream, with oversized balconies that make it easy to soak in Miami’s golden-hour glow. Ocean Social serves up delicious food with an even better view, and the circular Lobby Bar makes one of the best espresso martinis in town that was deemed ideal for sipping on the go before heading out to Ultra. The hotel also caters well to seed-oil-free diets which is important to me, with in-room dining options that go beyond the usual fried festival fare (the key is to order your steak cooked in butter in a separate pan). I also really appreciated the hotel offered two water refill stations with filtered water, making sure guests were hydrated for free in the hot Florida sun. With three pools, plenty of green space for relaxing, and ample beach chairs, the hotel served to be the best place to recharge pre and post-festival.
If I had to complain and offer an honest bit of criticism, the elevators are frustratingly slow, which isn’t ideal when you’re in a rush to catch a set or catch a timely Uber. The lack of a mini fridge for personal use was also disappointing. You could rent one for $35, but the room’s existing fridge was already packed with overpriced drinks, leaving no space for leftovers, cold water, or medication storage. This is nothing new for a Miami hotel though.
That said, Eden Roc’s timeless elegance and prime location still made it the best spot to stay for Ultra and Miami Music Week.
The Backstage Pass to Ultra: InterContinental Miami
Sitting directly across from Bayfront Park and built around Henry Moore’s iconic The Spindle sculpture, InterContinental Miami offered what few hotels can during Ultra weekend: immediate access to the action. No rideshare chaos, no street closures. I was able to just wake up, fuel up, and walk straight into the festival. Since Sunday was the crazy rainstorm and flooding, staying at InterContinental on this day served a great purpose since I was able to be right across the street from the festival when it evacuated, took cover, and waited out the storm in the safety of my room.
With that, I loved that my room came with a complimentary mini fridge (a lifesaver for stashing snacks, cold drinks, or essentials), and the bathroom setup was a dream—modern, clean, and genuinely spa-like. When the rain came through, I was obviously upset that the festival was postponed, so I took myself to the complimentary sauna and steam room to wait it out.
I fueled up with some high-level protein at its onsite restaurant Toro Toro that featured bold Latin flavors and accommodated my dietary needs with no questions asked: the staff ensured our steaks were cooked entirely seed-oil-free. For quicker bites, there were grab-and-go café options to keep you moving when running on rave-time.
And all weekend long, live DJs in the lobby kept the energy high, making arriving or returning feel like part of the festival itself.
More Photos From Ultra Music Festival’s 25th Celebration
