III Points Festival embodied everything there is to love about Miami’s dance music scene, and the Red Bull Unforeseen Full Moon Motel embraced the city’s roots.
Miami is a tried-and-true destination for dance music lovers, and in recent years, that’s been due in part to III Points Festival. A glance at the lineup for this festival that takes over Mana Wynwood would turn heads, packing in a hearty dose of house and techno, with a touch of bass and more for added flair.
While many festival sponsors might just slap their logo on a stage and call it a day, Red Bull took a different approach while channeling their desire to showcase the vibrant local atmosphere. To do this, they teamed up with III Points co-founder David Sinopoli on lineup curation and creative director Veronica Gessa to craft a creative atmosphere that brought the Red Bull Unforeseen Full Moon Motel to life. Last year’s edition of III Points Festival saw the stage surface and draw plenty of attention, and with it returning for this edition, it quickly became apparent that this would be the place that many would flock to over the weekend.
Red Bull Unforeseen has taken different shapes beyond III Points Festival at other activations, but at its core is its exclusive nature that brings forth surprises and exclusive performances. This was prominently displayed at the festival this year, with the Full Moon Motel opening its doors to attendees once again, giving them an underground party within a party.
Found inside the Mana Wynwood Convention Center, the Full Moon Motel stood tall with its decked-out exterior drawing you in like a moth to the flame.
It was impossible to ignore the structure, whether because of the bass rattling its walls, the classic cab and hotel lobby frontage, or its official MC, Alan T, calling out to you via his megaphone.
It was apt for Alan T to be selected by Red Bull to host the weekend’s festivities, as he’s been a fixture in Miami’s nightlife scene for over three decades. After all, who else could exude everything there is to love about this community’s energy and creativity? Those who have been involved in the city’s community know Alan T well for his out-of-this-world outfits, vibrant personality, and raspy voice, which has been heard on releases like Nicole Moudaber’s The Volume. Yet he’s become most renowned for his role as the doorman at Club Space and Floyd, where he’s controlled the velvet rope and helped keep the energy alive.
If you passed by the Full Moon Motel, there was no chance that you weren’t beckoned to join in on the fun by Alan T. His infectious energy emanated from the space, bringing a wave of positivity and inclusivity along with it. The motel’s lobby wasn’t his only domain, as he regularly led entire groups into the motel to kick off their experience and keep the party hotter than ever inside.
Once you were fully immersed in the Full Moon Motel, it felt like time stopped and nothing else mattered.
The rest of the festival might’ve been booming with non-stop beats from other artists, but outside of Despacio, there was no other place at III Points Festival that truly offered this level of intimacy. A bar serving signature Red Bull cocktails, of course, and a photo op were found within its walls, but really, that’s all you need to create memorable dancefloor-forward moments.
Alan T and the stage’s ambiance were only two of the three factors that made Red Bull Unforeseen the place to be. The music also played a huge role in making this even more attuned with Miami’s culture, as its lineup was filled to the brim with eight Club Space residents and over a dozen local artists.
The early hours of the festival on Friday and Saturday brought forth performances from artists like Falyn, Tiffany Vera, Nicole Gallamini, OMRI., and Raje, not to mention back-to-back sets featuring Lousy Lover and Megusta, Bakke and Will Buck, and Roll-E and Viva Vidal. And the venue quickly reached capacity during sets from artists like SLAMM, Ms. Mada b2b Slugg, Yamagucci, and Thunderpony, leading to a growing line of hungry ravers outside, hoping to get in.
Red Bull Unforeseen Full Moon Motel was a slice of Miami heaven, served up to anyone who wanted a bite.
In an era when many aspects of the scene feel over-commercialized and lacking culture, props are due to the Red Bull team for this activation. While obviously branded, their team’s ability to seamlessly integrate itself into the festival’s footprint and honor the legacy of the city’s nightlife truly stood tall.
If you didn’t get the chance to check it out for yourself, cross your fingers that it returns next year because experiences like these are what we need in the scene.
