The Ultra Music Festival has concluded a record-breaking tour of Asia with an impressive six events in ten days from September 10-19, running shows simultaneously in Manila, Hong Kong and Tokyo at one point, with Singapore, Taiwan and Bali also hosting shows.Begun in Miami back in 1999, the electronic music festival has grown in to a worldwide phenomenon, with an estimated 120,000 attending the Japan edition alone this year. Ultra claims that some 350,000 revelers came to the events across Asia this year.Named after the Depeche Mode album of 1997, Ultra has maintained its base in Miami, expanding to an annual event of three days with seven stages. At Tokyo’s bay-front Ultra Park, just two stages sufficed, and despite near constant rain, the event was packed with EDM fans dressed in alternative clothes. With few competitors of this size in the country, Ultra has become an instant hit in Japan, leading to the Ultra brand’s most successful month ever during September.The Asia tour began with a fifth edition in Korea in June, and a smaller “Road To ULTRA” event in Thailand that same month. That same taster event was held in Singapore last year, laying the groundwork for a full two-day edition this year, a success described by Billboard as “a world-class dance music festival, show[ing] the growth of the indigenous electronic scene and the music industry.”More groundwork was laid in Taiwan with the “Road To ULTRA Taiwan” event held September 11, followed by ULTRA Beach Bali, where artists Jauz, Afrojack, deadmau5 and Marshmello all performed. Hong Kong and Manila then held editions, before the three-day finale in Japan, an event that almost matched the Miami edition in attendance. With a towering statue of anime character Gundam overlooking the entrance, guests flowed in wearing Technicolor EDM fashion rarely seen in the country. The Japanese love of dressing up was in full view even when the raincoats came out.The main stage, designed like a large set of stereo speakers pulsed to the sounds of Hardwell, deadmau5 and Martin Garrix, while the Resistance Stage showcased Japanese DJs Shinichi Osawa, Ken Ishii and Takkyu Ishino. Monday’s final day saw a real buzz in the audience for the live show of Nero, with vocalist Alana Watson enthralling the crowd.The biggest cheers came for Dutch mega-DJ Tiesto, in Japan for the first time in 8 years. Playing tracks from “Old Tiesto” and “New Tiesto” he showed his expertise in controlling and building up vibrancy in the crowd, so much so that when the curfew of 9pm came to finish the show, he was literally cut off mid-track by organizers as the audience cheered for more.Commenting on the growth of the festival in Asia, Ultra Worldwide CEO Russell Faibisch said, “there is an immense satisfaction in witnessing hundreds of thousands of fans on the other side of the world immersing themselves and enjoying what we do.”
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