Ultra Music Festival Becomes Largest to Earn “Greener Festival” Certification in Over a Decade

Ultra Music Festival’s dedication to sustainability through its Mission: Home program has led to its success in the space with 11 recognitions in five years.

The festival scene has been dominated by lineups, production elements, and crowds that have swelled to larger-than-life sizes in recent years. There’s been plenty of innovation along the way through new technologies or ideas, yet few in the US have championed sustainability as much as Ultra Music Festival has lately. Since 2015, the UMF team has sought to reduce its environmental impact through its Mission: Home program, and this year the festival received its fifth award from the Florida Festivals and Events Association (FFEA).

The latest accolade for Ultra Music Festival and its Mission: Home program arrives as the 11th recognition for their efforts, alongside notable mentions such as being listed in IQ Magazine’s Green Guardians list this year. The program, which is only in its fifth year, has continued to grow in size and scope, with the most recent edition in March, during the sold-out 25th anniversary of Ultra Miami, executing 61 initiatives.

Since Mission: Home debuted in 2019, the program has educated millions of people, diverted nearly 400,000 pounds of waste, and distributed over 84,000 pounds of resources back to the Miami community. Partners for various initiatives have included Clean Vibes, Renuable, Lady Green Recycling, The Caring Place, Recreate Miami, Leave No Trace, Love the Everglades Movement, and Florida Wood Recycling, among others.

Each year, we see this message come to life in lights on our stages in front of 55,000 attendees and millions watching online. While its importance is obvious, the fact that it exists at all speaks volumes, as the power of Ultra’s platform sets an example not only for the entire music festival industry, but for our audiences across the globe.
Vivian Belzaguy Hunter, Sustainability Director, Ultra Music Festival

Community engagement and education also remain at the forefront for Mission: Home. The Ultra team has joined forces with a range of student volunteers and local and regional partners to create actionable steps and empower future leaders. This year saw further expansion, with a survey sent to ticketholders to gather audience perspectives on sustainability from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the launch of the first-ever Bayfront Bark pet adoption event. The Eco Village, an on-site installation at the festival, also offered educational activations and information about the initiatives.

As the Mission: Home program continues to gain momentum, it shows how dedicated Ultra is to stewarding future generations. The festival’s team is preparing for what’s to come in 2026, so stay tuned for more updates on how you can participate in giving back to the environment and local community.