These Are The Palm Springs Festivals To Keep On Your Radar

Thinking of planning a getaway to Palm Springs but don’t know when to go? Plan to visit around the same time as the biggest Palm Springs festivals take place and you’ll have a definite blast. With entire weeks devoted to architecture, music, film, food, and sports, Palm Springs’ signature events possess a worldwide reputation for fun, excitement, and contagious energy. Mark your calendars, gather your crew, and start getting festival-ready—you don’t want to miss out on the coolest celebrations and festivities taking place in the SoCal desert.

The Best Palm Springs Festivals to Join This Year

Greater Palm Springs Pride

For over 30 years, Downtown Palm Springs has been transforming into one fabulous block party during the Greater Palm Springs Pride Festival. Donning all the colors of the rainbow, the Palm Springs pride celebrates the strength, equality, and self-determination of the LGBTQ+ community in California and beyond with parades, parties, and other live events. 

For a week straight in early November, most of your favorite dining and shopping spots, museums, clubs, and outdoor recreation spots embrace the pride energy. Wear your boldest, brightest, and most colorful outfits, and join in on the all-inclusive fun and celebration of love and life during this Palm Springs festival.

VillageFest in Palm Springs

Unlike the other Palm Springs festivals on the list, VillageFest is an ongoing event throughout the year. Also known as the Palm Springs Thursday street fair, this weekly festival invites you to enjoy a diverse array of booths set up by artists, artisans, and entertainers lining the streets. Eat assorted fruits, vegetables, sweets, and treats from international cuisines, and buy yourself fresh flowers or a cute piece of jewelry as a souvenir. Finding itself on every list of cool, free things to do in the area, VillageFest in Palm Springs is one you don’t want to miss.

Palm Springs International Film Festival

Palm Springs’ love affair with the film industry dates back to the days of Marilyn Monroe and the Rat Pack. However, the Palm Springs International Film Festival only started in 1989. Originally promoted by then-mayor Sonny Bono, this star-studded event has grown to have quite a major reputation in the film industry.

Taking place in January, this Palm Springs festival is 10 days full of exclusive screenings, panels with industry leaders, and, of course, a glitzy red carpet on the day of the Gala. The Palm Springs International Film Festival is not only one of the most popular local events of the season, but it’s also one of the biggest film events in North America—purchase your passes now.

Splash House Palm Springs

Want to take part in the biggest pool party of the year? Don your favorite (sustainable) swimwear and get passes for Splash House in Palm Springs. Founded in 2013 by brother-sister duo Kelly and Tyler McLean, Splash House is a mini music festival that takes place across three hotels in Palm Springs. During the day, hear upcoming house, disco, and electronic music in a more intimate setting, all while soaking in the sun. Upon nightfall, desert days continue into the night as the party moves to the Palm Springs Air Museum, where you dance aside aircraft and stars. Great music, great people, and great fun—what’s not to love about this Palm Springs festival?

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Perhaps the most popular Palm Springs festival of them all, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has been the music festival to go-to for the past 20 years. Taking place over two weekends in April, Coachella attracts thousands of music lovers, art enthusiasts, and trend-setters from all over the world to take part in an unmatched and highly coveted event. You’ll be met with an impressive lineup of artists tapping different genres, one-of-a-kind art exhibits, and parties where celebrities are bound to attend. 

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is also a great time to explore all that Greater Palm Springs has to offer, especially if you’re staying in town and attending both weekends.

Stagecoach Country Music Festival

Are you more of a country gal? Dust off your cowboy boots and head on over to attend the Stagecoach Country Music Festival. Held the weekend after Coachella, this Palm Springs festival promises three days of western fun. You’ll find a curated lineup of the biggest and brightest names in country music and an immersive experience that includes celebrity chefs cooking up delicious treats, honky-tonk dance lessons, new and vintage clothing marketplaces, and even an amusement park.

While there are plenty of activities to enjoy on the festival grounds, there is also much more to be seen in the Greater Palm Springs area with cowboy culture in mind. After you’re done attending concerts at this Palm Springs festival for the day, you can go horseback riding through the desert mountain terrain, visit Gold Rush-era towns and saloons, and explore the local culinary hot spots serving up American fare.

Modernism Week

How could the epicenter of mid-century architecture not have a festival dedicated to its influential starchitects and neighborhoods? An 11-day event held annually, Modernism Week is a Palm Springs festival that celebrates mid-century modern architecture and design by inspiring contemporary thinking in these fields. 

This exciting Palm Springs festival takes place in February and encourages education, preservation, and practices of sustainable modern living. These are implemented through films, lectures, shows and sales, home tours of iconic estates, nightly parties and live music, walking and bike tours, and more fun activities.

The American Express

With year-round sunny skies and numerous world-class golf courses, Palm Springs is a bucket list destination for golfers in California of all skill levels. Each January, The American Express celebrates this fact with four days of golf tournaments. Besides watching the best players from the world participating, this Palm Springs festival also offers food, drinks, and live performances by your favorite artists and bands.