Ultra Music Festival stage LED screen collapse 14 March 2013 — Incident Report
Stage Equipment Collapse · Worker Injury Incident

Ultra Music FestivalLED Screen Collapse

During preparations for Ultra Music Festival at Bayfront Park, a suspended LED screen/display section fell onto the main stage/work area on the evening of 14 March 2013, injuring workers. Fire rescue crews responded on site, and officials reviewed the stage before the festival opened on 15 March 2013.

Date14 March 2013
LocationMiami, Florida
FatalitiesNo verified fatalities
Injuries3–4 reported
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Incident Overview

What happened

Date: 14 March 2013.

Location: Ultra Music Festival main stage setup area, Bayfront Park, Downtown Miami, Florida, United States. Bayfront Park is listed at 301 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, Florida 33132; multiple incident reports place the accident at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami.

Incident name: Ultra Music Festival stage / LED screen collapse, Miami. Sources also describe it as a main stage accident or LED screen fall at the Ultra Music Festival site.

Safety Summary

Casualty reporting

Reported injuries: Conflicting reports. Some sources reported 4 injured; two were described as critical/life-threatening, one was transported with lesser injuries, and one was treated on scene. Other sources reported 3 injured or 3 transported to hospital. Follow-up reporting said one man remained in treatment on 15 March 2013 and was expected to recover.

Reported fatalities: No fatalities verified in the sources reviewed.

View disputed details →

Key Facts

Incident Snapshot

2013
Year
3–4
Reported Injuries
0
Verified Fatalities
1
Main Stage Setup Area

Chronology

Sequence of Events

14 March 2013 · Setup phase
Workers were preparing the Ultra Music Festival main stage at Bayfront Park before the festival opening.
Evening collapse
A suspended LED screen or display section fell into the stage/work area, injuring workers.
Review before opening
Fire-rescue, structural engineering and OSHA-linked checks were reported before the festival proceeded on 15 March.

Operational Themes

Main Issues

🏗️
Temporary Structure Risk
The incident occurred during stage build/load-in, before public opening.
🖥️
Suspended LED Display
Reports describe a giant LED screen or display section falling from height.
🚑
Worker Casualties
Emergency reports describe serious injuries to workers and at least one person treated on scene.
🔎
Post-Incident Checks
Authorities and engineers reviewed the stage setup before opening.
⚠️ Evidence noteThe exact technical cause of the display failure was not verified in the reviewed sources.

Disputed Details

Conflicting Information

The main source conflicts relate to how many workers were counted as injured and how early organiser wording compared with emergency-response reporting.

Disputed Detail
Number of injured workers

Source 1

CBS Miami on 14 March 2013 reported 4 injured: two critical, one transported, one treated on scene. https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/ultra-music-fest-stage-collapses-multiple-people-injured/

Source 2

AP-based reports often led with 3 hurt / 3 injured, while still describing a fourth person treated on scene. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/led-screen-falls-at-fla-music-fest-site-3-hurt/ ; https://abc7chicago.com/archive/9028566/

The discrepancy appears to come from whether the person treated on scene was counted among the injured total.

Disputed Detail
Number transported to hospital

Source 1

CBS Miami on 14 March 2013 said two were taken in critical condition, one other was transported, and one treated on scene. https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/ultra-music-fest-stage-collapses-multiple-people-injured/

Source 2

CBS Miami on 15 March 2013 said three people were rushed to the hospital. https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/investigation-begins-into-ultra-music-fest-led-screen-collapse/

These two reports are broadly consistent with three hospital transports and one treated on scene.

Disputed Detail
Ultra’s own immediate wording versus fire-rescue counts

Source 1

Ultra’s quoted statement said a section of LED screen “injured two workers.” https://www.miaminewtimes.com/music/ultra-music-festival-2013-led-screen-fell-and-injured-two-workers-6449204/

Source 2

Fire-rescue-based reports counted 3 or 4 injured. https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/ultra-music-fest-stage-collapses-multiple-people-injured/ ; https://www.cbsnews.com/news/led-screen-falls-at-fla-music-fest-site-3-hurt/

Ultra’s early statement appears narrower than emergency-response reporting.

Not Verified

Unverified Details

These points were not confirmed in the reviewed material.

Not Verified
County-level location detail beyond Miami, Florida was not directly verified in the incident reports reviewed.
Not Verified
Exact technical cause of the LED screen/display failure was not verified in the sources reviewed.
Not Verified
An official OSHA findings document or final investigative determination was not verified in this pass.
Not Verified
An original, accessible Ultra social media post URL for the initial statement was not verified in this pass.

Source Material

References

References used in the incident research file, grouped into report cards below.

01
CBS Miami / CBS4 · News Articles
3 People Injured After Ultra Music Fest Stage Equipment Collapses
14 March 2013
States that several stage elements collapsed at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami during Ultra setup. Reports 4 injured: two transported in critical, life-threatening condition, one transported with injuries, and one treated on scene.
Visit Source →
02
NBC 6 South Florida / NBC Miami · News Articles
4 People Injured After LED Display Fell at Site of Ultra Music Festival
14 March 2013
Search result states that 4 people were injured, two critically, after an LED display hanging from a stage fell at the Ultra site.
⚠️ Link was discoverable in search, but direct page fetch returned 403 during verification.
Visit Source →
03
NBC 6 South Florida / NBC Miami · News Articles
Workers Hospitalized After Display Fell at Ultra Music Festival Site in Stable Condition, Officials
15 March 2013
Search result states 4 people in total were injured when the display fell at Bayfront Park.
⚠️ Link was discoverable in search, but direct page fetch returned 403 during verification.
Visit Source →
04
CBS News / Associated Press · News Articles
LED screen falls at Fla. music fest site; 3 hurt
15 March 2013
Reports Bayfront Park response around 8 p.m.; two victims taken to Ryder Trauma Center, one critical and one serious; a third had minor injuries and a fourth person was treated at the scene after being shaken up. Describes the fallen section as about 7 feet high and around 30 feet up.
Visit Source →
05
ABC7 Chicago / Associated Press · News Articles
LED screen falls at Fla. music fest site; 3 hurt
15 March 2013
Reports Bayfront Park location, one worker critical, one serious, one minor injury, and says the LED screens were about 30 feet above the stage when one crashed down.
Visit Source →
06
Randy Lewis / Los Angeles Times · News Articles
Two workers critically injured at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival
15 March 2013
Reports two workers suffered life-threatening injuries when a giant LED video screen fell and trapped them; says one man had both legs broken. Also reports two other workers were less severely injured, one hospitalized in stable condition and one treated on scene.
Visit Source →
07
CBS Miami · News Articles
Ultra Fest Underway Despite LED Screen Collapse
15 March 2013
Says the festival went ahead on 15 March after review by the fire marshal, structural engineers, and OSHA representatives; reports three people were rushed to the hospital and one remained under treatment Friday afternoon.
Visit Source →
08
Associated Press / Times Union · News Articles
Engineers check Ultra festival stages after 3 hurt
15 March 2013 (updated 19 March 2013)
Reports workers were hoisting one of several LED screens when it fell; says one person was critically injured, another seriously hurt, and a third sustained minor injuries, and that city engineers, fire rescue officials, and OSHA representatives were reviewing all stage setups.
Visit Source →
09
S. Pajot / Miami New Times · News Articles
Ultra Music Festival 2013: “LED Screen Fell and Injured Two Workers”
14 March 2013
Publishes Ultra’s initial statement that “a section of an LED screen fell and injured two workers,” while also noting reports that another pair of crew members were hurt.
Visit Source →
10
S. Pajot / Miami New Times · News Articles
Ultra Music Festival Comments on Stage Accident, Worker Injuries: “Continuing Preparations to Open Today”
15 March 2013
Reports Ultra’s updated statement that organizers were working with the Fire Department, OSHA, and other authorities to ensure the site was safe and to continue preparations to open.
Visit Source →
11
Michael E. Miller / Miami New Times · News Articles
Man Sues Ultra Music Festival and Swedish House Mafia Over 2013 Stage Accident
19 February 2014
Follow-up report identifying injured worker Joey Green and stating his legs were crushed in the 14 March 2013 accident; reports a lawsuit filed over the incident.
Visit Source →
12
Magazine Articles · Magazine Articles
No verified source found
No clearly matching magazine articles verified in this research pass.
⚠️ No matching source verified
Visit Source →
13
PLSN Staff / PLSN · Website Articles
Ultra Music Festival Main Stage Accident Injures Three
15 March 2013
Trade-report follow-up stating three crew members were injured, two critically, during load-in at Bayfront Park just before 8 p.m. on 14 March 2013; also reports the main stage was approved for use after checks by OSHA inspectors, the fire marshal, and structural engineers. Identifies one injured worker as Joseph Green, 32.
Visit Source →
14
JEMS Staff / JEMS, carrying Associated Press copy · Website Articles
Video: Workers Injured When Giant Screen Collapses Onto Miami Stage
Page shows 28 February 2013, but the body is an AP report on the 14 March 2013 incident
Reports two workers seriously injured, a third with minor injuries, and a fourth treated on scene; says the section that fell was about 7 feet high and around three-quarters the length of the stage, and that OSHA, fire marshal, structural engineers, and city officials planned a review.
⚠️ The page date displayed appears inconsistent with the event date, but the article text clearly describes the 14 March 2013 incident.
Visit Source →
15
Bayfront Park Management Trust · Website Articles
Bayfront Park Management Trust — Parks
Not stated on page
Provides current venue address for Bayfront Park: 301 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, Florida 33132. Used here only to support venue location details.
Visit Source →
16
Miami Herald archives project · Website Articles
In the mix: The history of Ultra Music Festival in Miami
Not clearly stated on the timeline page
Search result states that on 14 March 2013 four workers setting up Ultra’s main stage at Bayfront Park were injured when a giant LED screen being hoisted in the air fell.
Visit Source →
17
Social Media Posts (Open Source) · Social Media Posts (Open Source)
No verified source found
No open-source social media post was independently verified and included. Some later articles quote Ultra’s statement, but I did not verify an accessible original public post link in this pass.
⚠️ No matching source verified
Visit Source →
18
Academic Papers · Academic Papers
No verified source found
No academic papers clearly tied to this specific incident were verified in this research pass.
⚠️ No matching source verified
Visit Source →

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