III Points Festival Draws 40,000 Daily Despite Wristband Glitches and Flooding
Attendees at the Wynwood event reported hour-long waits, $5 water prices, and safety concerns during the two-day electronic music festival.
By Jenna Mitchell ·
Approximately 40,000 guests attended each day of the III Points Music Festival in Wynwood, according to NBC Miami estimates. The two-day event featured 293 artists performing across 13 stages. While organizers planned a large-scale electronic dance music showcase, attendees reported logistical hurdles that affected their experience from the moment they arrived at the gates.
Entry issues began before guests reached the venue. Many stood in long lines at the Will Call station to collect physical wristbands. Radio frequency problems with the microchips inside those bands caused significant delays on Friday night, per the Miami Herald. Some attendees waited hours before receiving their entry passes. On Saturday, the festival shifted to digital tickets to speed up processing, though this change did not fully eliminate the bottlenecks at the entrance.
Valentina Karcheva, a first-year architecture student, purchased a General Admission Plus ticket. This tier cost between $259 and $360 and promised a dedicated entrance for faster access. Karcheva said she did not receive the quicker entry she expected. She told the Miami Hurricane she was “absolutely not” interested in returning to the festival.
Weather also played a role in the weekend's operations. Heavy rains fell during both days of the event. During DJ Cloonee’s set on Friday night, flooding caused the lighting and sound system to fail. The technical outage cut his scheduled 90-minute performance by roughly 15 minutes. Karcheva described the rain as pouring so heavily that she could no longer see the stage or recognize her surroundings.
Attendees also cited the high cost and slow access to water. Bottled water sold for five dollars each. Lines at the complimentary refill stations stretched for long periods. Karcheva waited 15 to 20 minutes at one station. She noted that the faucet dispensed water at a rate of only two drops per second.
Safety concerns emerged among the crowd. Julia Gutschow, a freshman, witnessed a man collapse during the Max and Luke Dean set. His friends indicated he had consumed a large amount of drugs and did not want other attendees involved in the situation. Karcheva described seeing a fishing pole in the crowd with a bag of cocaine tied to it. She said the scene made her realize how dangerous the behavior of other guests could be.
Despite these complaints, some guests left with positive impressions. Danielle Patterson, a freshman, said her favorite set was Cloonee’s. She described the live performances as electric and stated that the event deepened her appreciation for the arts. Malkia Emilien, another freshman, said she primarily attended to see Blood Orange but enjoyed exploring new music genres.
The festival concluded on a weekend marked by operational friction. Organizers managed a massive crowd of hundreds of thousands across the two days. Attendees navigated entry delays, weather disruptions, and high refreshment costs. The event’s mix of technical failures and musical performances left participants with varied memories of the weekend.
