Was Ultra Fest a hot mess? 15 people have been hospitalised and 18 were arrested.
An estimated 165,000 people attended Miami’s annual Ultra Fest. The festival has become a pilgrimage for EDM fans. The festival has one of the most extensive electronic music line-ups. This includes mega-stars such as David Guetta, CamelPhat, Grimes, and Tiesto, among many others, who were headlining.
Well, it wasn’t the worst outcome but it was such a huge festival, of course, not everything could be perfect. The festival had 100 firefighters spread throughout the grounds. During the events, they were either on foot or bike patrol, directing the foot traffic and responding to emergencies.
The three-day festival had a total of 18 arrests made. The main problems were intoxication, disorderly conduct, trespassing, and the use of fraudulent credit cards. This was the same number of arrests as the previous year and a significant decrease from the pre-covid statistics. The police department came out in force, and their presence was thought to be the reason for the decrease. The police presence was especially vital after the recent two-person fatal shooting in South Miami Beach. A clear bag policy was implemented, which combatted firearm threats.
@MiamiPD and @CityofMiamiFire are ready for the final day of ultra and it has been a pleasure serving the citizens of our community and our many visitors. #SafetyFirst #Ultra2023 https://t.co/CIbs88Hhol
— Miami PD (@MiamiPD) March 26, 2023
The festival had 15 people transported to the hospital. All the victims are in a stable position. 12 of the hospitalised victims were transported on the first day of the festival. This happened after tens of thousands of people were crushed, as they were packed into the streets of Bayfront Park, where the festival was held. 24 people were evacuated from the scene. The situation was aided by the fire department’s presence, who acted swiftly to help the injured.
The mammoth size of the festival and the nature of the music caused some alarm among Miami residents. In the end, the organisers and authorities are pleased with the relatively low number of arrests and hospitalisations. It is clear that the first night’s mishaps were a close call and we can only be thankful that nothing worse happened.
