Ultra - Australia
Ultra Australia is one of the ultra-rare Australian festivals that hasn’t had its acts cut, been rescheduled due to the weather, or cancelled completely. On top of that it isn’t even just a Melbourne-based festival but can also be attended a day earlier in the warmer Gold Coast or even globally, in locations such as Japan, South Africa and Mexico. If you’re not willing to make the trip, and you missed it this year, don’t fret! Ultra has been running for nearly twenty-five years and doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon. Wherever, and whenever, you attend just know it’s going to be a day you’ll remember for an ultra-long time.
Festival Fits ~
First and foremost; DO NOT do a handstand into a worm (unless you know how to then absolutely go for it). However, DO re-wear or rock thrifted outfits. I’ve mentioned this in prior articles but festivals are mass producers of fast fashion, and therefore major contributors to waste, water pollution and severe environmental impacts (Michie, 2023). Michie highlighted a study done in 2019 which found that “every year, about 7.5 million festival outfits are single-use”. That was five years ago, imagine how much that has increased in recent years due to influencers and trends. I’m sure you have seen the vast majority of influencers attending this year's Coachella posting their outfits online. Whilst Ultra is not considered an “influencer Olympics” like Coachella is, attendees can still fall into fear of being dubbed an ‘outfit repeater’, thus chasing brands like Shien and CIDER (Smith & McLetchie 2023).
Let me reiterate there is NOTHING wrong with being an outfit repeater, wearing your friends’ clothes, or thrifting. My friend practically wore the same outfit I had worn to a different festival a year prior (see in pink). On top of that, my outfit is completely thrifted (minus the socks). I got the boots from Facebook marketplace, the corset from Vinnies for $5, my leather jacket from an Op-shop and the dress from my wonderfully cool Godmother who had rocked it at multiple Mardi Gras before gifting it to me. Maybe I’m biased but I’d say we look ultra-cool! Especially given how we’re slightly decreasing the carbon footprint that is fast fashion.
Overall, at techno events you usually see people wearing all black, it’s sleek and comfortable so makes sense. Whilst that’s what I did, you don’t have to! There are no rules for festival outfits, so wear all the colours you want. Just make sure your outfit doesn’t have too many loose components that could get caught on someone in the mosh and get inevitably lost to the crowd.
The Festivities ~
Like Laneway, from earlier this year, Ultra was on the beautifully flat, open land that is Flemington Racecourse. Getting there was a relatively quick and easy tram, train and walk, for an arrival that ended up being midway through Carl Cox’s first set with Christopher CDE at 2 pm. We then made our way to the Main Stage for the powerful back-to-back sets of Will Sparks, Darren Styles, Brennan Heart, Steve Aoki, Zedd and Armin van Buuren. While we did go on a few side quests throughout the evening for drinks, toilet breaks and checking out the other sets we spent the majority of our time boogying in the mosh and around the outskirts of this stage.
I have probably seen Darren Styles roughly four times now, and he’s subsequently become one of my favourite hardstyle DJs, so his sets are always welcoming. Throughout his set and others, I received three Kandi bracelets, which individually said ‘Quack’, ‘Daddy’, and ‘Fruity’. If you attended Taylor Swift you probably made or received something similar, however, this culture originated from raves. Originally a form to identify drug dealers, it evolved into a “way for ravers to connect and symbolize unity among the rave community” (Taylor, 2015).
I had little to no expectations for Steve Aoki but his set was so incredibly fun. Aoki had such a loud stage presence and played a varied combo of music that could make not-so-hardstyle fans like Hardstyle. If you were at the front of the stage during his set and got cake thrown on your face I envy you. Zedd was also a huge crowd favourite, especially among my friends and I. He had such a powerful set that kept everyone's energy going into the later part of the festival. Although Armin van Buuren ended the festival with a bang (there were quite literally fireworks) his set wasn’t as life-changing as I was hoping it would be. Nevertheless, after boogying hard to hardstyle the whole day we were exhausted when his set came to an end and began our crowded journey home with the rest of the attendees.
Photos taken by my friends and I (from left to right): The main stage when Brennan Heart was on, me boogying, and our view of Steve Aokis' set. Tips and Tricks ~
Don’t Pre-Game too hard. I’m sure you, or your friends, have learnt this the hard way before but trust me when I say you do not want to go too hard before a festival. If you do you might end up not remembering your night, forcing your friends to take care of you or worse, not even being able to attend the festival. Take it slow and steady. It’s better to have a sober festival than no festival at all. (Please Note: I need to take my own advice).
Stretch. I know I sound like an old person but dancing for eight-plus hours will most definitely leave your body sore. Focus on your lower back and neck those will be the places that need it the most. Even if it’s just before you go to bed, one little stretch is better than none. Trust me, your body will thank you for it the next day.
Get out of your comfort zone. I understand that hardstyle, and techno in general isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. I can admit knowing the DJs helped me have a good time, however, my friend who knew none of them had an amazing time as well. So, don’t knock it till you try it! Who knows you might even find a whole new genre of music to obsess over.
Go with a group. Don’t get me wrong, I love attending festivals with just one or a few friends, and although I have yet to go to a festival alone, it is on my bucket list. In saying that, techno events like Ultra draw in huge crowds and if you want to get into the mosh it helps to have your friends surrounding you. Plus, if you want to go to a different stage or need something you can always split into smaller groups so everyone can do what they enjoy doing. Safety in numbers is a thing, especially for my girl ravers out there, so get a group together and share the fun.
DANCE! I know that might be an obvious tip but I truly believe that people need to dance more at festivals. We’re always so squashed together in the mosh we forget why we came (i.e. to dance to the music we love). Now just because I’ve said that don’t start swinging your arms ridiculously in the mosh or doing the worm in random places. You still should be mindful of the people around you. Instead, go to the outer edges of the mosh or create a dance circle. This way you can well and truly boogie to your heart's content. So what are you waiting for, go dance!!!
Final Festival Factors ~
As always, my answer to whether you should go to this music festival depends on your music taste. Ultra is predominantly techno, house, and hardstyle, based. If that’s not your forte this might not be the right festival for you. In saying that, my friend, who isn’t huge on this kind of music, still attended, and had a blast! It well and truly depends on who you surround yourself with and how under the influence you are. If you’re trying to get into the techno scene, or just want to try something new, Ultra is a well-run, vibrant festival to start with, where you can experience a varied range of incredible beats. Safe to say Ultra Australia, is ultra cool! (and I’m ULTRA cringe).
See you at the next festival,
Lizzie T
Sources ~
Ultra Enterprises Inc. (2023) Ultra Australia. https://ultraaustralia.com/ Michie, N (2023) Fashion Magazine; How To Dress Sustainably for Festival Season. SJC Media. https://fashionmagazine.com/style/trends/coachella-festival-fashion-sustainability/ Smith, E and McLetchie, D (2023) Festival Fashion Is a Catalyst for Overconsumption (& It’s No Secret to Fast Fashion Brands). Remake. https://remake.world/stories/festival-fashion/ Taylor, K (2015) The Culture Behind Kandi. Personal Blog; Kevin Taylor. https://sites.psu.edu/kzt5196english/2015/09/17/the-culture-behind-kandi/#:~:text=Kandi%20bracelets%20were%20first%20made,buy%20some%20of%20their%20product.