Snapped: III Points 2016, Miami

Despite a looming hurricane that threatened to dampen the festivities, III Points went ahead as planned and capped off a successful weekend filled with clear skies, thumping beats and a community of like-minded individuals that marked its biggest event to date.

What makes III Points unlike any other festival is its attention to detail and a focus on the cutting edge, combining the three spheres of creativity - music, art and technology - to deliver an event of epic proportions. This allows for highlights to include much more than just the music, as a series of groundbreaking activations and inspired visionaries also took the spotlight.

A clear standout among the various activations was the Mars 2030 project that let patrons explore the surface of Mars in virtual reality. Once inside what looked like a spaceship that landed on Mars, a VR headset would be administered and the wearer would be instantly transported to the red planet. As the installation was backed by NASA, it was incredibly lifelike and allowed people to escape the confines of their own reality, even if just for a brief moment. It can be difficult to partake in all the activations III Points has to offer, as the lineup is filled with must-see musicians, but walking around Mars is seemingly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that could not be overlooked.

It’s obvious at III Points that there is a constant presence of art, whether walking down a corridor filled with beams of light or stumbling on a rack of TVs playing random VHS tapes. While going from stage to stage it’s easy to get lost on the way, but when a stage is the destination, the adventure is well worth it.

Major highlights of musical acts include a genre-bending and divine performance from Thievery Corporation, who, with a full band, took the crowd on a sonic journey through ethereal soundscapes. Method Man & Redman also lived up to the hype and had their crowd jumping with energy.

And on any festival lineup, it's safe to say that Dixon and DJ Koze are absolute can’t miss artists due to the eclectic mix of tracks and their unparalleled control of a dance floor. Plus, a live performance by the Flight Facilities guys rocked the stage unlike any other during the weekend.

The fourth annual III Points festival was easily one of the most entertaining events in South Florida in recent history, and with over 25,000 people in attendance, the event is growing at a rapid pace. Look for the crew to put on a multitude of events throughout the year, just enough to hold us off until next autumn when the festival makes its grand return. ‘Till next time…

[Photos: Jason Koerner Photography]

Harrison is Mixmag's East Coast Editor. Follow him on Twitter here