Carl Cox, a bastion of Miami’s iconic Ultra, is unveiling a “never-before-seen” live show at next year’s festival, its organizers announced today.
The techno legend, who remains a lynchpin of Ultra’s storied RESISTANCE MegaStructure, did not appear in 2024 after performing at the festival a staggering 19 times since its launch back in 1999. But he’s now returning and meeting the moment by debuting a brand-new show, “Evolution.”
The venture marks Cox’s “first-ever fully live Ultra set,” according to a press release. “Evolution” mirrors the improvised brilliance of 2022’s Electronic Generations album, which Cox at the time called his first-ever body of work as a live artist in an intimate interview with EDM.com.
“For the first time ever, I’ll be performing my new show ‘Evolution,’ which is a full live set, at Ultra Music in Miami this March,” Cox said in a statement. “This means I’ll be playing my music live on stage, using a combination of hardware and software to create and manipulate sounds in real-time. Unlike a DJ set with pre-recorded tracks, or my hybrid set that combines elements of live performance and DJing, I’ll be crafting and evolving the music live, adding an extra layer of spontaneity and energy to the performance.”
The ambitious show will serve as the closing set of Ultra’s inaugural “Carl Cox Invites” stage takeover. Richie Hawtin, Adam Beyer, Stephan Bodzin and Dubfire are also poised to perform, among other influential techno artists.
“This is something I’ve been planning for a long time, and I couldn’t be more excited to bring it to life,” Cox continues. “I promised you all something special in honor of their 25th anniversary, and this is it!”
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Ultra’s organizers are celebrating the totemic EDM festival’s 25th anniversary in 2025. Cox is joined on the bill by fellow headliners Martin Garrix, Hardwell, Zedd, Alesso, Gesaffelstein, Armin van Buuren, Axwell, Charlotte de Witte, Afrojack and Tiësto, among others. The 2025 lineup also features rare collaborative DJ sets by deadmau5 b2b Pendulum and Anyma b2b Solomun.
In other Ultra news, the festival recently launched an embracive docuseries to celebrate its prevailing legacy and impact on stateside EDM culture. The program, All Eyes On Us, will feature 25 episodes.
Ultra is scheduled to return to its longtime home of Bayfront Park from March 28-30, 2025. Tickets are on sale now and more artists will be announced in the weeks ahead.
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