Miami to Vote on License for Ultra to Return to Bayfront Park

In a somewhat unexpected turn of events, the Miami City Commission has authorized a resolution to offer Ultra a license to return to Bayfront Park. 

Since the music festival voluntarily terminated its contract with its long-time home in Downtown Miami last September, pressured by noise and traffic complaints from the city, new prospects have put their bids in on Ultra, most notably the remote Homestead-Miami Speedway.  Now, the city of Miami isn’t so sure they’re ready to part with the iconic festival and its “hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact”, as supporting Miami Mayor Francis Suarez states. 

Miami Commissioner Manolo Reyes, another supporter of the festival, has been quoted stating, “We can not be running businesses out of the City of Miami. Hialeah wants it. Homestead wants it. Everybody wants it. That’s why I want to know what happened.”

Acknowledging that community backlash and a rocky relationship might be worth mending to host a world-recognized event like Ultra, the city has proposed a new resolution, which states:

“The Licensee has previously staged the Event at the Property between 2013 and 2018, during which time the Licensee expended substantial resources toward the direct promotion and marketing of the City; and whereas, since 2012, the Event has generated approximately $995 million of economic impact, generating $168 million and creating 1,834 jobs in 2018 alone.”

The resolution is on the agenda for the city council to vote on June 27th, which will determine whether the offer will be officially extended or not.