Exploring the Vibrant World of Miami Music Week 2026

MIAMI—From March 24-29, the heartbeat of the Magic City boomed at more than 200 EDM events across the destination’s footprint during Miami Music Week (MMW). The annual gathering, which originated in 1985 with the launch of Winter Music Conference (WMC), now brings hundreds of thousands of fans, DJs, industry movers and shakers, and creatives to Miami each year, who attend WMC, Ultra Music Festival, and a slew of satellite programming that includes pool parties, record label club takeovers, yacht events, pop-ups citywide, and much more.

The Club Space Effect

Club Space, which opened in 2000, underwent an ownership change in 2016 and a refresh in 2024, and was at the epicenter of the action. The footprint included six days of nonstop programming—including two two-day EDM marathons (an opener and a closer), a first-time merch pop-up, and a historic first-time off-site production in Hialeah. 

From Tuesday to Wednesday, Club Space collabrated with John Summit’s record label Experts Only to curate a 21-hour Miami Music Week marathon kickoff, which spanned not only Club Space, but the building’s sister venues, Floyd and The Ground, offering three stages for the 20-plus DJ lineup, including John Summit (with surprise guest Armin van Buuren), Max Styler, SG Lewis (b2b John Summit), DJ Tennis, Hot Since 82, and others.

“We love working with John and his team and everyone involved, and anytime we have the opportunity to collaborate with them, we want to make the most out of it,” shares David Sinopoli, operating partner at Club Space. Even the illuminated Club Space signage behind the Terrace’s DJ booth featured a collaborative logo featuring Experts Only. 

The same day, Club Space opened a pop-up merch shop featuring an MMW collection and some Experts Only items. Plus, the building-wide activation featured a Munchietown foodie pop-up in The Ground with upscale bites curated by DJ Tennis (part of the Experts Only label). “Kicking off Miami Music Week with Experts Only brought the perfect energy to start the week, and launching the pop-up store alongside it felt like a natural extension,” shares Sinopoli. 

^{Franky Rizardo and Ilario Alicante teamed up at the “30+ Hour MMW Closing Party 2026.” Photo: Courtesy of Club Space}

And down the street, fans could further fuel up when exiting the Experts Only dance marathon on Wednesday at Eleventh Street Pizza with limited-edition “The White Rabbit” pizza pies, yet another extension of Club Space’s footprint. On Saturday, to close out the offering, there was a Dough & Beats party with OBXSSD, MrCozy, and Tropez on the decks while guests danced and savored slices. 

Club Space’s schedule forged onward with Hugel’s “Make The Girls Dance” party on Wednesday night; Cloonee Presents “Hellbent” on Thursday night; “Solid Grooves” with PAWSA, Peggy Gou, and others on Friday night; Marco Carola Presents “Music On” on Saturday night; and the epic “30+ Hour MMW Closing Party 2026,” which ran from Sunday into Monday. 

“Marathon takeovers are the best way to showcase the full potential of the venue, and we wanted to kick off the week and close it to provide a true sense of the full experience for locals and tourists alike,” shares Matt Teper, vice president of business development at Insomniac Events, on behalf of Club Space. 

^{Outside of its six-day on-site MMW program, the Club Space team also produced “Black Coffee at the Racetrack,” a first-time event held on Saturday night. Photo: Courtesy of Club Space}

Outside of its downtown Miami quarters, Sinopoli and his team also produced a first-time event, “Black Coffee at the Racetrack,” at the historic Hialeah Park Casino and racetrack, which brought a massive crowd to see the South African headliner, along with support from Carlita and Kaz James. 

“We are always looking for unique and meaningful venues to collaborate with artists, and artists themselves are constantly seeking special settings to bring their vision to life,” explains Sinopoli. “Our goal is to identify spaces that feel distinctive while still allowing them to connect with their core audience. The decision to host the first-ever MMW Black Coffee event at Hialeah Racetrack was rooted in that approach, finding a venue with character, history, and scale that could elevate the experience.” 

Winter Music Conference’s EPIC Hotel Takeover

While the Club Space kickoff party was in full swing, Winter Music Conference began its three-day takeover at Kimpton EPIC Hotel just a few blocks away, from March 24-26. The longstanding conference, which formerly operated at several venues throughout Miami over its first 34 years, took a hiatus in 2020 (due to the pandemic) and returned to the scene in 2025. 

This year, the WMC team decided the hotel takeover concept was the most turnkey way to host the conference, which brought around 1,000 EDM industry-driven attendees. The conference mainly took place on the 14th floor (conference level) to host panels, workshops, speakers, gear demos, and a pop-up lounge, along with the 16th floor rooftop pool reserved for the Beatport Live pool party series, with rotating record labels at the helm—Mood Child on Tuesday, Rekids on Wednesday, and Hot Creations x TSZR on Thursday.

^{The “High Priestess of Hard Techno,” Sara Landry joined a conversation with Beatport CEO Robb McDaniels to talk tech, the growth of techno, and the state of the industry on Thursday. Photo: Vivi Cuberos}

“Beyond location, EPIC brings together the kind of amenities that are essential for a conference of this scale, including expansive and flexible meeting space, our rooftop pool deck, and an experienced conference services team that specializes in producing efficient, high-impact large-scale events,” said Ericka Nelson, director of operations at Kimpton EPIC Hotel Miami.

Panel guests included renowned DJs and producers like Sara Landry and Armin van Buuren, WMC founder DJ Bill Kelly, along with representatives from Apple Music, Pandora, Ultra Music Festival, and Warner Music Group, among many others, and topics ranged from AI and ethics to sustainability. In addition, companies like TikTok hosted immersive workshops, and brands like L-Acoustics, AlphaTheta, djay Pro, Austrian Audio, DPA Microphones, IK Multimedia, Moises AI, Telepathic Instruments, and Union Audio offered hands-on demos in the Gear Exhibition Room. On Thursday night, the International Dance Music Awards 2026 closed out the conference. 

“While EPIC’s primary focus this year was hosting Winter Music Conference, being involved in Miami Music Week is important to EPIC, because it’s a celebration that’s deeply tied to Miami’s identity,” adds Nelson. “EPIC has always embraced the energy of MMW and the opportunity to be part of the broader creative community that brings the city to life each year.”

^{Ultra 2026 brought a sold-out crowd of 165,000 attendees from 100 countries to see more than 150 artists over three days, from March 27-29. Photo: Courtesy of Ultra Music Festival}

Ultra’s Impact 

In its 26th installment, the sold-out, three-day iconic Ultra Music Festival, which returned to Bayfront Park in downtown Miami’s core, brought 165,000 attendees from 100 countries in the name of EDM culture to kick off U.S. musical festival season. 

Top acts included John Summit, ZHU, Afrojack, DJ Snake, Armin van Buuren, Steve Aoki (30 Years of Dim Mak), Eric Prydz—who also joined the surprise headlining Swedish House Mafia reunion set—Hardwell, Carl Cox, Bloody Beetroots, Major Lazer, Sasha and John Digweed, and Alesso b2b Martin Garrix, alongside the RESISTANCE 10th Anniversary World Tour. Plus, there were world-exclusive sets, including Amelie Lens b2b Sara Landry, the U.S. debut of Adam Beyer b2b Joseph Capriati, and Sebastian Ingrosso b2b Steve Angello. 

New acts that left their mark included WORSHIP, DJ BZRP, Marlon Hoffstadt, Wankdat (Wooli & Crankdat), Brutalismus 3000, Snow Strippers, and HALŌ. Live music experiences from Boys Noize, Madeon’s “Victory” Live show, Black Tiger Sex Machine Presents “Connected Fighters,” Levity Presents “Lasership,” and Of the Trees helped round out the mega lineup of more than 150 acts. 

^{For the first time, John Summit headlined and closed out the Ultra Main Stage on Sunday night, just blocks from his Downtown Miami home. It was a full-circle finale for the DJ following his marathon opening party on Tuesday and Wednesday. Summit played a diverse catalog of hits, remixes, and several new tracks from his new album CTRL ESCAPE out April 15. Photo: Courtesy of Ultra Music Festival}

But outside of its fully loaded EDM roster, Ultra had another all-star headliner this year: sustainability. In its sixth year, Ultra was extra dedicated to “Mission: Home,” which expanded its initiative to 65 causes for environmental impact reduction, local community support, and the engagement of more meaningful fan interaction with the festival. But the most historic sustainability was arming the RESISTANCE Cove stage with battery power for the first time, which avoided transmitting nearly 19,000 pounds of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. 

According to CBS News, Ultra generated more than $207 million dollars in economic impact in 2024—up from $79 million according to a 2012 WEG impact report. So it was a fitting honor when Miami-Dade County declared March 28 as Ultra Music Festival Day, which included a ceremony with county commissioner Vicky L. Lopez presiding, where she noted the festival’s continued commitment to sustainability, innovation, and community impact. Lopez also recognized Ultra for fostering Miami’s progress locally and on the global stage. 

Keep scrolling to see more top moments and creative activations that contributed to a resounding Miami Music Week…

^{On Saturday, world-renowned Swedish House Mafia reunited at the Ultra main stage to close out Night 2. The trio invited Eric Prydz, along with special guests including MPH, Boys Noize, Kelly Lee Owens, Afrojack, and Armand Van Helden, and a tribute to the late former Ultra alumnus Avicii. Photo: Courtesy of Ultra Music Festival}

^{Zhu headlined the Live Stage to close out Ultra Sunday night. He was surrounded by a ring of mannequins and invited an artist on stage to paint them live. Photo: Courtesy of Ultra Music Festival}

^{Red Bull returned as the official energy drink of Ultra Music Festival. The two-story main stage bar featured a VIP viewing deck on top and a fully stocked bar on the ground floor that illuminated at night. Photo: Courtesy of Red Bull}

^{Another Red Bull bar was housed in a shipping container and featured electronic menus. Photo: Courtesy of Red Bull}

^{The Booksy app hosted the “Ugly Salon” pop-up at Savanna Marie Salon in Miami on Saturday, featuring a “hair-mergency” salon experience to prepare festival-goers for Ultra, which} Rose Gold Collective ^{brought to life. Photo: Juan Peña}

^{The two-phase experience first included the “hair despair” zone, where attendees surrendered to “Ugly Salon” specialists, followed by “Booksy hair repair” helmed by a beauty rescue squad of master stylists and Booksy ambassadors. The experiential event was intended to remind participants that when life or DIY haircuts go awry, the Booksy platform is there to rescue them from the chaos. Photo: Juan Peña}

^{A local DJ spun tunes from a mirrored booth that matched the activation color scheme and signage. Photo: Juan Peña}

^{OOKA’s first charcoal-free, pod-based hookah system, powered by intelligent electronic heating technology, enhanced the vibes throughout the weeklong DJ Mag pool party series at The Sagamore Hotel South Beach. Photo: Courtesy of OOKA}

^{Chicago-based dubstep trio Levity, which headlined the Live Stage at Ultra on Friday, joined forces with The Salty in Wynwood to launch a limited-time special from March 26-29, which featured a playful tie-dye donut layered in pink, yellow, and blue using natural dyes, and finished with dark chocolate glaze and colored sprinkles, paired with a Mocha Latte, which was available hot or iced. Buyers also received a Levity sticker while supplies lasted. Photo: Courtesy of The Salty}

^{At the Winter Music Conference, “The Algorithm Vs. The Curator: Who Breaks Dance Records in 2026” panel on Thursday invited Jeremy Drane (Audiopool cofounder, chairman of the board and chief strategy officer); Ben Harvey (Pandora director, dance and electronic music programming); Oz McGuide (Symphonic Distribution vice president of A&R and business development); Steve Cardigan (Putyouon Music Group founder); Ian Asher (DJ/producer and social media sensation); and Laetitia Berry (Deezer senior global dance editor). Photo: Vivi Cuberos}

^{Telepathic Instruments engaged attendees with its innovative chord-generating synthesizer in the Gear Exhibition Room. Photo: Vivi Cuberos}

^{AlphaTheta hosted an interactive workshop for seasoned and new DJs, which taught them how to creatively loop to dynamic remix effects on the CDJ-3000X & RMX-IGNITE. Photo: Vivi Cuberos}

^{Beatport Live curated a three-day WMC rooftop pool party series on the 16th floor of the Kimpton EPIC Hotel for attendees to enjoy between panels and workshops and into the evening hours. Photo: Vivi Cuberos}