By Crystal Harrell
Festival season is finally here, and while thousands travel to the desert for three weekends of music with the world-famous Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Stagecoach country music festival, there are local parties taking place to help ring in this star-studded occasion. So grab your sunscreen and swimsuit, and get ready for a wildly exciting weekend itinerary.
Desert Gold at Ace Hotel & Swim Club
The annual Desert Gold programming series returns to Palm Springs for its 15th edition, taking place from April 11 – 21 at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club. Running alongside the annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Desert Gold will once again bring a lineup of DJs, artists and party collectives to the desert, for hotel guests and visitors to the valley alike. This year’s lineup will include REMEZCLA, the Latinx media company, that will bring in performances from established Latine DJ’s and emerging artists. The legendary party The Do-Over will return for its 13th year in the desert with an event in the hotel’s bar, Amigo Room. Montreal nightlife mainstay Moonshine will be poolside each day during weekend one. Joining for weekend two, acts will include South Central LA underground dance party Hood Rave, followed by the magazine, record label and apparel brand Franchise closing out the program with several poolside sets.
Following tradition, Ace Hotel & Swim Club will also unveil a new large-scale mural on the Commune wall. The 2024 mural will be courtesy of multidisciplinary artist and illustrator Corey Wash. Across a range of mediums, Wash creates works exploring the evolving ideas around environment, culture and identity. Her newest work, titled Sunny Side, took inspiration from the necessity of mental and physical rest from the hustle and bustle of adulthood.
All events are free to the public with RSVP and are subject to venue capacity. Limited rooms are available at the hotel during Coachella. To book a room, RSVP for an event, or to see the complete lineup, head to the Ace Hotel & Swim Club website at www.acehotel.com.
Sonic Desert by Coca-Cola & Topo Chico
Coca-Cola Spiced & Topo Chico in partnership with BPM Music presents Sonic Desert, an exclusive invite-only daytime party at a private ranch in Thermal, California, within minutes away from the Coachella festival grounds.
Coca-Cola Spiced will offer the blending iconic taste of Coca‑Cola with a burst of refreshing notes from raspberry and spiced flavors for an uplifting taste experience. Topo Chico will feature their best sparkling mineral water brands, with several flavors and package sizes to satisfy even the most legendary thirst to enjoy the crisp, no-calorie taste.
Participating partners include beverages by Smartwater, reimagining hydration from the inside out, combining vapor-distilled water with added electrolytes for a pure, crisp taste, all in an iconic package. Also represented at the event will be DriveH2, the public service initiative by environmental nonprofit EIN and its message of a zero emission, hydrogen powered future – displaying a limited-edition hydrogen fuel cell car, the Toyota Mirai.
Dulce Vida Tequila will bring organic tequila infused sips, Glo Design Lab handcrafted signature healing crystal styled hats, ROLAND innovative electronic music instruments, and Drip IV Therapy’s on-demand vitamin-infused blends formulated with science-backed therapies to optimize repair, recovery, and rehydration.
For Weekend 1, the hottest one-day day party destination will feature live celebrity deejay performances by one of BPM Music’s multi-hyphenated headliners, Austin Millz, plus special guests, and other festive activations.
Goldenvoice Surf Club at Palm Springs Surf Club
Goldenvoice Surf Club charts new territory for the festival weekenders, offering an idyllic pre-festival experience at one of the desert’s most lush and exciting properties. Fans can expect performances from some of global electronic music’s most exciting stars in a comfortable environment curated for both party people and those looking to rest up for the day ahead.
The Palm Springs Surf Club serves as the quintessential desert oasis for this first of its kind event. A sprawling grass amphitheater stage awaits, spilling over into the venue’s state-of-the art wave-pool, with wellness amenities and top-tier food and beverage programming spread throughout. Attendees may find themselves floating down the lazy river before rushing down water slides or kicking back in luxury cabanas while taking in panoramic views of the San Jacinto Mountains and pro-surfers before hitting the dancefloor.
Weekend One kicks off on Saturday with a curated takeover from Palm Springs’ innovative Desert Air featuring a DJ set from globetrotting Ninja Tune mainstays Bicep, Manchester’s salute and his euphorically tinged productions, veteran DJ, producer and style star Mia Moretti, and illustrious beatsmith Barry Can’t Swim, who is hot off the tails of his highly-anticipated debut EP release. LA’s house and techno event visionaries Sound Nightclub take curation control of Sunday weekend one with a TBA lineup of leading electronic selectors.
Weekend Two kicks off on Saturday with one half of experimental electronic duo 100 gecs Dylan Brady and three special back-to-back sets from the global underground. Ireland’s Steel City Dance Disc mainstay KETTAMA goes B2B with Australian underground maverick Partiboi69 as KETBOI69, boundary breaking Aussie export Mall Grab will team up with Stay on Sight’s Skin on Skin, and long time collaborators and UK dubstep pioneers Skream and Benga tag team after their triumphant return last year. Weekend Two is rounded out on Sunday by an infectious DJ set from British production outfit JUNGLE, Los Angeles indie-disco duo NEIL FRANCES (DJ set), and LA underground staple Juliet Mendoza.
More artists will be announced in the coming weeks. Single day GA tickets start at $40. Weekend passes are available starting at $75. All events are 21+. For those in pursuit of heightened thrills, access to the water slides is available with the purchase of an additional pass. Tickets and more information available at www.gvsurfclub.com.
