Miami Music Week 2026: How I Managed 11 Events in 5 Days (And How You Can Too)

Let me start by saying this: 11 events in 5 days is not for everyone. It’s choosing chaos and committing to it fully. But if you’re reading this wondering whether it’s possible to do Miami Music Week hard without completely destroying yourself, the answer is yes. I just did it, and you can too!

Miami Music Week 2026 ran from Wednesday, March 24 through Sunday, March 29. In those five days I hit 11 events: a free SiriusXM showcase, a 10-hour pool party, a private boat party I helped organize, three full days of Ultra Music Festival, and five consecutive nights at Factory Town. I’m writing this two days after it ended and I’m somehow still functional, which means I did something right.

Here’s the full breakdown of how the week went, what it cost, how I paced myself to survive all five days, and what you need to know if you’re thinking about doing something similar next year.

The Week, Day by Day

Wednesday: Opening Strong (3 Events)

Wednesday was the official start of Miami Music Week and I came out swinging with three events. First up was Adam Beyer and Armin van Buuren at the SiriusXM studio from 3pm to 5pm. This was a free RSVP event, which if you know anything about MMW, free events with names this big do not exist. Adam Beyer sat down with Armin during his A State of Armin show and they talked about music, techno and trance genres, and their upcoming back-to-back set at Coachella. Then Adam Beyer played an intimate set for about 150 people, followed by a high-energy Armin set.

Getting a private set from DJs who usually play for crowds of thousands? That’s the MMW magic right there. That’s the stuff you can’t get anywhere else.

After SiriusXM I found a restaurant nearby, ate a meal to fuel up, and then headed to the Two and a Half Cats pool party at the Surfcomber Hotel. I showed up at 7pm (the party ran 1pm to 11pm) just in time to catch the last bit of Toman, then Luciano, Luciano B2B Miguelle & Tons, and finally Miguelle & Tons closing it out.

The Surfcomber has become one of my favorite pool party venues in Miami over the years. The entrance is tropical, palm trees towering over the walkway, and then you get to the pool area and there’s space to lounge, space to dance, and a big tent in the back with a sand pit surrounded by more palm trees. It genuinely feels like Miami. 10 out of 10 pool party.

I left around 10:30 PM, went home to change and freshen up, and then hit Factory Town at 1:00 AM. Day 1 of Factory Town had an unbelievable lineup. Justice headlined the Infinity Room. UNREAL hosted the Warehouse with Cloudy, Kuko, and Alignment. Layton Giordani was in the Chain Room. Max Dean presented Nexup at The Park stage.

The first thing I noticed walking in was the new Park stage setup with an enormous Rubik’s cube toward the back. It looked amazing and gave the stage the wow factor it needed. Factory Town also debuted new Miami Music Week merch with 10 different pieces to choose from, all great stuff to remember the week by. The Infinity Room got a makeover too, with light-up wires hanging around the poles. Strong start to the week.

Thursday: Rest Day (1 Event)

Thursday I made the smartest decision of the entire week: I rested. I stayed in during the day, ate food, hydrated, and kept it easy until it was time for Factory Town that night.

Day 2 of Factory Town was the most anticipated night of all five because Jamie Jones Presents Paradise was taking over the Infinity Room. The energy was high everywhere and Paradise did not disappoint. My favorite set of the night was the B3B with Jamie Jones B2B Loco Dice B2B Seth Troxler. Three hours of them trading tracks and the crowd was grooving straight into 7am when they finished.

If you’re trying to do multiple days of MMW, Thursday is your recovery day. Use it. Don’t feel like you need to hit every single event just because they exist. Resting Thursday is what allowed me to make it through Ultra weekend still standing.

Friday: The Boat Party Was the Best Party of Miami Music Week (3 Events)

Friday started with the highlight of my entire Miami Music Week: a private boat party that my friends and I organized. This wasn’t a ticketed public event. It was more of an ‘if you know us, you got an invite’ situation. We had three boats go out with 37 people total. We set up a DJ deck and curated a lineup with Miami locals: Bontemps, Andre V B2B Jbenz, and Muza.

The boats were provided by Scape Boat Miami who did an excellent job getting us out on the water and back safely. The group danced nonstop for six hours while we enjoyed the open water and views of the Miami skyline. It was special in a way that’s hard to put into words. When you’re on a boat with people you know, with DJs who are playing music because they love it and not because they’re getting paid, that’s when MMW feels less like an industry circus and more like what it’s supposed to be. We’re already planning to bring this back in 2027 bigger and better.

After the boat party I went straight to Ultra (Day 1 coverage is in my Ultra review), and then closed out the night at Factory Town. Day 3 of Factory Town was packed. The only issue of the night was a plumbing situation where they had to close most of the toilets and open the VIP bathrooms to GA passholders. Not ideal, but I still didn’t wait too long. The night ended with a beautiful B3B: Josh Baker B2B Prospa B2B Kettama. Honestly one of my favorite sets of all five Factory Town nights. Special sunrise experience.

Saturday: Peak Everything (2 Events)

Saturday was Ultra Day 2 (full breakdown in my Ultra review) followed by Factory Town Night 4. By this point in the week, Factory Town had become part of the routine. Saturday’s lineup had Adam Beyer Presents Drumcode in the Warehouse, Funk Tribu in the Chain Room, and a groovy sunrise closing set by Ben Sterling B2B Prospa at The Park stage. Another night of great music.

Saturday is when you start to feel the week. Your body is tired, your feet hurt, and you’ve been going for four days straight. But Saturday at Ultra is also the peak of the entire festival, so you push through because you know you only get one Saturday at Ultra 2026.

Sunday: The Finale (2 Events)

Sunday was Ultra Day 3 (again, full coverage in my Ultra review) and then Factory Town’s closing party. Day 5 of Factory Town ended up being a bit of a wet one. We got caught in a few passing showers but that didn’t stop anyone from ending the weekend with a bang. I Hate Models was a highlight and they packed out The Park stage. Elrow took over the Infinity Room with trippy visuals and the Matroda B2B Patrick Topping set had everyone dancing nonstop.

By the time Sunday night ended I had been going for five straight days and somehow I was still upright. That’s when I knew the pacing strategy worked.

💰  The Cost Breakdown: – Ultra Music Festival 3-day pass (Gold status early sale): $387 – Factory Town 5-day pass (Tier 1): $250 ($50 per night) – Two and a Half Cats pool party: $52 – Private boat party: $86 for 6 hours – SiriusXM event: Free (RSVP required) – Total: $775 for 11 events across 5 days. The key is buying early. Ultra and Factory Town both get significantly more expensive as you get closer to the event.

How to Survive This Many Events

Here’s the part people actually want to know: how do you do 11 events in 5 days without completely destroying yourself? The answer is strategy, pacing, and being honest about your limits.

1. You Don’t Need to Do Every Event From Open to Close

This is the most important thing. I did not stay at a single event from doors open to doors close. The pool party ran 1 pm to 11 pm, but I showed up at 7 pm and left at 10:30 pm. Factory Town ran late into the morning every night. Some nights I stayed until sunrise. Other nights I left at 4 am or 5 am. You catch the artists you want to see and then you leave. Nobody is giving out awards for who stayed the longest.

2. Rest Days Are Not Optional

Thursday I rested during the day. I didn’t go to any daytime events. I stayed in, ate a good meal, hydrated, and kept it easy until Factory Town that night. That one rest day is what allowed me to make it through Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at full capacity. If you try to go hard every single day with no breaks, you will burn out by Friday and suffer through the weekend. Rest is part of the strategy, not a sign of weakness.

3. Eat Real Food and Hydrate

This sounds obvious but you’d be shocked how many people forget. Between the SiriusXM event and the pool party on Wednesday, I went to a restaurant and ate an actual meal. Between the boat party and Ultra on Friday, I ate. At Ultra on Sunday I got the hibachi at the food stand because I knew I needed fuel to make it through the night. You cannot run on alcohol and vibes alone for five days. Your body needs food and water or it will give up on you.

4. Go Home and Fresh Up Between Events When You Can

On Wednesday after the pool party I went home, changed, and freshened up before heading to Factory Town. It sounds like a small thing but showing up to an after-hours at 1am in fresh clothes after a quick shower makes a huge difference in how you feel. You’re not showing up already exhausted and sticky from the previous event. You’re showing up reset and ready.

5. Buy Your Passes Early

The money I saved by buying Ultra during the Gold status sale and Factory Town on Tier 1 is significant. Early bird pricing for MMW events can save you hundreds of dollars. That money you save can go toward Ubers, food, or just having a financial cushion so you’re not stressed about every dollar you spend during the week.

The Things I’d Change for Next Year

Miami Music Week 2026 was incredible but nothing is perfect. Here’s what I’d do differently or what I hope the events improve:

• Factory Town needs to fix the bathroom situation. Having to close GA bathrooms due to plumbing issues multiple nights is not acceptable when you’re running a five-day event. Opening VIP bathrooms to GA helped, but the fact that it was necessary means something needs to be addressed.
• Factory Town also needs better logistics for getting there and leaving. Waiting an hour for an Uber after some of the nights was brutal. Shuttle options, ride-share pickup zones, something to make the exit smoother would go a long way.
• For myself personally, I’d probably skip one or two Factory Town nights and use that time to sleep or hit a different after-hours event just for variety. Five nights in a row at the same venue, even one as good as Factory Town, starts to feel repetitive by Sunday.

So, Can You Actually Do This?

Yes. But you need to be realistic about what ‘doing this’ means.

If you’re trying to do 11 events in 5 days, you’re not doing them all at 100%. You’re strategically choosing which events to go all in on and which ones to show up to for a few hours and then leave. You’re resting when you can. You’re eating food and drinking water. You’re listening to your body when it tells you it’s time to go home instead of pushing to the afters.

Miami Music Week is a marathon, not a sprint. The people who make it through the week are the ones who pace themselves. The people who burn out are the ones who try to do everything at maximum capacity and run out of gas by Friday.

I’m already planning Miami Music Week 2027. Maybe I’ll do 11 events again. Maybe I’ll do 8 and use the extra time to sleep. Either way, I’ll be there, and if you’re smart about it, you can be too!