Miami commissioners unanimously voted down a contract to keep Ultra Music Festival in Bayfront Park, the city’s downtown park that’s been home to the festival for years.
In a surprise move, the Miami City Commission on Thursday unanimously voted down a contract for Ultra Music Festival to stay in Bayfront Park. Downtown residents who oppose the festival left City Hall smiling and high-fiving each other.
The vote could mean that Ultra won’t return to the downtown park in 2019, though after the vote, festival organizers said they hope to salvage a concert at Bayfront Park in March.
A contract could come back later if an agreement could be worked out. Ultra could also negotiate with another venue, such as Hard Rock Stadium, where the Rolling Loud music festival moved after it ran into the same opposition from downtown residents.
People who live near the waterfront park are the main opposition to holding music festivals downtown because of the noise and traffic they bring and because Bayfront Park may be closed to the public for weeks before and after the festival.
City commissioner Joe Carollo, who heads Bayfront Trust, which operates the park, had negotiated an agreement with representatives of Ultra and neighbors. But when it came up for a vote, Carollo said he could not support it, sparking a furor on the commission.
By the end of contentious debate, all five commissioners opposed the contract. Afterward, residents said they didn’t think it was likely Ultra could offer terms that neighbors could support. Ultra representatives were more optimistic, though it was clear they would have to work closely with neighbors to please them before offering another contract.
It’s unclear if that can happen fast enough for Ultra Music Festival to be staged in Bayfront Park in March.
