Overview
- The Ultra Music Festival opened at Bayfront Park with large crowds filling downtown Miami.
- Organizers and the city deployed paid police, undercover units, first aid tents, drones and hundreds of firefighter‑paramedics after 140 people sought help last year and 37 were taken to hospitals.
- Biscayne Boulevard traffic now shifts into opposite lanes near Southeast First Street under a police plan that also faces strain from major events at Kaseya Center and the Arsht Center.
- The Miami‑Dade state attorney activated a QR‑code hotline so attendees can reach an emergency line or report possible human trafficking.
- Organizers cite a $207 million local impact in 2024 and nearly $3 billion over 25 years as neighbors complain about noise and press for input on a 20‑year venue extension that commissioners delayed to next month.