Entertainment

Ultra Music Festival is this weekend — Here’s a history lesson

The world’s biggest EDM party hits Miami this weekend for the 18th time.

Ultra Music Festival, which runs March 18-20, will feature veteran acts Afrojack, Avicii, Carl Cox and Deadmau5.

The festival, which started as a satellite event during Winter Music Conference, has become a destination for music fans from all over the world.

From its humble beginnings as an 11-hour rave on the beach in 1999 to its massive 2013 double weekend, Ultra is chock-full of great stories.

Like, remember the time Miami’s mayor tried to shut down Ultra in 2003? (The reason: drugs.) What about the time a Miami commissioner tried to shut it down in 2014? (The reason: drugs again.)

Before you grab your glowsticks and bikini top, respect the ravers who came before you by taking a moment to reflect on just how far Ultra’s come with this festival timeline.

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This story was originally published March 17, 2016 at 12:47 PM with the headline "Ultra Music Festival is this weekend — Here’s a history lesson ."

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