- The Washington Times - Friday, March 6, 2020

Miami city officials said Friday that the annual Ultra Music Festival scheduled for later this month has been postponed due to the ongoing deadly coronavirus outbreak.

Originally set to take place March 20-22, the event had been expected to bring electronic music fans from around the world to Florida for performances from more than 100 artists.

But following discussions with festival organizers, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said during a morning press conference that the event will be pushed back until likely next year.

“We have decided to postpone Ultra Music Festival,” announced Mr. Suarez, a Republican.

Miami has also decided not to approve an events permit for the annual Calle Ocho festival scheduled to take place in the city’s Little Havana district March 15, they mayor added.

“We are emphasizing the public that this decision is not a cause for alarm or panic, but rather that we are doing it in an abundance of caution,” explained Mr. Suarez.

More than 100,000 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed across dozens of countries since the infectious respiratory disease was discovered late last year in Wuhan, China, including over 200 instances reported in the U.S. in recent weeks.

Held annually in Miami since 1999, last year’s Ultra festival was attended by 170,000 people from more than 105 countries, according to the event’s website.

In an official noted posted to site Friday, Ultra organizers said the city of Miami has issued an official directive effectively postponing the festival until March 2021.

“We completely understand how extremely frustrating this is because so many of you are looking forward to coming to Ultra, having already made travel arrangements,” reads the notice. “This is, however, an unprecedented issue which is not being taken lightly, and we must continue to defer to the authorities for guidance. Ultimately, there is no higher priority for us than the health, safety and physical well-being of each of you, together with everyone else involved in the production of the event.”

Mr. Suarez said the decision to postpone both the Ultra and Calle Ocho festivals was rooted in recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concerning mass gatherings, which the CDC defines as events attended by 25,000 people or more.

“With this in mind, we have chosen to take a pointed, preventive action in the best interest of our residents’ health and wellbeing,” the mayor said.

Ticket holders who planned to attend this year’s Ultra Music Festival will be contacted Monday regarding next step, organizers said on the event’s website.
Four cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in Florida as of Friday afternoon.

• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.

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