As tens of thousands of electronic music fans descend on downtown Miami for the Ultra Music Festival this weekend, some residents living near Bayfront Park say the celebration comes at a cost they bear year after year.

Visitors from more than 100 countries are expected to attend the three-day festival. While organizers and city leaders tout the economic and cultural impact of the event, nearby residents say road closures, limited park access, and high noise levels disrupt daily life in an area that has grown increasingly residential.

“It’s kind of stressful, and it’s definitely an imposition,” said Laura Okamura, who lives along Biscayne Boulevard near the festival grounds. “The people who suffer the most are the people who live at 50 Biscayne.”

Newer residential towers now surround Bayfront Park, a shift neighbors say city leaders and festival organizers must account for as Ultra negotiates its next contract with Miami.

A Miami commissioner visited residents to hear their concerns

District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo visited Okamura’s building Friday night to hear concerns from residents firsthand. He said a public meeting scheduled for April 2 will allow surrounding neighbors to voice their grievances as the city considers the festival’s future.

“It seems doable,” Pardo said. “People really like this event. People in this building, people on the street, enjoy the event, but they also want to be heard. And they want to be sure their basic needs are met.”

Noise remains one of the biggest issues for nearby residents. Colby Leider, a sound engineer, said early-evening readings near the festival hovered between 80 and 85 decibels. Historically, neighbors say volumes increase as the night goes on.

“Eighty-five is a very important number in human hearing,” Leider said. “It’s the level above which exposure begins to potentially cause hearing loss.”

Residents say they want stricter noise controls and traffic mitigation plans written into Ultra’s new agreement with the city. They stress they are not pushing to cancel the festival, but want accommodations that reflect how downtown Miami has changed since Ultra began in the city.

“It’s about understanding how a neighborhood has grown and how an event that has existed for 26 years can harmonize over time,” Pardo said.

Okamura echoed that sentiment, saying neighbors are asking festival organizers to act responsibly. “We are not asking Ultra not to have the concert,” she said. “We are asking them to be a good neighbor. This is our home. This is where we live.”

Representatives from Ultra Music Festival and the Bayfront Park Management Trust are expected to attend the April 2 meeting at 6 p.m. to discuss potential changes to the festival’s contract with the city. The meeting will take place at Live Arts Lab Theater, building 1, room 1101. Ultra Music Festival runs through the weekend at Bayfront Park, with road closures and traffic expected throughout downtown Miami.

MIAMI (WSVN) – There’s a new cruise ship in town, and it is almost ready to set sail.

Luna, Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, welcomed people aboard for the very first time on Tuesday.

Luna is the 21st ship in the company’s fleet. From April to October, she’ll set sail from PortMiami to the Caribbean, with room for over 3,000 guests.

“We do a seven-day Caribbean cruise, it’s out of Miami, and then we do have Dominican Republic,” said Cruise Director Alvin Oliva. “After that, we visit St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Island, and then Tortola, and then we spend days at sea, and of course the prime, a lot of people are looking forward to visiting Great Stirrup Cay, which is Norwegian’s very own private island,”

On this voyage, there is plenty to do for the whole family — fom obstacle courses and games for the children, to a luxurious two-story spa.

“There is a bi-level waterfall right there; we offer a lot of different kinds of relaxation,” said Oliva.

At the Mandara Spa, guests can get hot stone and deep tissue massages, facials, body wraps and then lounge at the thermal suite, complete with relaxing steam rooms, saunas and heated loungers.

Once you’re done relaxing, guests can enjoy a drink at the poolside bar.

For those who are feeing adventurous, one of the highlights of the ship is its Aqua Slidecoaster. It’s a water slide/roller coaster hybrid, and Norweigan said it’s the fastest and longest water slide at sea.

“It was the best thing of my life, the best part of my day. It was amazing, 10 out of 10, I recommend,” said Ely, who rode the coaster.

People have traveled from all over to Miami to get on the new ship.

“We love it. I’s so clean, it’s so chic, our room looks amazing,” said Christina Guttuso.

“We’re excited, we’re ready to go,” said Nick Mangiaracina.

It’s a busy spring break, but well worth it for these cruisers.

“Go cruising. Even if you’re from Minnesota like me, it’s worthwhile,” said Justin Sunbrig.

The Luna’s maiden seven-day voyage is scheduled to set sail out of PortMiami on April 4.

Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.