MIAMI – City of Miami leaders held a news conference Friday morning, where Mayor Francis Suarez confirmed that both the Ultra Music Festival and Calle Ocho have been postponed amid the latest developments regarding the coronavirus.
“They have a number of logistical complications with those decisions that may make postponement difficult for this year, so we will be working with them on mitigating factors for the impact for those events going forward,” Suarez said.
The president of the Kiwanis Club of Little Havana told Local 10 News reporter Ian Margol that he’s unsure at this time whether they will be able to hold the Calle Ocho event this year.
UMF organizers, meanwhile, released a statement shortly after the announcement, saying the Miami event will not happen this year, but will now be held March 26, 27 and 28 of 2021.
Here is @ultra’s response they posted on Facebook: #coronavirus #COVID19 #Ultra2020 pic.twitter.com/37eLVkcsLR
— Ian Margol (@IanMargolWPLG) March 6, 2020
“All ticket purchasers will be contacted by email on Monday regarding next steps,” the statement read.
Earlier this week, city officials confirmed they were negotiating a new deal with UMF organizers to postpone the March festival at Bayfront Park.
Suarez and Commissioner Joe Carollo talked to UMF organizers on Wednesday, asking them to postpone the electronic dance music festival, which attracted about 170,000 fans last year.
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This year, organizers were expecting EDM fans from more than 100 countries to invade the park March 20-22.
“We are not saying canceling,” Carollo said during a news conference before the meeting. “We are saying suspending.”
UMF organizers also decided to cancel this week’s annual Abu Dhabi event. The decisions will also be affecting EDM music stars David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Marshmello, The Chainsmokers and many more.