Elsewhere, the Ultra Worldwide stage featured enjoyable sets from Galantis (whose anthemic “Gold Dust” was a huge hit that had absolutely everyone singing along), MAKJ, Tchami, Laidback Luke, Zeds Dead, Dirty South and many others, while Armin Van Buuren’s A State of Trance stage put on an impressive showcase of the genre’s talent, with names like Andrew Rayel, Eric Prydz, Markus Schulz and of course, the Armada commander-in-chief himself all putting audiences under a spell.
Aiding the trance legends was a stage set up that was incredibly engaging and production that rivalled main. The lighting was excellent, the audio intense and the music spellbinding. It also wasn’t as hectic as other stages, as the crowd mostly remained in place for the entirety of the night, truly falling into a state of trance.
The Resistance Stage was the newest addition to the festival this year and while I admittedly didn’t spend as much time there as I would have liked to, I did catch a bit of the Get Real set, which had Green Lantern and Claude VonStroke playing a underground oriented mix of music that had the crowd’s complete attention. The stage itself was quite a sight to be hold, too. An intimate setting and a bit hard to find, it boasted a strong lineup of talent that brought with it a dark and adventurous feel, thanks to an interesting stage design and a heavier atmosphere. Admittedly, the stage and the music probably wasn’t for everyone, but those who chose to seek it out seemed to be enjoying it.
While not absolutely perfect in every regard, Ultra Music Festival was by all accounts an incredible weekend. The sheer number of exciting special guests, impressive new tracks, vast amount of artists and strong variety of music meant that there was a little something for everyone to enjoy. It was also clear from appearances by artists like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande that Ultra’s reputation and prestige is only growing, as it’s becoming to go-to destination for music’s hottest talent (EDM or not). If future outings are anything like this year’s edition, then I can’t wait to see where the festival goes from here.