Five Artists Share Their Thoughts on Ultra Music Festival

We caught up with Armin van Buuren, Gryffin, Blanke, Mahmut Orhan, and Maddy O’Neal ahead of their sets at Ultra Music Festival!

As Ultra Music Festival gears up for another edition at downtown Miami’s Bayfront Park, world-class artists are eagerly waiting to take the stage March 22-24. Some are no stranger to the heavy-hitting lineup, consistently throwing down high-octane sets for Ultranauts year after year. For other budding artists, earning a spot on Ultra’s roster marks a massive career milestone. Many of them have religiously watched the UMF livestreams and dreamed of one day performing at the show.

No matter how long an artist has been in the scene, playing Ultra Music Festival is a true rite of passage. Taking the stage at one of the world’s most renowned events in dance music and feeling the vibrant energy of the crowd is enough to keep any artist coming back for more.

Wanting to hear more from an artist’s perspective, we sat down with Armin van Buuren, Gryffin, Blanke, Mahmut Orhan, and Maddy O’Neal before they dominate the decks at Ultra this year. Read on to learn what performing at Ultra Music Festival means to them, their favorite Ultra memories, and what fans can expect from their sets this year. Be sure to give them a follow, too!

GA and VIP passes for Ultra Music Festival 2024 are now sold out. Visit their official website for further information announced ahead of the show.

Five Artists Share Their Thoughts on Ultra Music Festival

Armin van Buuren

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What does playing Ultra Music Festival mean to you?

To me, Ultra Music Festival is one of the biggest festivals in the world and a global event I’ve been frequenting as an artist for a long time. Playing there always feels like coming home; the production is amazing, the crowd phenomenal and the vibe just right. I’m just super excited to be back again.

Have you attended or caught the livestream for UMF in the past? If so, do you have a favorite memory?

My memories of UMF are from the vantage point of a performer. To have a crowd that stretches toward the horizon go mental to your own records is just unbelievable. Wouldn’t trade that feeling or memory for the world!

What can fans expect from your set at UMF this year?

A lot of new music mixed in with some proven favorites. I always aim to have a few surprises in store for the fans, but it would spoil the surprise to share the exact details ahead of the actual set, right?

Gryffin

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What does playing Ultra Music Festival mean to you?

Ultra Music Festival is synonymous with dance music. It’s one of the few festivals to first put dance music on the map in the US. I first played on the Live Stage in 2016 and then returned last year on the mainstage, which was pretty surreal. It means a lot to come back this year and play a lot of new music from my upcoming album. This year’s set will be quite different from last year’s, so I’m excited to see the crowd’s reaction.

Have you attended or caught the livestream for UMF in the past? If so, do you have a favorite memory?

I have both attended and watched the livestream for UMF over the years. One memory that sticks out was Martin Garrix‘s first mainstage set in 2014. I remember watching that during the success of “Animals” and being blown away by this 17-year-old who was commanding a crowd on one of the biggest stages in dance music.

What can fans expect from your set at UMF this year?

A lot of new music and a bit of a surprising direction for the set this year. I’m very excited for this new chapter of music for me, and I have been inspired by a lot of what has been coming out of the EU and UK. In between classic Gryffin songs and some new IDs, there will be records from some of my favorite artists right now, like Marlon Hoffstadt, Sammy Virji, and Seth Hills.

Mahmut Orhan

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What does playing Ultra Music Festival mean to you?

I’ve grown up watching videos of this festival my whole life. It’s such an immense moment every year. It’s my dream to finally be playing there myself.

Have you attended or caught the livestream for UMF in the past? If so, do you have a favorite memory?

I’ve not actually been to the festival yet! But of course, I lock into the live streams when I can. Eric Prydz (Cirez D) b2b Adam Beyer last year was a massive set!

What can fans expect from your set at UMF this year?

Some incredible, special moments. You’ll see very soon!

Maddy O’Neal

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What does playing Ultra Music Festival mean to you?

Ultra Music Festival feels like the EDM super bowl to me. It has definitely held a standard for one of the biggest and most reputable worldwide festivals for years, so to be booked for it is a major acknowledgment for any artist. For an up-and-coming artist like me, it means a lot to get that nod and be in the mix with some major players that I’ve looked up to for years.

What can fans expect from your set at UMF this year?

I definitely plan to bring it this year! I’ve been working on lots of new tracks and edits anticipating festival season, and this will be one of the first festivals to debut them at. I am honored to be performing on the Live Stage, so people can expect some drum pad performance as well (finger drum pad and regular). Very excited to play a set full of originals as well as some deep dive edits I’ve been stashing away for a big moment.

Blanke

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What does playing Ultra Music Festival mean to you?

Ultra Miami has been one of those pinnacle events in dance music to me since I was a teenager. I used to listen to so many of the live mixes from Ultra and imagine being among the crowds there. To be on the lineup feels so surreal. To now be one of those artists where someone might be listening to my mix and imagining the day they’ll be playing or attending the fest is so humbling and cool.

Have you attended or caught the livestream for UMF in the past? If so, do you have a favorite memory?

I remember attending my first Ultra Miami in 2018, one year before I moved to the States. It was so cool to be in that environment and meeting all of these people and artists that I had only interacted with online. The scale of the productions was incredible and like nothing I’d ever seen before.

My favorite and longtime memory of UMF is listening to Porter Robinson‘s 2013 UMF Miami live set. My friends and I would put it on all the time before we went out; we used it as inspiration for our own mixes and productions. It was truly a cornerstone for us for years.

What can fans expect from your set at UMF this year?

They can expect the signature Blanke diversity, spanning dubstep, melodic bass, midtempo, half time, and hard dance. It’s a super fun time. I’ll be playing so much new music as well as my whole Emergence EP, which will be coming out in its entirety the same day as my Ultra Miami set!

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