Ultra Music Festival in Miami has had quite a year. After the ending of its contract with Bayfront Park, Ultra found a new home for 2019 in Virginia Keys. The festival venue change came with ups and downs. While Ultra was considered a relative success, the residents of Virginia Keys seem to disagree. The Virginia Key Advisory Board came to the consensus that the City of Miami should “revoke its license agreement” with Ultra ahead of a crucial decision regarding the festival’s future that the City of Miami Commissioner’s Office was slated to vote on May 9.

Ultra was one step ahead. In a letter to its fan, Ultra stated that they have voluntarily terminated their City of Miami license and will be moving to a new South Florida home.

Under the contract, either Ultra or the city could revoke the agreement within 60 days of the festival’s closing each year. On Wednesday, Ultra made the call: They’re out.

“After listening to feedback from many of you, it is clear that the festival experience on Virginia Key was simply not got enough. […] We are now finalizing a new South Florida location that will serve as an incredible and permanent home for Ultra Music Festival.”

Ultra has been located in various locations throughout the Greater Miami area since it began in 1999. The festival stated that it was clear that the Virginia Key experience was “not good enough” and while they are thankful to Miami for being their home for the past 20 years, it was time to move to a new location that allowed them to deliver “the incredible experience that our loyal fans expect and deserve.” They closed by stating that a formal announcement with full event details and ticket information was coming soon, although they did not specify a date.

It seems that we are about to enter into a new era of Ultra.

Ultra’s letter landed at City Hall with a big thud, catching administrators and politicians off guard a day before the commission was supposed to vote on whether the city would revoke a year-to-year licensing agreement with Ultra for Virginia Key. The vote was hotly anticipated after a rough debut on the island, where logistical problems plagued the event’s opening night and the volume of the music aggravated residents on mainland Miami.

Their next stop might be Homestead at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, which is just about an hour & a half away from Miami. City Manager George Gretsas told the Herald he was made aware of conversations between Ultra and the Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“It is our expectation that at some point, they will formally submit a proposal,” Gretsas said.

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