As the preeminent curator of electronic music’s rare, ‘you-had-to-be-there’ moments,
Ultra kickstarted the Phase 1 lineup announcements last week by revealing plans to host the first-ever, world-exclusive Anyma b2b Solomun performance as a headlining set on the festival’s Main Stage. A revolutionary collaboration between Anyma’s cutting-edge audiovisual artistry, and Solomun’s renowned technical mastery, this landmark, global debut will combine mesmerizing visual installations, avant-garde sound engineering, and awe-inspiring stage design to create a futuristic, immersive experience for the ages.
Soon after announcing the historic Anyma b2b Solomun set, Ultra unveiled even more exciting Solomun news: the Croatian DJ will bring his Diynamic recordto the festival for the very first time, hosting an exclusive stage takeover at the RESISTANCE MegaStructure. Diynamic’s debut Ultra Music Festival takeover will feature a solo headlining set from Solomun himself, as well as first-time festival performances from esteemed artists like English electronic experimentalism pioneer Four Tet, Dutch tech-house superstar Mau P and more.
Ultra’s 25th anniversary celebration wouldn’t be complete without its most iconic figure, Carl Cox, who will be debuting his brand-new Live Show in his headlining set at the RESISTANCE MegaStructure. The legendary British DJ and producer has been a cornerstone of the festival since DJing at the event’s third edition back in 2001, shaping Ultra’s legacy with every performance. In 2005, Ultra broke ground by inviting Cox to curate his very own stage, which started as a modest tent dubbed ‘Carl Cox & Friends.’ Over the last two decades, that humble tent has evolved into the world-famous RESISTANCE MegaStructure, helping to solidify Ultra Music Festival as the premier tastemakers for not only stadium-smashing, Main Stage superstars, but also for underground house and techno masters.
Although Cox has curated numerous stage takeovers at Ultra over the years, the 2025 festival will see the beloved artist bring his globe-trotting ‘Carl Cox Invites’ brand to the event for the very first time. Taking over the RESISTANCE MegaStructure, ‘Carl Cox Invites’ revolves around Cox’s reputation for bringing together artists who are pushing the boundaries of electronic music, showcasing the underground’s most in-demand talents alongside emerging house and techno stars. Anchored by the debut of Carl Cox’s brand-new Live Show, the ‘Carl Cox Invites’ stage takeover will feature a plethora of live performances from house and techno heavyweights.
Ultra has spent the last two decades cementing its status as the vanguard of dance music’s never-before-seen, history-making performances, and the festival’s 25th anniversary celebration will raise the bar even higher. In addition to presenting the world’s first Anyma b2b Solomun set, Ultra 2025 will also host the first-ever, world-exclusive deadmau5 b2b Pendulum DJ set. Although deadmau5 and Pendulum have previously shared the Ultra stage – when deadmau5 joined Pendulum during their 2016 Main Stage set for a performance of ‘Ghosts ‘N’ Stuff’ (with Pendulum’s Rob Swire) – their upcoming b2b DJ set will mark the first full-scale collaborative performance between these two electronic music giants.
In addition to their debut b2b DJ set, both deadmau5 and Pendulum will also deliver headlining standalone performances that are equally as special. Multi-platinum electronic music producer deadmau5 will play the first-ever ‘retro5pective set,’ featuring a collection of his old-school catalog hits – no new material, just pure, iconic throwbacks. Meanwhile, Pendulum will present a live performance, their first at Ultra since 2022.
In another festival first, house music megastars Dom Dolla and John Summit will take to Ultra’s Main Stage with their joint project, Everything Always, marking the superduo’s debut Miami performance. Since launching this collaborative venture in 2023, Everything Always has quickly become one of electronic music’s most sought-after shows seamlessly blending their unique styles and musical visions into an immersive, high-octane affair.
Five-time GRAMMY Award-nominee Axwell is a seasoned presence on Ultra’s Main Stage, having headlined the festival multiple times as part of his Swedish House Mafia supergroup, as well as his collaborative Axwell Λ Ingrosso project. However, for the first time in the festival’s history, Ultra 2025 will feature Axwell performing his own solo headlining set on the Main Stage.
Legendary trance group Above & Beyond etched their name in Ultra history with a surprise headlining set at the festival’s 2018 edition, delivering one of the most captivating and euphoric performances of the weekend to close out the ASOT Stage. Now returning for the first time since that momentous occasion, Above & Beyond will deliver an exclusive performance for festival’s 25th anniversary.
Trance legend Armin van Buuren has been a mainstay at Ultra since his inaugural performance in 2005, and eighteen years later, he continues to push the boundaries of his artistry. During his headlining set on Ultra’s Main Stage earlier this year, the GRAMMY-nominated powerhouse delighted fans with a surprise appearance by American rockstar Jon Bon Jovi, premiering his unreleased remix of Bon Jovi’s 1992 classic single “Keep the Faith.” At Ultra 2025, Van Buuren will deliver yet another mesmeric Main Stage, headlining set, in addition to hosting a stage takeover from his global radio show A State of Trance – which will mark the 13th ASOT takeover in the festival’s history.
Following his stunning sunset performance at Ultra 2024, illustrious Dutch producer and DJ Hardwell will once again headline the Main Stage in 2025, building on the momentum from his set last March and his surprise closing performance in 2022. Known for blending his vintage sound with an updated big room techno style, the Revealed Recordings label boss continues to play a vital role in the Ultra Music Festival brand, both before and after his four-year hiatus from 2018 to 2022.
Ultra will also welcome back world-renowned superstar Martin Garrix, who made his Ultra debut in 2014 when he was only 17 years old and has headlined nearly every edition of the festival since then (with the exception of 2018).
Three-time GRAMMY Award-winner and multi-platinum artist Zedd will return to Ultra’s Main Stage after his electrifying 2023 performance, which included a surprise appearance by superstar rapper Ice Spice. Zedd’s upcoming Main Stage headlining set will mark his first Ultra performance since the release of his ‘Telos’ LP earlier this summer, his first album in nine years.
With this massive Phase 1 lineup announcement, Ultra will also welcome back a plethora of veteran headliners, including Swedish superstar Alesso, who last performed at Ultra 2023, GRAMMY-winning Dutch icon Tiësto, and Dutch international sensation Afrojack.
LSZEE, the collaborative project featuring bass masters CloZee and LSDREAM, will make its monumental Ultra debut at the 2025 festival, uniting their unique sonic landscapes for an unforgettable performance. Following LSDREAM’s solo set in 2022 and CloZee’s solo performance in 2023, this highly-anticipated collaboration promises to blend CloZee’s ethereal soundscapes with LSDREAM’s heavy-hitting bass, creating a transformative, galvanizing experience.
Ultra’s 25th anniversary installment will also usher in the highly-anticipated returns of two pioneering electronic music acts: Gesaffelstein and Nero. Gesaffelstein, known for his dark and atmospheric soundscapes, will grace the Ultra stage for the first time since 2014, bringing his electrifying energy and cutting-edge production to celebrate the festival’s milestone. Meanwhile, Nero, the GRAMMY award-winning trio celebrated for their fusion of dubstep and drum & bass, will perform at Ultra for the first time since 2016, promising an unforgettable experience for fans as they showcase their iconic hits and innovative new material.
Similarly, Ultra’s Phase 1 lineup announcement also includes festival veterans like iconic UK drum & bass duo Chase & Status, who are set to unveil their new live show following their explosive Ultra 2024 DJ set. Cyclops label-head Subtronics will also make his return, bringing his signature, bass-heavy arsenal after a powerful debut at the festival in 2023.
Ultra’s esteemed underground brand, RESISTANCE, will once again present a bevy of house and techno’s most in-demand acts across two stages: The Megastructure and The Cove.
Richie Hawtin is no stranger to the RESISTANCE MegaStructure, but the 2025 festival will mark the techno pioneer’s first live performance at Ultra, where he’ll present his revolutionary live show ‘DEX EFX X0X.’ Anchored within the immersive fluidity in digital manipulation that Hawtin’s DJ performances have become synonymous with, DEX EFX X0X builds upon the concepts of his ‘Decks, EFX & 909” series of compilation from 1995 – 2005, using all the performance tools available today. DEX EFX X0X demonstrates equally the early foundations and future of DJing, representing an exciting evolutionary step in Hawtin’s lifelong commitment to the development of the electronic music scene.
Heralded as the most international house and techno festival brand, RESISTANCE will feature headlining performances from leading underground acts, like Drumcode label boss Adam Beyer, as well as KNTXT ringleader Charlotte de Witte, who will return to the festival following her historic Main Stage debut at Ultra 2023. Joining them will be Boris Brejcha, the German ‘high-tech minimal’ specialist who made waves with his Ultra debut in 2022 by hosting his FCKNG SERIOUS record label’s first-ever showcase in America. Also featured will be Miss Monique, now a staple of the ULTRA Worldwide circuit, who captivated RESISTANCE audiences at the 2024 editions of ULTRA Europe, ULTRA Korea, ULTRA Japan and ULTRA Hong Kong. British techno producer Eli Brown will return to Ultra for his first-ever solo set, following his 2024 performance alongside Oliver Heldens’ techno alias HI-LO, while Ukrainian duo ARTBAT will once again fuel the RESISTANCE dance floor with their chart-topping records.
RESISTANCE will also present debut festival performances from beloved underground acts including 999999999, the Italian duo renowned for their influential role in the modern hard techno scene, and I Hate Models, the French producer who epitomizes the essence of contemporary industrial techno.
In addition to hosting stage takeovers from Carl Cox Invites, Diynamic, and ASOT, Ultra 2025 will proudly welcome preeminent hardstyle label Dirty Workz back to the UMF Radio Stage for the fourth consecutive year. After making history by hosting Ultra’s first-ever hardstyle stage at the 2022 festival, Dirty Workz will once again serve up a smattering of hardstyle, jumpstyle and happy hard beats. Continuing the festival’s endless commitment to touching all corners of the dance floor, Ultra 2025 will present the festival’s first-ever psytrance stage, curated by powerhouse psytrance duo Vini Vici’s Alteza Records.
Featuring an extensive array of world-class performers, with nods to the past, present, and future of electronic music, Ultra’s expertly-curated Phase 1 lineup is a tour-de-force of genre-crossing talent. From trailblazing global debuts, to the celebrated homecomings of festival favorites, the Phase 1 lineup aptly sets the tone for more show-stopping artist announcements to come.
Tickets for Ultra Music Festival 2025 are on sale now.