Photography by Jason Koerner
Audio By Carbonatix
If there’s one thing festivalgoers don’t expect to take home with them, it’s a mouthful of dust, or black boogers that make it look like Marvel’s Venom tried to possess them mid-set.
At least, that’s been the case for many fans who attended III Points this past weekend, particularly those who spent time at the Isotropic Stage.
Set on a grass hill near I-95, Isotropic was one of the most consistently packed areas of the festival, hosting heavy hitters like Prospa, Chasewest, Ben Sterling, Beltran, Josh Baker, and other fan favorites. The sets were electric — no one’s denying that — but the downside? The area quickly turned into a dusty, chaotic mess.
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By the end of the weekend, social media, especially TikTok, was flooded with videos and complaints from attendees showing just how bad it got. Many claimed they left with sore throats, black mucus, and even minor breathing issues from what they described as “constant clouds of dirt.”
“Every time I started breathing through my mouth I could literally feel the dust behind my teeth,” said Adam. “I’m still blowing dirt out of my nose,” wrote Caitlin.
One viral TikTok comment read, “The inside of my nose looked like a coal mine.” Another joked, “Breathing in all that dirt almost sent me to the hospital, but I stayed because the set was too good.”
Some videos took a more comedic approach, joking that it was “finally snowing in Miami,” as festival lights illuminated clouds of dust swirling over the crowd.
Multiple attendees even posted follow-up videos a day later, still showing lingering symptoms or just laughing off the absurdity of it all — covered in soot, coughing up dirt, and still saying, “worth it.”
While III Points is known for its state of the art stages and creative production design, the Isotropic setup seems to have fallen short on one key element: air quality. The grassy hill and lack of moisture control turned into a perfect storm once thousands of dancing feet began kicking everything up into the night sky.
“The dust at the Isotropic stage resulted from the grass area being heavily worn down by the energy and dancing during the festival. Moving forward, we recognize the need to either cover the grass with flooring or relocate the stage to prevent this from happening again,” said Matt Teper, an Insomniac representative, in a written statement sent to New Times.
Still, it’s a strange badge of honor for some festival diehards — a dusty scar from an unforgettable weekend. But for others, it’s a reminder that a good set should move you, not choke you out.
Editor’s note 10/21/25: This story has been updated to include a statement from Insomniac spokesperson Matt Teper.
