Ultra Music Festival presented its sold-out 23rd edition last March at downtown Miami’s famed Bayfront Park.
Ultra Music Festival welcomed thousands of attendees from over 100 countries and showcased world-class production with a diverse variety of electronic music acts, including Swedish House Mafia, Marshmello, Carl Cox, Martin Garrix, Eric Prydz Presents HOLO, Zedd, Subtronics, Oliver Heldens, and many more.
Fans can experience the magic of Ultra Music Festival 2023 with the official aftermovie ‘ULTRA: VICE CITY.‘
Inspired by immersive, third-person role-playing experiences, ‘ULTRA: VICE CITY’ follows the exploits of an intrepid protagonist as he navigates Miami and the festival, combining an action-packed visual story with heart-pumping montages of artists and visitors alike.
‘ULTRA: VICE CITY’: Ultra Music Festival 2023 aftermovie
The film begins with a series of stunning Downtown Miami images closing in on the festival grounds, revealing a swarm of ecstatic revelers racing to get their weekend started. Among these festival-goers is the film’s protagonist (called Nick), who is centered in front of the camera from a third-person perspective and flanked in the corners of the screen by a circular map, money counter, and GA ticket graphic.
The film transitions into a cinematic cut-scene when Nick answers a phone call, revealing the aftermovie’s fundamental narrative: before Nick can enjoy his time at the festival, he must accomplish a series of missions to aid Ultra Music Festival2023 musicians.
ULTRA: VICE CITY first mission
His first assignment is to retrieve and bring Dutch house DJ Fedde Le Grand’s USB from his studio before his Main Stage appearance. Nick then rides a scooter through Downtown Miami and Wynwood until arriving at a digitally produced, illuminated marker that depicts the studio’s location. After stealing a car and zigzagging through Wynwood, Nick hands over the USB to Fedde, at which point “Mission Passed” flashes brightly in the center of the screen.
The film then seamlessly transitions into the festival grounds, cutting between acts such as Fedde Le Grand, Claude VonStroke, Nicky Romero, Dom Dollab2bVintage Culture, Timmy Trumpet, Deorro, Becky Hill, Franky Wah, Kasablanca, Sub Zero Project, and Anfisa Letyago.
Next mission
Heldeep label boss Oliver Heldens is landing in Biscayne Bay by plane, and Nick needs to fetch him up for his Main Stage b2b set with Tchami. A seaplane carrying Oliver Heldens lands in the ocean; Nick jumps in and commandeers a jetski to usher Heldens into the festival – Mission Completed.
Before the film turns to footage of Armin Van Buuren, Charlotte de Witte, the ULTRA Angels dance team, and HI-LO (Oliver Heldens) b2b Testpilot (deadmau5), we witness Heldens and Tchami begin their set.
Festival stages
‘ULTRA: VICE CITY’ then introduces its newest twist: a wheel that appears on the screen and displays the names of each festival stage. The wheel then rotates through the various stage titles, taking the spectator to each stage as it revolves. When the wheel falls on the UMF Radio Stage, we are greeted with thunderous hardstyle blast beats accompanied by shots of famed Dutch hardstyle duo Sub Zero Project.
The wheel then transports us to the Worldwide Stage, where we watch a montage of Ultranauts rocking out to bass performers including ISOxo, Moore Kismet, and YOOKiE.
The video brings us to the early evening after Nick quickly changes into trademark Ocean Drive garb. With a gorgeous sunset encompassing the Downtown Miami skyline, we watch snippets of Stephan Bodzin, Afrojack, and Tisto commanding several stages, to the accompaniment of Tisto’s “Lay Low.”
The camera then returns to Nick, who is seen entering a cheat code that summons an Oldsmobile 442 – a muscle car owned by none other than British techno icon Carl Cox. Nick is tasked with delivering the veteran Ultra flagbearer’s automobile to Miami Beach’s M2 nightclub, where Cox was headlining one of the first nights of the premiere RESISTANCE Miami US Club Residency.
