Long wristband lines, flooding and drug use were major issues reported by students who attended III Points Music Festival.
For some students, these difficulties tainted the entire weekend.
When first-year architecture student Valentina Karcheva was asked if her experience made her want to return, she replied, “absolutely not.”
III Points — a two-day music festival in Wynwood — was estimated to draw 40,000 guests each day this year, according to NBC Miami. The festival scheduled 293 artists over the two day event, with these sets spread across 13 stages.
Ticketing issues
Problems started before guests could even enter the venue, mostly at the “Will Call” line, where guests could pick up wristbands if they did not receive them by mail and handle ticketing issues.
On Friday night, attendees reported waiting hours for their wristbands. Radio frequency issues in the wristband’s microchip were the main culprit of ticketing issues, according to the Miami Herald.
On Saturday, III Points issued digital tickets to shorten the Will Call lines. But, these digital passes did not entirely resolve difficulties entering the venue.
GA+ ticket holders, who paid between $259 and $360 for tickets, were promised a dedicated entrance into the venue, supposedly guaranteeing quicker lines.
“I paid for General Admission Plus and didn’t even receive faster entry,” Karcheva said.
Drug use
Some attendees also witnessed excessive drug use at the festival, not only harming the person taking the drugs, but also those around them who may have witnessed a possible overdose.
Freshman Julia Gutschow said she was at the Max and Luke Dean set when she saw a man collapse.
“There was a guy standing right in front of me who completely collapsed on the floor,” she said. “His friends said that he was on a lot of drugs and did not want to get other people involved.”
When asked about how this experience affected her, Gutschow said, “It made me realize that the things people are doing can be really dangerous. You have to make sure you are looking out for the people around you.”
Karcheva expanded on the heavy drug use, saying she saw “a fishing pole with a baggie of cocaine tied to it in one of the crowds.”
Sets cut short
While the heavy rains seen throughout the festival weekend were not necessarily dangerous, they did inconvenience many concertgoers and affect sets.
At DJ Cloonee’s Friday night set, Mind Melt’s lighting and sound system cut out due to flooding, effectively cutting his 90-minute set by about 15 minutes.
“We were at Cloonee’s set, and right as he came on, and he started playing his best songs, the rain just started pouring,” Karcheva said. “At one point we couldn’t even see Cloonee and I didn’t know where I was.”
Water cost and access
Water prices and delays at refill stations also frustrated guests. Water bottles cost five dollars, and lines at the refill stations were packed with concertgoers.
“At the water refill station, we waited for 15-20 minutes to get to the front,” Karacheva said. “Once we were there, we realized that there are two drops per second coming from the refill faucet.”
If guests take the proper precautions and prepare correctly for the festival — hydrating in advance and eating a full meal — III Points can be an incredible experience, especially for EDM lovers.
“I only went to see Blood Orange. However, I had fun listening to new genres of music,” freshman Malkia Emilien said.
Despite the plethora of issues attendees experienced this year, not every guest’s experience was hindered.
“It was awesome. It was my first time seeing a lot of music artists perform live and it did not disappoint. All of the sets were electric, though my favorite was Cloonee’s,” said freshman Danielle Patterson. “I definitely have a greater appreciation for the arts post-III Points.”
While the festival was a phenomenal experience for some, the long entry lines, flooding and reports of dangerous drug use left people questioning whether the experience was worth it or not.
For an event drawing more than thousands of attendees, the weekend highlighted concerns about organization and safety that extend far beyond music.