At Miami’s Ultra Music Festival, which took place this past weekend, you were either sweating and dehydrated in the blazing sun or dancing in the pouring rain and muddy grass – no in between.
Weather did not stop party-goers from wearing glitter, fairy wings, bondage, and next-to-nothing at Miami’s biggest music celebration of the year.
While some attendees wore comfortable clothing, others preferred pasties, thongs and excruciatingly tall platform boots.
In rave culture, attendees view most music festivals as places to be themselves, be safe and be free.
Today, many festivals are judge-free zones where attendees can wear anything from inflatable alien costumes to pairs of chaps. Ultra Music Festival in Downtown Miami’s Bayfront Park drew 170,000 people over three days to hear music from Skrillex, Calvin Harris, Hardwell and many more across seven stages.
Here is a glimpse into the costume culture of the 2025 Ultra Music Festival.
Christine Davidson, 46, has been going to electronic dance music, or EDM, festivals around the world for 12 years, including Tomorrowland in Belgium and Electric Daisy Carnival in Orlando, her hometown. She has the experience to formulate the perfect festival outfit.
“You start with short shorts and a half top, and then little by little you start to accessorize until you create this!” says Davidson.
Davidson is inspired by the latest trends on the internet, like cheetah print and furry boots. She prioritizes comfort over everything.
Best friends since high school, Sara RoyI, Miley White and Yasmin Bouchard traveled all the way from Quebec City, Canada to Miami They take the trip every year.
“We like to go the more affordable way when it comes to festivals,” says White. “We do this every year so we can’t spend hundreds of dollars.We only spent $30 in total for each of our outfits for each day and Amazon and Shein are the way to go if you have to buy three outfits.”
Roy, White, and Boachard — all of whom are 22 years old — wore matching outfits for all three days of the festival. They say their parents are unaware that they attend Ultra.
“They think we are visiting our friends here because it’s their spring break and they have free time to hang out with us,” says White. “If they knew we were here, I don’t even want to say what would happen when we get back.”
John and Kelsey McManus are new to the Ultra scene, but they have done their research and are ready to dive into the world of electronic dance music. This couple usually frequents rock festivals like Rockville, but a friends’ recommendation made them give EDM a try.
“This is out of our comfort zone,” said Kelsey. “We looked online for what people would wear to these things, and we just thought we would fit in.”
Their trippy, neon clothes are from iHeartRaves, an affordable shop dedicated to festival wear. Kelsey’s cat shirt compliments John’s alien long sleeve, and it’s all tied together by their neon theme.
Caleb Elliot, Cameron Baker, and Osvan Bennet are best mates from Brisbane, Australia. They are long time EDM fans who visited Ultra for the first time after years of dreaming of attending. Two wear matching clothes, but Bennet had a little problem.
“We are feeling right at home in Miami,” said Elliot. “We were all three supposed to be matching, but Osvan’s luggage is missing at the airport, so we had to quickly go to Target right after we landed, and now we’re here.”
After a stressful morning and a 20-hour flight, Elliot, Baker, and Bennet made it safely to the Ultra Music Festival gates.
Laney Garcia and Leah Norris worked as bartenders in the festival but did not miss out on the fun. The moment they clocked out, they started partying.
“Because we work here, we are not allowed to wear crazy outfits, but that is not going to stop us from slaying,” says Garcia. “All of what I’m wearing is stuff I already had, but I needed the scarf because it’s protective from the sun while I’m working.”
Garcia and Norris’ clothes are a staple of festival fashion. Bikini tops and graphic T-shirts can be seen all around Ultra, but every person makes their costume their own. Garcia and Norris wore scarves that came right out of their closets, the budget edition of Ultra style.
Ryan and Elsi Hutchinson ventured from St. Petersburg so that Elsi could enjoy her first Ultra Music Festival, and Ryan his sixth. Besides the music, their favorite thing about music festivals is planning the costumes.
“We always go all out together,” says Elsi. “We are dressed as a cheetah running through the clouds, and for day two we have matching unicorn outfits.”
Glitter and crazy patterns are the norm in EDM festivals. Everyone escapes the routine and embraces fantasy.
Kandi is a staple in every outfit. Kandi is beaded jewelry that signifies PLUR, or peace, love, unity, and respect. Kandi is a handmade and tradeable item amongst ravers that have funny or rave-related sayings.
While trading kandi with another person, touch your fingers together while holding a peace sign for “peace,” make a half heart with your hand to make a full heart for “love,” lay hands flat against each other for “unity,” and hold hands for “respect.” While your hands are together, cross bracelets from one arm to another.
If you are ready to dress up and radiate PLUR, tickets for the following years’ Ultra Music Festival are on sale a few weeks after it ends, bringing in people from around the globe with their own unique costumes and style.
Kandi is a staple in every outfit. Kandi is beaded jewelry that signifies PLUR, or peace, love, unity, and respect. Kandi is a handmade and tradeable item amongst ravers that have funny or rave-related sayings.
While trading kandi with another person, touch your fingers together while holding a peace sign for “peace,” make a half heart with your hand to make a full heart for “love,” lay hands flat against each other for “unity,” and hold hands for “respect.” While your hands are together, cross bracelets from one arm to another.
If you are ready to dress up and radiate PLUR, tickets for the following years’ Ultra Music Festival are on sale a few weeks after it ends, bringing in people from around the globe with their own unique costumes and style.
