For the first time in its fifteen year history, Ultra Music Festival is invoking a minimum age of attendance to its flagship festival in Miami. The introduction of an 18 and over only rule comes in the wake of efforts to shut down the festival entirely due to a number of escalating incidents in years past, coming to a head at the latest festival.
Miami mayor Tomas Regalado and city commissioner Marc Sarnoff filed a motion to ban the festival from the city, though the motion was overridden by the city council. The 2014 festival saw security guard trampled by a stampede of ticketless fans that left her suffering a severe brain hemorrhage, 76 arrests (28 felonies), 118 people treated by paramedics, and one death by suspected overdose. The show will go on in 2015 despite efforts to shut it down, probably in large part due to the over 40 million the event brings in tourist revenue for the city. Changes to the 2015 festival will include the use of police rather than private security firms, a new helpline, a zero tolerance policy for drug use, and now the age restriction.
In an official statement made today, Ultra Music Festival organizers explained, ” While we sincerely value the incredible ongoing support from our younger fans, we ultimately believe that Ultra Music Festival is a premium event geared towards adults. This decision has been made to reinforce and promote the safety of all Ultra Music Festival fans and to ensure the overall enjoyment of all future attendees. We are extremely grateful for all the support we have received from our younger fan base to date and we encourage them to attend the festival once they reach the appropriate age. Until then, our free YouTube stream ‘ULTRA LIVE’ is available worldwide for everyone, all ages to enjoy and to share in the Ultra experience.”
Newly hired Ultra music Festival Security Director and former Miami Beach Police Chief Ray Martinez expressed optimism towards the decision, “The first step to having fun is feeling safe… We have chosen to adopt several new measures during next year’s festival to ensure our event is safe and secure. The first step to preserving the unique atmosphere that Ultra is famous for is to be proactive in attracting the right crowd.”
Only time will tell if the the readjustments can help prevent the escalation of violent and/or illegal incidents, though the world famous rave does come with an indelible promise of mischief. Let’s hope 2015 won’t be as deadly as years past, surely not for anyone under the age of 18.
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