Miami Music Week offered no shortage of beats to keep the party going all day and night at venues around the city this year.
Miami Music Week is one of the busiest times in the dance music scene. It seems as if every year outperforms the previous one. The stakes get higher, and the parties get bigger. New artists emerge among past fan favorites, and promoters put their all into creating unique experiences for fans in town.
Downtown Miami, Miami Beach, Wynwood, and the surrounding areas come alive during the day and night time. There is no shortage of pool parties, yacht parties, warehouse showcases, nightclub events, and more as fans carefully craft their itineraries. It’s truly one of the most electric times in the city, with Ultra Music Festival happening concurrently at Bayfront Park over the weekend.
With countless events popping up yearly, determining where to spend your time can be challenging. This year, we returned to fiery Miami to take on the week, jaunting around to various parties at all hours for a time unlike any other. Read on below for our experience at Miami Music Week 2024!
Afterlife at Miami Marine Stadium kicked off our festivities on Wednesday with a few mishaps.
After touching down in Miami on Wednesday afternoon, I rested at our Airbnb for a few hours before heading to Miami Marine Stadium on Virginia Key. Afterlife was returning to Miami at a new venue over two days this year, with artists like label head Tale of Us, Anyma, MRAK, Camelphat, Mathame, and more set to take the stage. Aside from the music, Afterlife events are known for their immaculate, detailed visuals, typically displayed on a giant LED screen.
I was apprehensive when the venue was announced. This was the same location where Ultra Music Festival was held in 2019, the fateful year known for major congestion getting in and out of Virginia Key via Rickenbacker Causeway. Afterlife proved to have the same logistical issues, with attendees waiting in traffic for upward of two hours getting in and out of the venue. My friend and I encountered the same predicament; granted, I knew we should have left for the venue much earlier than our 9pm departure.
The progressive sounds of CamelPhat boomed through the speakers as we entered the venue.
We opted to grab some spicy margaritas, and I noticed a plethora of food and drink options lining the venue. Anyma presented immense soundscapes and otherworldly visuals on the gargantuan LED screen, even debuting a few new ones. He did incorporate many dramatic pauses throughout his set after certain buildups, which I found a bit unnecessary.
Finally, Tale of Us took over the decks together, launching the crowd into a deeper trance. Their set lived up to the last time I saw the duo at Los Angeles State Historic Park, and I enjoyed getting lost in the melodies. My friend and I opted to leave an hour before closing; even with this decision, we were still met with a lengthy wait for our Uber, finally getting off the island two hours later. While I had fun at Afterlife itself, I plan not to attend if it returns to this venue.
Thursday lifted us all into better spirits with the Heldeep Records Pool Party and a visit to M2 for Joris Voorn’s Spectrum showcase.
As a new day dawned, I looked forward to checking out my first proper Miami pool party. The Heldeep Records Pool Party was returning to Nautilus Sonesta Miami Beach, and I knew how wild these events could get. The weather was perfect, and accessing the party was a breeze, with the beach just a few steps away. We arrived in time to hear artists like Odd Mob, Kyle Watson, and Walker & Royce laying down groovy house beats for dancing attendees.
Scene staple Benny Benassi went back-to-back with newcomer Austin Millz for a unique performance, with Benassi hopping on the decks right after. Finally hearing “Satisfaction” from the man himself was a dream come true, and the crowd’s energy was at an all-time high when Oliver Heldens took the stage. Heldens opened with an epic mashup of his classic 2014 track “Gecko (Overdrive)” featuring Becky Hill, “Mercury” from his HI-LO alias and Space 92, and Anyma and Chris Avantgarde’s “Consciousness.” His two-hour escapade on stage lived up to the hype as I vibed to classic Heldens tracks and the darker side of his HI-LO alias.
After a successful day spent at the pool party, my friends and I took a quick dip in the ocean before freshening up to head to M2.
Returning to Miami Beach later that evening, I was thrilled to finally visit M2, the club holding the official RESISTANCE afterparties during Miami Music Week. Joris Voorn’s Spectrum showcase was on the agenda for the night, and we arrived in time to hear label artist Yotto rinsing melodic progressive sounds. There was plenty of room to dance as LED ceiling panels, futuristic dancers, and aerialists enhanced the atmosphere.
We headed to the VIP balcony to grab an optimal view of Joris Voorn and were greeted with a flurry of vivid lasers. I appreciated the added bars and restrooms up here, with no wait times for either. I had recently seen Joris Voorn at CRSSD Festival in San Diego, and tonight’s performance matched the energy I felt back home. Tracks, such as his remix of Eelke Kleijn’s “Transmission,” erupted through the speakers as the club’s production came together well. After basking in the Afterlife-fueled sounds of Argy, we opted to head out after 4am to get some sleep before Ultra Miami.
After a torrential downpour at Ultra Music Festival on Friday, I looked forward to being indoors at LIV for David Guetta.
Stormy conditions caused the festival to end three hours early on Friday, but that didn’t stop festival-goers from making the most of the evening. After finally making it back to our Airbnb amid flooded streets and rideshare chaos, I regrouped and headed back to Miami Beach to visit LIV for the first time. Known as one of the most prominent nightclubs in the country, it was the perfect spot to host David Guetta alongside special guest Cedric Gervais.
Guetta mixed club-ready tracks and songs of his future rave genre to a sold-out LIV. It was almost too packed, though, as my friends and I navigated through the crowd. I enjoyed dancing to releases like his and MORTEN’s “Kill Me Slow” and the insane Future Rave remix of “Titanium.” Still a bit wiped out from Friday’s rain and festival exodus, we didn’t stay too late into the night; nevertheless, it was a solid first afterparty to Ultra and fourth Miami Music Week event.
Saturday brought a hefty dose of bass with Sable Valley and infectious house beats during FISHER at Club Space.
Another day of Ultra Music Festival called for yet another wild afterparty, and this time, I’d be heading to Club Space. Downstairs at their venue, The Ground, dubstep, trap, and more flowed freely as Sable Valley producers like Jon Casey, Pauline Herr, Moore Kismet, and ROSSY dominated the decks. Trap trailblazer and label head RL Grime played a colossal set, with a surprise back-to-back performance with ISOxo ensuing. To cap off the event, the artists continued to take turns on the decks, playing bass-fueled beats and trap remixes of rap songs, making for a special and intimate experience.
As the party dwindled at The Ground, it was time to head upstairs to Club Space to ring in the morning with FISHER. Taking his turn on the decks at 5am, I grabbed an espresso martini and partied until the sun came up. I had never stayed at Club Space this late before, and the vibes on the terrace were truly unmatched as we danced along to singles like FISHER’s rework of “World, Hold On” by Bob Sinclar and Steve Edwards.
I did want to mention an odd incident toward the end of our time at Club Space. I was standing with my two friends near the back of the terrace when a security guard approached me and asked to see my ID. I was then led outside the club, where I was given a 21+ wristband and allowed to re-enter. The process was quick, but I would have appreciated an explanation as to what happened and why I was not given a wristband when I first entered. My two male friends were not given a 21+ wristband at all, so I’m unaware of why I was targeted. Regardless, we left shortly after the occurrence, around 7:30am, and I did have an incredible time overall.
The final night of Miami Music Week called for drum and bass at Brownies & Lemonade’s second-annual DNBNL Miami, featuring Worship artists.
After an exciting final day of Ultra Music Festival, our time at Miami Music Week officially wrapped up at Brownies & Lemonade’s DNBNL Miami. My friends and I snagged a Lyft to Wynwood, and we made it inside MAD Club. Having attended this event last year during its debut, I was ecstatic to come back and see how it played out in the new venue.
Drum and bass came out in full force for an unbelievably stacked lineup. Sure enough, all four Worship legends, 1991, Sub Focus, Dimension, and Culture Shock, came out to play. A surprise appearance from Alison Wonderland was the cherry on top of the evening as she played a rare drum and bass set. The sold-out show lived up to expectations, and I let the sounds of DNB wash over me, reflecting on the past few days in Miami.
Miami Music Week 2024 was, indeed, one for the books.
While my days in Miami were occupied by Ultra Music Festival, the Miami Music Week events I attended around it were unbelievable. Almost everything I attended was top-tier, with artists and promoters working to provide the optimal experience for fans.
Although only select events were highlighted here, others also went off with a bang. I heard great experiences from friends who opted into other daytime and nighttime parties. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend getting a solid group of people together and taking on Miami Music Week, even if you’re not attending Ultra Music Festival. There is so much to see in the city, with a party fit for every type of dance music lover.
Music Week this year was definitely one of the most challenging years yet. However, once you take a step back to look at all that we’ve accomplished and how much we were able to achieve for the culture, you always leave the week feeling accomplished and refreshed, ready to take on the next challenge.
Cameron Innis, BLNK CNVS Founder
