Just as Hurricane Matthew was approaching Florida on 5th October 2016, Mana Wynwood decided to perform a ritual to divert the storm from Miami. III Points co-founder David Sinopoli had every reason to hope it worked, as the hurricane threatened festival weekend. A decade later, the same production team still work within the warehouse complex and this November, the guest of honour is a video game. Rockstar Games have handed over their launch party to those who knew Mana best.
Grand Theft Auto VI: The Festival takes over Mana Wynwood in Miami on Saturday 21st November 2026. The game itself launches on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S two days earlier, on 19th November. Rockstar Games and PlayStation announced the event on 9th November. Two stages will play non-stop, and you must be 17 or older to enter.
A Bardot Lounge Idea Became Rockstar’s Launch Night Producer
Rockstar have chosen to hand over their launch night to the team behind III Points. The crew started from Bardot, a Wynwood lounge where Erica Freshman brought Sinopoli on board as music director. Alongside owner Amir Ben-Zion, they dreamed up a small festival for the area. The first event in 2013 featured James Murphy, Jamie xx, DJ Shadow and XXYYXX.
III Points has grown significantly since. The 2025 edition opened at Mana at 4pm on Friday 17th October with a lineup of well over 100 acts across multiple stages. If they can run a festival that size, they can easily manage 2 stages for a launch party.
The festival has built its name on booking across genres, and the poster shows it. Hip hop, Latin and club acts share one bill. Timing-wise it makes sense. Players will have spent two full days in Leonida, so Rockstar gets a crowd of fans already excited about the game. The crew also knows what it is doing with a one-night event.
Mana Learned Its Lessons Long Before Vice City Arrived
Mana Wynwood spans 6 acres between NW 22nd and 23rd streets, just off I-95. Miami New Times calls it the cornerstone of the neighbourhood’s revival. III Points spent its second year at Soho Studios, then moved back to Mana in 2015. Sinopoli described the first edition as a “beta version of the festival”, so the return came with a year of lessons behind it.
However, it has had some bad luck too. In 2016, the festival faced a Zika advisory for the area, hurricane fears and an 11th hour cancellation from LCD Soundsystem. It still went ahead the following year, with 2017 tickets costing between $125 and $345. A venue that keeps hosting after a season like that can handle another Saturday night, with the game’s logo on the gate.
There will be some planning required to get in. Everyone enters through 5th Avenue and there is no parking on-site. Rockstar strongly encourages ride-sharing and has set drop-off points around the outside. Security will run a TSA style search, including a full body pat down and taking your shoes off. Arrive early, because you will need a Government Photo ID or passport. Security will not accept digital IDs or school IDs. Anyone who wants to buy or drink alcohol must be 21 or older.
Cactus Jack Anchors a Bill That Bridges Hip Hop, Latin and Electronic Music
The poster gives a clear breakdown of the lineup. Cactus Jack presents Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Kodak Black and Sofaygo, alongside Cardi B, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, Metro Boomin, Rauw Alejandro, Suero and Tainy. The electronic acts include Justice and The Dare b2b Fcukers, both billed for DJ sets, alongside Nick León b2b DJ Python and Prospa b2b Skream. Rockstar has confirmed that the lineup includes artists featured in the game and its official soundtrack but has not identified which artists belong to each.
One obvious connection is Justice, whose members, Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, composed the game’s original score. The duo’s DJ set adds a direct connection between the game’s music and the festival programme. With only two stages, the lineup is packed, particularly compared with the multiple stages at III Points 2025. Rockstar has yet to publish set times or reveal which acts will perform on each stage, leaving fans unable to plan their night. Those hoping to catch both Metro Boomin and Skream may eventually have to choose between them.
Rockstar Has Not Said Which Artists Belong to the Game
Rockstar has confirmed the lineup includes artists from the game and official soundtrack. It has not said which artist belongs to which, so fans have to guess. The most obvious connection is Justice, who were on the III Points 2024 lineup. Rockstar says the duo, Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, composed the game’s original score. Rockstar lists them as a DJ set, so expect a club night.
With only two stages, the lineup is packed, especially next to the multiple stages at III Points 2025. Rockstar has given no set times and has not said which acts play which stage. Fans cannot plan their night yet. If you want to see Metro Boomin and Skream, you may have to pick one.
Rap Crowds Will Test the Moshing Ban From the First Set
Rockstar does not allow moshing, crowd surfing or stage diving. Guests cannot sit on dancefloor areas either. Hip hop leads this bill, from Cactus Jack’s four names to Cardi B and Metro Boomin, and rap crowds are often energetic.
Everything else is strict but nothing out of the norm. There is no re-entry and there are no refunds. Professional cameras stay outside. Rockstar bans non-clear bags larger than 6×9 inches, while clear bags can reach 12x6x12. No outside food or drink gets in, and reusable bottles must arrive empty. Hydration packs need not be clear, but the bladder must be empty on entry.
Guests with disabilities can pick up a free wristband from the Accessibility Services Hub near the entrance. You do not need to pre-register or buy anything extra. Accessible viewing areas serve the designated stages. The ground is a mix of asphalt and grass, so plan the route from the hub before the first set.
Rockstar Owes Ticket Buyers a Price and a Schedule
Entry to the lottery was free, with one entry per person, and DICE is selling the tickets, with exclusive codes coming through Laylo.. The lottery closed at 4pm ET on Tuesday 10th November, and Rockstar drew the winners at 7pm that evening. Winners can buy from 12pm ET on Wednesday 11th November on a first-come, first-served basis. A code does not guarantee a ticket. Each person can buy 2 tickets, and Rockstar does not allow transfers.
Entrants must create a DICE account straight after entering, using the same email and phone number. Rockstar warns that it will flag any mismatch as a bot and remove the entry. Anyone who rushed the form could lose their place. Rockstar also links a waitlist for fans who missed the draw, but the waitlist does not promise another round of tickets. Rockstar sends ticketing questions to DICE’s help page.
As of 11th November, Rockstar has not published a ticket price. Fans entered a lottery for a night whose price and running order they still do not know.
Vice City Moves From Radio Stations to a Wynwood Warehouse
The game returns to Vice City and introduces the fictional state of Leonida. Rockstar officially revealed this in December 2023, so fans have waited almost 3 years. Music has always been a big part of the series. The original Grand Theft Auto: Vice City released in 2002 told a story set in 1986, and its radio stations sold an entire decade.
The Miami Heat have even unveiled Vice City jerseys and a themed game night, which shows how much Rockstar want to bring their fictional city into the real world. The festival takes this a step further by bringing the soundtrack to the city. Fans will spend two days alone with a controller, then hear that music in a room full of strangers.
A Miami night for a game set in a Miami inspired world is a good choice, and handing it to the crew that knows Wynwood makes sense too. The weak spot is the missing price and running order. Rockstar can still fix both before 21st November.
If you are planning to be in Miami on 21st November, start with Rockstar’s festival page, which carries the lottery details and the full list of policies. Winners can buy tickets through DICE from 12pm ET on 11th November, and everyone needs a Government Photo ID. Rockstar had not announced set times or a ticket price as of 11th November. There is no parking at Mana Wynwood, so arrive by ride-share. iiipoints carries the updated policies, Rockstar and III Points post news on Instagram, and the venue keeps its own listings at manawynwood.com.
