Miami Music Week returns with techno-fueled line ups at events all around the county

Argy, a Greek born, UK-based DJ, traveled to Miami as a teenager to soak in the music giants at the turn of the millennium.

Now two decades later he’s returning to play the 24th edition of Ultra Music Festival as he rolls out a new album, titled “New World,” that he describes as a mix of old-school house music with high-tech sensibilities wrapped around tribalistic vocals.

“I have a history with Miami, just not with Ultra. Ultra’s a first,” Argy says.

Ultra, the three-day electronic music festival that swarms Bayfront Park drawing more than 150,000 attendees between Friday and Sunday, will again act as the anchor to Miami Music Week. But the festivities will kick off Tuesday and run through the wee hours of the following Monday morning – unless you have the stamina to continue the party at Club Space, which will keep the hardest core clubgoers grooving through the following Tuesday.

READ MORE: Heading downtown for Ultra, Miami Heat or ‘Hamilton?’ Expect detours, street shutdowns

Afterlife – the wildly popular globe-trotting techno party famous for its high-arching, avant-garde visuals – returns for two events at Miami Marine Stadium, which is expected to draw 14,000 people per night for pulsating sets between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Headlined by the Italian duo, Tale of Us, rising electronic acts Mathame, Mind Against, Camelphat and Adriatique will serve up an immersively vibrant music experience on the Virginia Key.

Over in Hialeah, Factory Town’s outdoor space, housing five different stages, will host nearly 30 events over the week featuring a variety of music labels and sonic sounds that will last through sunrise. John Summit, Chris Lake, Dom Dolla and Charlotte de Witte will top shows there.

And of course, countless daytime pool parties will dot famed South Beach hotels, sneaking late into the night, with Mau P’s debut pool party at the Surfcomber on Thursday standing out as one of the most desired tickets.

“We’re doing a lot more, in general,” said David Sinopoli, the founder of the III Points festival and co-owner of Club Space, who is programming the Afterlife and Factory Town shows. “Every year it gets better, more organized. Ultra does a really great job keeping the business coming to Miami in March.”

This year’s Ultra headliners include rising live performers like Adriatique, Artbat, Camelphat and Elderbrook in addition to longtime mainstays Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Eric Prydz, Fisher, Chris Lake and Zeds Dead.

Elderbrook, a first-time Ultra headliner, will be debuting a new single with George Fitzgerald, titled “Glad I Found You.”

“I’ll be singing for this one. When it’s a live show, I’ve got to keep it – not too much booze before, otherwise it messes with my voice,” he confessed.

But Ultra’s shows that begin in the late afternoon act as a tremendous draw for loyal fan bases and electronic music hounds seeking something new.

This includes Argy, who often tours under the Afterlife umbrella, but will welcome a broader audience at Ultra. Those who venture to “The Cove” stage on Friday can expect to hear his hit track “Aria,” and new drops like “Faust.”

“Afterlife helped with the survival of the electronic techno underground sound,” Argy says. “It probably gave it another five good years of life.”

Techno is the genre Sinopoli sees as driving this year’s music week, from the stages at Ultra to the late night clubs.

“Hard techno is coming back strong, especially with the younger generation of customers and clients,” Sinopoli said, referencing the growth of the Afterlife show. “It’s very epic, it’s very big. The visuals that come with the Afterlife show make this more than just music.”

For music lovers looking for a more soulful compilation of deep house music that gradually progresses over a long afternoon and into the evening, there’s Anjunadeep Open Air Miami, set at the Oasis in the city’s Wynwood art district.

The England born Tom Marshall, known onstage as “Marsh,” will play a 90-minute set going back-to-back with Sasha, a Welsh producer.

“Anjunadeep always brings a very welcoming crowd. Easy to meet new people and is a safe place to enjoy good music. The music sort of attracts those sort of people. It doesn’t attract maybe the same crowd as dubstep, or something more aggressive,” said Marsh, who said he tours Miami more than any other city in the U.S.

At Oasis, he’ll roll out a new single, called “Warrior,” a progressive track with a trance-infused melody. The song is a tribute to a friend diagnosed with leukemia, with proceeds from its streaming success going toward a cancer charity in the UK.

But by Saturday, even the performers know that the audience can be running on fumes.

“The last time I was at Miami Music Week, they were a bit exhausted probably. Beaten up by the sun, being outside for the day, end of a long week of partying every day and going hard. People just didn’t really have much energy left,” Marsh said.

Which leads to smart advice from veteran Music Week players: Pace yourself. Take breaks. Remember to eat and sleep. Bring earbuds if you plan on gravitating close to stages. And always stay hydrated and aware.

“Be very careful with phone theft at major events,” Sinopoli warns. “And be nice to the people working. People work their ass off on that week, long hours, driving to make that party great for you.”

For the most complete list of Miami Music Week events, visit https://miamimusicweek.com.

This story was originally published March 19, 2024 at 4:30 AM.