18 February 12-18, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | the mainstream was covering Latin music in English. So she made it her beat. “I grew up listening to this music, I knew it well, and I realized I could contribute.” She carved her place in the industry by building bridges — between genres, lan- guages, and cultures. In the early days, she was a pop music critic for the Miami Herald and a reporter for the Los Angeles Times.Her earned influence is evident in the way Bill- board has prioritized coverage of artists like Bad Bunny early on. “We thought there was something there and we stuck with it,” she says. “We supported him before the world knew him.” When asked about the cultural signifi- cance of Bad Bunny headlining the Super Bowl halftime show in 2026, Cobo is clear. “It’s supposed to be an entertaining halftime show. It’s not supposed to be a political edu- cation. I hope people can look at it from that lens,” she says. “The fact that he performed in Spanish on a stage like that, that’s beautiful.” A Desk With a 305 View Cobo sees Miami not just as her home base, but as a central force in Latin music’s rise. “Miami is such a Latin city, and it’s a city that’s not just Latin, but it’s a city where Lati- nos wield influence, which is different,” she says. With major Latin labels, media net- works, and a geographically strategic loca- tion, Miami fosters both the creative and business sides of the industry. The city also allows for cultural duality. “Miami brings together people born in Latin America and U.S.-born Latinos. They experi- ence music differently, and this city lets both perspectives thrive.” Cobo’s presence in Miami is more than symbolic. Her role at Billboard from a city outside New York represents a broader in- dustry shift. “Ten years ago, it would’ve been unthinkable to oversee Billboard from Miami. Now, it proves how central Latin music is to the global conversation.” As a journalist, Cobo understood early on that visibility mattered. “Language was a bar- rier for a long time. Writing about Latin mu- sic in English gave it presence in the mainstream.” That presence now echoes through algo- rithms and digital searches. “What we write gets resurfaced. If it’s not covered, many peo- ple wouldn’t know it’s happening.” Her editorial philosophy is about commit- ment and credibility. “I’m not able to cover everything, but when I see something that ex- cites me, I support it as much as I can.” Bumps on the Road The road hasn’t been smooth. Her earliest challenge was convincing decision-makers that Latin music deserved serious coverage. “You’d see Vicente Fernández fill a stadium in New York City, and people still didn’t see the impact.” Today, the challenge is different. As a writer, she grapples with shifting formats. “Fewer people are reading. They want video. The way we tell stories is changing, but writ- ing is still at the core.” Volume, too, can threaten quality. “There’s better reporting and better music, but main- taining high standards is harder now. Content is always king for me.” Despite her expanded role, Cobo remains hands-on with key initiatives. “Latin Music Week is my baby,” she says. “They told me to delegate more, but I said I have to keep pro- gramming that.” She’s also producing Billboard’s Latin Women in Music TV special, airing in April on Telemundo, and laying groundwork for music activations around the 2026 World Cup in Miami. “We’re excited about what we can do at Freedom Park. Music and sports go hand in hand.” Even with new platforms, evolving media, and rising global artists, Leila Cobo remains grounded in what she does best: thoughtful storytelling. “I always thought I would have to move to New York. And now, I can be based in Miami and help oversee all of Billboard. That alone is a reflection of how much Billboard values Latin music, and how far we’ve come.” ERIC FULLER AND JEREMY WAKS OF MIDLINE BY FLOR FRANCESCHETTI If there is a heroic endeavor to face in 2026, it’s opening a state-of-the- art music venue in the middle of Wyn- wood. It’s a risky, capital-intensive, and often thankless task — yet one Miami’s music com- munity has been quietly hoping someone would take on. With Midline, Eric Fuller and Jeremy Waks are doing exactly that, answer- ing a long-standing need for a serious indoor venue designed for touring artists and dis- cerning audiences alike. Recently opened in January 2026, Midline is a purpose-built, 1,200-capacity concert venue designed from the ground up, located right next to the Arlo Hotel. In a city where mid-size indoor rooms have steadily disap- peared, Fuller and Waks saw both a challenge and an opportunity. “We really felt the gap,” Fuller says in con- versation with New Times. After years of op- erating venues and booking tours across Florida, the pattern was clear: artists would play Orlando or Tampa, then skip Miami alto- gether. “You go from very small rooms straight to the Fillmore, and that leaves a lot of artists with nowhere to land.” Both founders come to Midline with deep, complementary resumes. Waks, a Miami na- tive, has spent more than two decades shap- ing the city’s nightlife and dance music culture, from Heathrow Lounge to Tree- house, the beloved Miami Beach venue that ran for 12 years and helped define the city’s underground house scene. Fuller’s back- ground spans national touring, large-scale production, and ownership stakes in some of Florida’s most influential venues, including a role in the evolution of Club Space. Their partnership isn’t new. The two al- ready co-own and operate Celine in Or- lando, a multi-genre venue that helped clarify what Midline could be. “We’ve al- ways had pretty eclectic taste,” Waks says. “That’s really reflected here. Midline is multi-genre by design.” Unlike many venues in Miami, and the ones the pair previously owned, Midline isn’t a second-generation retrofit. It was built from a cold gray shell, a process that required years of planning, special city approvals, and exten- sive design work. Anybody who had to pull permits for any kind of buildout in Miami can relate to the struggle. That level of difficulty was also its greatest advantage.“Building it from scratch let us fix things we knew were pain points,” Waks explains. Extra bath- rooms. Heavy-duty HVAC. A layout that pri- oritizes sightlines and flow. And perhaps most importantly, sound.Fuller estimates that close to $800,000 was invested in acous- tic treatment alone. “It was a huge chal- lenge,” he says, particularly with a hotel next door. “But the room sounds incredible. You can’t hear it from the street, you can’t hear it in the hotel, and inside, it’s clear and crisp.”That attention to detail is intentional. Midline is meant to be a true hard-ticket venue, open to a wide range of promoters and artists across genres, as long as there’s an au- dience. “If it sells tickets and people care, we want it in the room,” Fuller says. Programming Is King The early lineup reflects that philosophy. From live electronic acts and indie artists to reggae legends and genre-blurring newcom- ers, Midline’s calendar is deliberately wide- ranging. During Miami Music Week alone, the venue will host artists making their Miami debuts alongside established touring names. Upcoming acts include Inner Circle, Seven Li- ons, Lexa Gates, and others. “What excites me is seeing people surprised,” Fuller says. “Like, ‘I never thought I’d see this band in an inti- mate setting in Miami.’ That’s the win.” For Waks, it’s about longevity as much as buzz. “We want this to be a room that artists trust, and audiences return to,” he says. “Not just for one genre, but for the full spectrum of live music.” Opening a venue of this scale in Wynwood — amid rising rents, evolving zoning, and a rapidly changing neighborhood — is no small bet. Both founders are candid about the chal- lenges, from permitting to construction time- lines. But they’re equally confident that Miami is ready. “Midline isn’t just about one venue,” Fuller says. “It’s about making Miami a real stop again on national and international tours.” As Miami continues to carve its place in the national entertainment radar, Midline represents something increasingly rare: infra- structure built for the long term. For that rea- son alone, Eric Fuller and Jeremy Waks are people to watch in 2026. [email protected] Billboard photo Leila Cobo, pictured with Bad Bunny Jeremy Waks and Eric Fuller Midline photo People to Watch from p17 P E O P L E TO W ATC H 2026
