A group of 22 bartenders is suing the operators of Ultra Music Festival, claiming they are collectively owed more than $1.5 million for pouring drinks at the electronic music festival's March edition in downtown Miami. The workers say festival operators accused them of stealing liquor to avoid cutting them paychecks for work they'd already done.
The class-action lawsuit, filed in Miami-Dade County in June, names Ultra Enterprises Inc. and Event Entertainment Group as defendants, according to Miami New Times. Plaintiffs argue the companies falsely accused bartenders of theft by fabricating inventory shortages, then used those accusations as a pretext to withhold wages the workers had earned running drink booths during the festival.
Ultra, a multiple-day electronic music festival that has operated intermittently at Bayfront Park in Miami since 2001, hired dozens of bartenders and drink vendors to staff its booths from March 27 through March 29. This year's lineup included acts like Major Lazer, Martin Garrix, DJ Snake, Afrojack, and Illenium. The lawsuit claims those same workers never saw the wages they'd earned over that three-day run.
Accusations of a Sham Investigation
According to the complaint, the operators didn't stop at accusing bartenders of theft — they allegedly ran a sham internal investigation to justify withholding earned pay and to deter complaints. The suit goes further, describing what it calls an intentional, willful, and malicious scheme to obtain workers' earned wages through fabricated theft accusations. Plaintiffs also allege the operators published those theft accusations to third parties.
The original complaint listed 13 plaintiffs: bartenders and drink vendors Phillip Dewayne Singleton, Andres Murillo, Enmanuel Lopez, Nicholas Tofini, Luis Daniel Fernandez Martinez, Anthony Rodríguez, Raymond Pena, Klaus Bruckner, Shane Budde, Isabel Treanor, Romina Díaz Magallanes, Tyler Ridgeway, and Lazaro Gonzalez. Because the case was filed as a class action, additional workers have been able to join and add to the wage demand — and nine more bartenders have since signed on, bringing the total to 22 plaintiffs demanding more than $1.5 million in unpaid wages.
No Response From Festival Operators
Representatives for Ultra Entertainment did not respond to an emailed request for comment, and attorney Adam Schultz, who represents Ultra Entertainment, did not respond to emailed or texted requests for comment either, the outlet's report notes. Event Entertainment Group could not be reached for comment at all.
This isn't the first time Ultra's seasonal workforce has complained about getting stiffed. Back in May 2024, food truck operators who worked the festival said a California subcontractor had failed to pay them for their work, Miami New Times reported at the time.
What Federal Wage Law Says About Theft Deductions
The bartenders' allegations touch on a wage practice that federal regulators have specifically addressed. According to a U.S. Department of Labor fact sheet, deductions made from wages for items such as cash shortages, required uniforms, or customer walk-outs are illegal if the deduction reduces an employee's wages below the minimum wage or cuts into overtime pay. The bartenders' case centers on whether the inventory-shortage claims against them were legitimate business accounting or, as they allege, a fabricated justification to avoid paying out wages altogether.
