Heading downtown for Ultra, Miami Heat or ‘Hamilton?’ Expect detours, street shutdowns
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Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash hit musical “Hamilton” vs. dozens of DJs including Armin Van Buuren at Ultra?
Hundreds of thousands will know what that throbbing, pulsating sound is for three days this weekend that’s booming for blocks from downtown Miami’s Biscayne Boulevard. These masses seek the source of that sound Friday through Sunday and to absorb the grooves and flashing lights.
But for the many others stuck in traffic gridlock who may be in the area for a show at the Arsht, like “Hamilton,” or two Miami Heat home games Friday and Sunday at the Kaseya Center or who just are passing through may grumble and think of another old song while idling and fuming.
“... Stop! Hey, what’s that sound? Everybody look, what’s going down?”
This is what’s going down.
The Ultra Music Festival, three days of electronic music spun by the world’s top DJs. Theater and basketball games along the same street. This means a lot of traffic.
“March in Miami means one thing: Ultra Music Festival is back. It has never been easier to get to and from the festival, with plenty of transportation options including public transportation, rail, the Freebee downtown circulator, ride sharing and even parking if you choose to drive,” an optimistic Kim Hills told the Miami Herald in a statement. She’s the head of marketing and communications for the Miami Downtown Development Authority.
Hopefully, this guide will make the “easier” comment ring true. Or keep you away just for a few days if you aren’t going to any of these big happenings this weekend in downtown Miami.
When is Ultra in Miami?
The general details for the 2024 Ultra Music Festival:
When: The Ultra Music Festival runs Friday-Sunday, March 22-24, at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami. The majority of Bayfront Park will be closed until Monday, except the children’s park and dog park will stay open.
▪ Friday: Gates open at 4 p.m. until midnight.
▪ Saturday: Gates open at noon until midnight.
▪ Sunday: Gates open at noon until 10 p.m.
MORE: Miami Music Week returns with techno-fueled line ups at events all around the county
AfterLife Rickenbacker traffic
Ultra isn’t only about the main event at Bayfront. There are many other electronica events as a part of Miami Music Week.
▪ AfterLife Music Festival is one of these events on Thursday and Friday nights, March 20-21, on the open lot of the old Miami Marine Stadium as you head toward Key Biscayne. AfterLife is expected to draw 15,000 people each night and will create intermittent traffic delays between 9 p.m.-3 a.m. Thursday night to Friday morning and Friday night to Saturday morning on the Rickenbacker Causeway and surrounding areas, according to Miami police.
Gates open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday and Friday. Peak arrivals are 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. each night and peak departures are 1:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. each night
Road closures
The road closures and detours will begin about 9 p.m. Thursday to prepare and continue until about 7 a.m. Monday, when barriers should be removed, according to the Miami Police Department.
▪ Biscayne Boulevard northbound traffic will be re-routed to the southbound lanes at Southeast First Street and return to the normal traffic flow at Northeast Fourth Street.
▪ Biscayne Boulevard southbound traffic will be re-routed westbound at Northeast Sixth Street and detoured to Northeast Second Avenue and/or North Miami Avenue. There will be no southbound traffic on Biscayne Boulevard from Northeast Sixth Street.
▪ Access to PortMiami will always remain open on Northeast Fifth Street. Police recommend that drivers use the Port of Miami Tunnel, which can be accessed from I-395.
Public transportation
▪ Metromover and Metrorail are expecting 200,000 riders throughout the weekend. Service on Friday, March 22, and Saturday, March 23, will run until 2 a.m. the following morning and on Sunday, March 24 until midnight.
Parking at any Metrorail garage or surface lot is $4.50 for the day and remains open into the following day given the long hours of Ultra.
Cost and where to disembark: Metrorail is $2.25 for a one-way trip or $5.65 for a one-day pass to the Government Center station. From there, transfer to Metromover’s Inner Loop (free) and disembark at the College/Bayside, First Street or Bayfront Park Metromover station.
▪ Tri-Rail and Brightline will also be running on extended hours.
— Final Brightline late-night trains from MiamiCentral Station depart at 1 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings and 11 p.m. on Sunday night.
— Tri-Rail special late-night trains depart from the MiamiCentral Station around 1 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings and 11 p.m. on Sunday night.
▪ Rideshares like Uber and Lyft. There will be a rideshare geo-fence for drop off on East First Avenue, but will allow people to be picked up as far east as East Second Avenue.
▪ Freebee downtown circulator will be running a special route during the Ultra weekend:
— Friday: 7:30 a.m.- 11:30 p.m.
— Saturday: 10 a.m.- 11:30 p.m.
— Sunday: 10 a.m. -9 p.m.
Parking
All Miami Parking Authority parking garages will be open.
▪ The College Station garage at 190 Northeast Third Street has about 600 spaces. Parking is a $30 flat rate all day, no in and out.
▪ Lot 92 at 233 Northeast Fifth Street — the Miami Dade College lot — has 225 spaces. Parking is also $30 flat rate all day, no in and out. Lot 92 is across the street from Ultra’s stages.
Safety Walk
Feel uneasy walking alone during Ultra? Miami’s Downtown Development Authority has extended its hours for its Safety Walk program. DDA’s ambassadors in bright orange will offer free safety walks between noon and 2 a.m. from Friday through Sunday, March 22-24. Call 305-415-3896 to request accompaniment by a DDA ambassador.
Miami Heat games
Ultra has competition in the same downtown Miami neighborhood.
There are two at-home Miami Heat games scheduled at nearby Kaseya Center on Biscayne Boulevard.
▪ 8 p.m. Friday: the Heat vs. New Orleans Pelicans.
▪ 6 p.m. Sunday: the Heat vs. Cleveland Cavaliers.
Arsht Center events
The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts is far from dark during Ultra. For one, “Hamilton” is in the house.
▪ Parking: “Our No. 1 tip for guests coming to the Arsht Center is to secure their parking in advance,” said spokeswoman Suzette Espinosa Fuentes.
An official Arsht Center lot is $10-$25 and you can pre-pay up to two hours ahead of the performance. Parking information is at arshtcenter.org/parking. Valet may also be purchased ahead of time, no less than 24 hours ahead of showtime, she said.
▪ Arrive early: Espinosa encourages guests to arrive early to the area. Lobbies at the Arsht open 90 minutes before each show, including concessions and the Accent Café in the Carnival Tower.
▪ Events during Ultra weekend at the Arsht’s concert hall and opera house:
— Grupo Niche, 8:30 p.m. Friday.
— “Cabaret.” The musical has performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
— “Hamilton.” The musical has performances at 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday and also a 2 p.m. Saturday matinee and a 1 p.m. Sunday matinee and an additional 7 p.m. evening show.
— Family Fest/Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Let Freedom Swing at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Information and Ultra 25
Ultra will also have a community hotline for any questions regarding the event at 786-767-7272. The line is open now and is available beyond the event through April 2. Also visit https://ultramusicfestival.com
When is the next Ultra? Ultra 2024 is sold out. The 25th anniversary edition is March 28-30, 2025, in downtown Miami.
