III Points Miami Fest Unveils New Halo 88 Stage with "sonic and Spatial Takeover"

Miami’s III Points Festival lights up Wynwood once again, and this year, the new Halo 88 stage promises an electrifying “sonic and spatial takeover.”

With the help from its sponsor, The Flowery, a Florida-based cannabis company that often collaborates with brands building culture within their industry, the festival introduced an immersive dark room lit in a red hue. Surrounded by railings to encourage movement on multiple levels, the space invited dancers deeper into the experience.

In speaking with various DJs about how the festival continues its tradition of adding new stages, Akia Dorsainvil, better known by his stage name Pressure Point, explained the process he and JD Ultrathem went through as not just performers, but as curators of the stage’s lineup.

“It’s a big responsibility,” he said. “We were both given so much freedom and responsibility with this opportunity.”

When asked whether there was specific consideration for the sounds they wanted to showcase, or if the lineup embraced a range of talent, Pressure Point emphasized community and authenticity.

“Of course! As local DJs, it was important for us to include acts that are a part of our community,” he said. “We agreed to invite talent that understood and appreciated the culture. The sounds that stand out in Miami’s nightlife.”

Pressure Point described the sonic identity of Miami’s nightlife as a reflection of its cultural diversity.

“Miami is home to Caribbeans, Latinos and so many cultures that all contribute to the type of night that keeps you dancing past midnight,” he said. “ We wanted to surround the audience with familiar sounds for locals, and maybe even introduce others who traveled from different cities to a typical Miami experience.”

He described jungle music as the perfect summary of what listeners heard on the dance floor. Jungle music emerged in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom as an evolution of the rave scene that dominated in the late ‘80s, according to the Miami New Times. Over time, the genre incorporated uptempo, breakbeat-centric dance rhythms with Caribbean, Latino and hip-hop influences.

From the dance floor, partygoers heard familiar sounds meshed into high-tempo mixes that controlled the crowd. From Sean Paul’s “Temperature” to Elvis Crespo’s “Sonrisa,” Halo 88 illuminated the room in signature III Points style.

DJ Santo, a performing act at Friday’s show, described what playing the Halo 88 stage meant to him.

“I’ve always been a part of the scene, and I just recently quit my day job to fully commit to being a DJ,” he said. “So the feeling is surreal. I’ve had a lot of opportunities considering half of my colleagues are friends, but performing here, in such an intimate stage, feels like the next chapter in my career.”

DJ Suz, who performed alongside Santo, said they love any chance to influence the audience’s energy.

“Watching that one person unchain themselves from their shyness and fully let go on the dance floor is the reason why I fight so hard for opportunities like this,” they said.

III Points continues to listen to its audience. After all, they’re the ones who come back year after year. The crowd makes up the culture and experience itself. By staying socially conscious and receptive to feedback, III points continue to grow rapidly. From performances featuring The Strokes to Rosalía, the festival has kept its eyes and ears tuned to what the people want.