Massive Miami electronic-music fest up in air on virus concerns

PLANS FOR the Ultra Music Festival, one of the world’s biggest electronic-music events, were in flux Wednesday after Miami Mayor Francis Suarez met with the organizers over mounting coronavirus concerns.

Speaking after the meeting, Suarez promised an announcement on Friday.

“I would say there’s resolution, but there’s some loose ends that need to be tightened,” Suarez told reporters in Miami.

The three-day event, set to begin on March 20, drew 170,000 attendees from 105 countries last year. Founded in 1999, it’s scheduled to be held at Miami’s downtown Bayfront Park with a lineup that includes Flume, Martin Garrix, and Zedd.

Carlos Gimenez, the mayor of Miami-Dade County — which includes the city of Miami — tweeted Wednesday after Suarez’s remarks that nothing had changed thus far.

The multibillion-dollar concert business is already feeling the impact of the coronavirus. Acts such as BTS, Avril Lavigne, and the National have all canceled shows, but few of the summer’s biggest festivals have announced changes to their schedules. Coachella, one of the largest music festivals in North America, is still scheduled for two weekends in April.

The fallout will be temporary, according to Michael Rapino, chief executive officer of concert promoter Live Nation Entertainment Inc. “The show is not going away,” he said on an investor call on Feb. 27, speaking of concerts in general.

Some users on Twitter wondered what they’d do with their hotel reservations and tickets if the Ultra Music Festival ends up being canceled.

“Cancel all you want,” goes one Tweet by joel massey (@joeldmassey). “Thousands will be there in Miami unless Miami plans to refund our flight and hotel. Instead of being in bay park I’ll now get to explore all Miami has to offer. See you all in 16 days.” — Bloomberg