Miami music fest site will become a college campus. What’s next for III Points?

A major Miami music festival is at a crossroads. Its home for over a decade is being replaced by a new college campus in Wynwood.

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The land that hosts III Points — the alternative music event held in the heart of Wynwood each October — will soon belong to Carnegie Mellon University, which is backed by a multibillion-dollar donation from Miami hedge fund executive and philanthropist Ken Griffin.

Griffin and Carnegie Mellon President Farnam Jahanian announced last week in an exclusive interview with the Miami Herald that the Pittsburgh-based university plans to open a campus in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood.

III Points, on the calendar for Oct. 16-17, is still on at Mana Wynwood this year and could see a final festival in 2027, though the event would prove a buzzer-beater. Construction on the campus is expected to begin next year, and the university expects to enroll its first students in 2028.

The campus will replace Mana Wynwood, the longtime home of III Points and other festivals, conferences and expos developed by Moishe Mana.

Griffin bought the property from Mana for about $1.1 billion, and he is donating the land to the university for its new campus.

III Points began in 2013 as a way to highlight Miami’s underground music scene and its arts and technology culture. For most of that time, Mana Wynwood has hosted the alternative music festival.

But soon the two-day event, which features sets across a dozen stages, and in recent years has drawn around 50,000 fans, will have to find a new home.

Mana Wynwood will operate the venue through the end of 2027, a spokesperson told the Miami Herald on Monday. This year, the festival will feature indie headliners Men I Trust and Blood Orange, sets by famed DJs Vintage Culture and Honey Dijon and performances by rap favorites Lil’ Kim and Tokischa.

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But what’s the future of the festival in 2028 and beyond?

“III Points is ever-evolving, and planning for 2027 is underway,” David Sinopoli, the festival’s founder, told the Miami Herald.

“At this time, our focus is on bringing our community together at Mana Wynwood for an incredible III Points 2026,” he said. “We look forward to sharing more about the future of the festival when details are confirmed.”

What is clear: One of Miami-Dade’s other popular open-air music venues, Factory Town, won’t be playing host to III Points after Mana Wynwood closes.

Avra Jain, the developer behind the Hialeah venue, told the Miami Herald in a text message that Factory Town would not be able to host III Points. Factory Town, a repurposed 1940s mattress factory, is about five miles northwest of Mana Wynwood.

At seven acres, the venue isn’t large enough to accommodate the event, Jain said. Mana Wynwood is more than quadruple that, at about 30 acres, including both indoor and outdoor stages.

Those hoping to enjoy a final mosh pit at III Points’ original venue are still in time.

Two-day passes for the festival are still going for $299 to $599 while single-day passes range from $159 to $399, and are available in varying general admission and VIP tiers. All can be purchased through III Points’ website.

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Miami Herald staff writer Catherine Odom contributed to this report.