Page 10 - We Rave You Magazine | April 2023
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EDITORIAL > ULTRA MIAMI 2023: THE ULTIMATE START TO THE FESTIVAL SEASON [EVENT REVIEW]







                                                                                                                                                                          DAY ONE

                                                                                                                                                                          Not ones to ramp up the energy at a slow pace, Ultra Miami
                                                                                                                                                                          2023 had the tone set for the rest of the weekend from
                                                                                                                                                                          the second that the gates opened to eager partygoers.
                                                                                                                                                                          With the electrifying atmosphere already set from the
                                                                                                                                                                          first glimpse of the stage build and the iconic view which
                                                                                                                                                                          surrounds them of Downtown Miami, it’s hard not to get
                                                                                                                                                                          giddy as soon as your feet touch the sacred grounds.


                                                                                                                                                                          Friday had a lot for Ultra-goers to be excited about within all
                                                                                                                                                                          corners of Bayfront Park, with one of the biggest highlights
                                                                                                                                                                          being Eric Prydz. Although he’s given Ultra many show-stop-
                                                                                                                                                                          ping sets over its 23-year history, it was at Ultra 2023
                                                                                                                                                                          where he performed perhaps his biggest set at the festival
                                                                                                                                                                          yet, bringing his famed HOLO concept to the RESISTANCE
                                                                                                                                                                          Megastructure for the first time ever and also kicking off the
                                                                                                                                                                          audiovisual’s 2023 season as the first performance of the
                                                                                                                                                                          year. Speaking of techno, it also had a monumental moment
                                                                                                                                                                          on the mainstage with Charlotte de Witte marking a massive
                                                                                                                                                                          debut on the famed stage, a big moment not only for her
                                                                                                                                                                          but for the genre as a whole. Not only this, the Revealed
                                                                                                                                                                          Recordings stage saw the label boss himself Hardwell take
                                                                                                                                                                          to the stage for a surprise performance, where over on the
                                                                                                                                                                          mainstage Zedd brought out upcoming rapper Ice Spice for
                                                                                                                                                                          a vocal performance of ‘No Clarity,’ which samples his iconic
                                                                                                                                                                          hit ‘Clarity.’ Rounding it all off with an ID-filled closing set
                                                                                                                                                                          from Martin Garrix, and it was safe to say that Ultra 2023 got
                                                                                                                                                                          off to the most explosive start possible.

                                                                                                                                                                          DAY 2
                                                                                                                                                                          Although it might have been hard to top day one, Ultra
                                                                                                                                                                          had no problem in doing this with ease, and on the lineup
                                                                                                                                                                          for Saturday came some of the biggest acts one after
                                                                                                                                                                          each other on the mainstage. Only at a place like Ultra
                                                                                                                                                                          2023 would you find a lineup such as Armin van Buuren,
                                                                                                                                                                          Tiësto, Hardwell and Alesso all following each other, with a
                                                                                                                                                                          closing set by Marshmello who brought out Farruko, Roddy
                                                                                                                                                                          Rich, and GloRilla. Over on the techno side, the RESISTANCE
                                                                                                                                                                          Megastructure also kept the action going, with sets from
                                                                                                                                                                          HI-LO b2b Testpilot (Oliver Heldens and deadmau5),
                                                                                                                                                                          Camelphat, Adam Beyer & Cirez D and the first of two clos-
                                                                                                                                                                          ing sets of the weekend from Carl Cox. It didn’t stop there
                                                                                                                                                                          either, with Kayzo performing his first-ever UNLEASHED XL
                                                                                                                                                                          live show on the Live Stage, and Subtronics making his Ultra
                                                                                                                                                                          debut as the Saturday headliner of the Worldwide Stage.
                                                                                                                                                                          Over on RESISTANCE’s second stage The Cove - a new
                                                                                                                                                                          addition for this year - Joris Voorn presented his very own
                                                                                                                                                                          stage takeover, and speaking of stage takeovers, Afrojack
                                                                                                                                                                          presented Jacked radio which featured an extra special
                                                                                                                                                                          Nick van de Wall throwback set.








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