Ultra Music Festival 2010 has announced its initial lineup.  As per usual, it’s shaping up to be a doozie!  Most of the biggest names in dance music are represented except 2009′s Dance Music Man of the Year, David Guetta.  Especially considering Wil.I.Am is booked, the absence of his collaborator on the Black Eyed Peas huge hits, Guetta, is conspicuous at best.  Let’s start a rumor!

More announcements to come, but I am holding out hope that some more underground talent will be added as time progresses.

Ultra Music Festival Day 1 – Friday, March 26th:
Tiesto, Eric Prydz, Swedish House Mafia, Carl Cox, The Crystal Method, The Disco Biscuits, Dirty South, Rabbit in the Moon, Will.I.Am, Infected Mushroom, Plump DJs, Adam Freeland, Felix Da Housecat, Lotus, Alex Metric, Pretty Lights, Green Velvet, Bassbin Twins vs. Uberzone, Evil Nine, Afrobeta and Kevens.

Ultra Music Festival Day 2 – Saturday, March 27th:
Deadmau5, Eric Morrillo, Armin Van Buuren, Above & Beyond, Groove Armada, Carl Cox, Faithless Sound System, Ghostland Observatory, Crookers, Steve Aoki, Bloody Beetroots, Major Lazer, Bassnectar, ATB, Glitch Mob, Diplo, LTJ Bukem, A-Trak, Rusko, Skream and Eddie Halliwell

http://www.ultramusicfestival.com/

A Los Angeles-based publication, BrandX (as spotted on danceblogga.com), has predicted its trends for nightlife in 2010.

The writer, Alexandra LeTellier, cites trends such as better and more personalized service, the end of the velvet rope, smaller venues and communal drinks such as punches.

But, the most notable trend, which we’ve already started to experience in 2009, is the move towards more house music in venues. With acts like the Black Eyed Peas, Pitbull, and Sean Paul turning up the BPMs, burning up the Billboard charts, and performing on national TV shows like Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve, its not a difficult trend to forecast. Nonetheless, for anyone who loves the house scene, these mainstream acts only help pull more people into “the scene” and help attendance at the more underground-styled events.  YAH!

Read the full article here.

The 2009 Electric Zoo Festival on Randall’s Island was apparently so successful that Made Events, aka the famed promoters Mike Bindra and Laura De Palma, have already announced the 2010 dates.

The festival will once again take place on Randall’s Island, NY, on September 4th and 5th, i.e. Labor Day Weekend, 2010.

After attending in 2009, I was so impressed with the organization (ticket purchases were easy, reasonable), logistics (set times were posted and adhered to, two DJ booths per tent so there was no “dead air”), and world class lineup, that I am already excited about the potential in 2010.

Stay tuned here or sign up here for the Made Event mailing list for further details.