Ultra Abu Dhabi – The Ultimate EDM Festival Guide

in March 2023, EDM lovers got the amazing news of legendary Ultra Music Festival coming in the MEA region.

For the first time ever in the Middle East, the world renowned Ultra made its debut in Abu Dhabu.

And of course, as an Abu Dhabi resident, there’s no way I was going to miss that event. ☺️

Thus bringing me to this dance music festival guide. T

his blog will guide you so that you know exactly what to expect at your first visit to Ultra Abu Dhabi.

Is Abu Dhabi worth going to?

So let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

If you find yourself wondering whether or not you should make the trip to Abu Dhabi.

I am here to tell you:

Absolutely YES ! It is worth coming to Abu Dhabi

Yes I know that Dubai often overshadows the capital Abu Dhabi.

But you will not regret this. There is quite a lot to do here.

So why not turn your festival trip into a nice little city adventure?

Add a few days and you could also enjoy the world famous city that needs no introduction, Dubai 🙂

When was the first Abu Dhabi Ultra?

The first Ultra Abu Dhabi wa announced in 2022 and held in March 2023.

It was an epic event and even myself I was surprised at how many people actually ended up showing up.

Where is the Ultra Abu Dhabi venue?

It is held in Yas Island, one of Abu Dhabi’s pristine location.

Yas Island is also dubbed as the fun zone of Abu Dhabi.

That’s why I am telling you that it’s the ultimate venue.

There is just so much to do in Yas Island alone.

Between the festival and other various activities, you are guaranteed to have a memorable time.

Do they serve alcohol on the venue?

So many people have so many misconceptions about Abu Dhabi.

It’s insane.

It is so bad that it inspired me to write a whole blog with the sole purpose of busting popular Abu Dhabi myths and misconceptions for tourists.

Your short and direct answer :

Yes there is plenty of alcohol for purchase at the venue.

21 years old + festival goers get a bracelet as a way to confirm that their ID has been verified prior.

Then once you have the bracelet on (which only took me 5 minutes to get); you are free to purchase alcohol from the many venues.

What type of alcohol is served?

There was wine, beer and the usual quick mixers you find at those type of festivals. Don’t expect a full bar with fancy cocktails.

They never seem to have this as the main priority id to serve you as fast as possible.

You hear that?

Ka-Ching!

Time is money baby!

Who is going to perform at Abu Dhabi Ultra EDM festival?

The first Abu Dhabi Ultra saw some of the most amazing line-ups ever.

I am still in awe every time I think about Calvin Harris and Armin Van Buuren performances.

It was absolute bliss!

What outfits should you wear?

I was worried about that at first.

I am glad to report that it is business as usual.

You can wear your typical festival outfits.

Of course, maybe save the nipple pasties for Miami. 🤭

Besides that you have lots of freedom to get creative with your outfit.

Please see my picture for reference.

Do you have to dress up in conservative clothes?

Of course you don’t have to wear any burka. Some of my tourist friends actually believed that.

sigh 🤦🏽‍♀️

Ok to be fair, I think my outfit was probably the most outrageous one there. haha

I’ll gladly take one for the team, for the cause 🙂

You’re very welcome! 😇

That said, I feel that my outfit followed the usual EDM festival fashion 🙂

Happy to report that I was never made to feel uncomfortable and was never scolded.

So I can safely say that as long as you’re not wearing anything transparent or see through, it should be ok.

Also as the festival gets more notoriety, I expect the classic EDM culture to fully blossom in Abu Dhabi 🙂

How many stages are there?

There are two stages.

The main one and then a smaller stage which has equally banging Djs.

I swear it’s one of those times where I seriously wish I could be at two places simultaneously.

Why isn’t this a thing yet? 😭

I still think the second stage, the resistance stage, was low key my favourite.

Nothing but pure progressive trance bliss.

How old do you have to be to go to Ultra music festival Abu Dhabi?

You need to be at least 18 years old to attend Ultra Abu Dhabi.

Please make sure to bring a valid photo ID with you. 21 years old is the minimum drinking age for alcohol purchase.

More on that later 🙂

When is the next Abu Dhabi Ultra EDM festival?

Ultra is a worldwide events.

So I am pretty sure it will come back to Abu Dhabi in the near future. The same way it is such an iconic part of the Miami scene, I have a feeling it will slowly become a staple in the UAE also.

Where can you stay during Abu Dhabi Ultra?

I recommend staying at one of the many hotels on Yas Island.

That is because the hotel cluster is right around the venue. This allows you for maximum flexibility where you can walk or take a short taxi ride with minimal fuss.

Is there anything to do around the festival venue?

Yes, as I mentioned before, all those entertainment events in Abu Dhabi happen in Yas Island.

And there is a lot to do there.

You have plenty of theme parks( Ferrari, Warner Brothers), Yas mall, Yas Beach, Cafe del Mar beach club and the dining and entertainment hub, Pier 71.

I cover these in more details in my Abu Dhabi layover blog.

What other EDM festivals happen in the UAE?

The UAE has been slowly making a name for itself within the Electronic Dance music festival scene.

We regularly have popular artist perfom. But we are also slowly hosting more and more EDM festival.

We also saw the world famous Untold Dubai make its debut in the UAE in February 2024.

It was a total success with legend such as Armin Van Buuren opening the festival.

There’s also lots of Amapiano music events happening.

Is it worth going to Ultra Abu Dhabi?

In case this whole blog wasn’t clear enough, the answer is a resounding YES

Yes you should 100% attend Abu Dhabi Ultra festival.

Solo Female Festival Goers

Where are my solo ladies at?

If you are a lady travelling alone for the first time. I just wanted to say that as fellow lady who also travels solo quite often, I understand your concerns.

Here’s an episode from my women podcast that covers exactly this.

It is so important to get out of your comfort zone. Because this is where we actually grow and become our best version.

I also have a Youtube video that kind of went viral a little bit.

It tells you all the reasons why I think every woman should travel solo at least once in their life.

That said, I also want you to know that you the UAE, and especially the emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi are extremely safe for you.

The festival is located in Yas Island which has a very modern and westernized vibe, with a huge expat majority.

For my Music & Dance Fanatics

Fancy a women dance retreat?

For my other ladies who would love to be part of the girl’s girl community, do stay in touch through my mailing list as I host various women only travel group.

I also have a dance retreat coming up in Bali and the beautiful Spanish paradise island of Menorca.

This is such a passion of mine.

I absolutely love how music and dance bring us all together. 🫶🏿

Of course, the updates are also on my Instagram @stefbarti

Most importantly, stay awesome 🙂