That’s A Wrap: Splash House Closes Out Biggest Season to Date

By Kaitey Marie

For the fourth year in a row, Splash House provided a dreamily cool ending to another hot summer here in the desert. The sold-out poolside music festival saw record numbers this year, with over 5,000 party-goers in attendance each day. The young festival created by Palm Springs native Tyler McLean has been praised by LA Weekly as “Southern California’s ultimate summer pool party.” This August, Splash House welcomed impressive names in EDM including Gorgon City, Snakehips, Matt DiMona, SNBRN and more. Locals and out-of-towners alike traveled to Palm Springs sporting neon floaties and trendy suits, ready to sip on Mai Tais and get lost in deep tropical house for the weekend.

The festival kicked off on Friday night with indie-electronic artist Rüfüs du Sol headlining the After Hours party at Palm Springs Air Museum. The open-air dance floor provided the perfect atmosphere for some dancy electro-pop vibes. Tucked under starry desert skies, the After Hours crowd danced until 2am.

On Saturday morning, several Splash House goers made their way to yoga on the lawn at the Riviera, while others opted for a mimosa brunch to gear up for the day. Despite record temperatures, thousands flocked to the Riviera and the Saguaro to splash around in the pool to some of their favorite artists. Snakehips, who performed at Coachella in April this year, headlined at the Riviera while Splash House veterans Viceroy and Vanilla Ace both delivered stellar sets at the Saguaro.

The eclectic festival went out with a bang on Sunday night with popular London duo Gorgon City. As the UK chart-topping song “Ready for Your Love” pumped through the Riviera pool, music lovers at Splash House drank, danced, and celebrated the last hurrah of summer.

If you missed out on Splash House this year, don’t worry – the fun isn’t going anywhere. Palm Springs native and founder Tyler McLean has high hopes for the future of the festival. “[We] hope to continue to offer you more each and every year,” McClean commented, “We look forward to being back in 2017 for our fifth year of the festival.”

To stay connected with exclusive Splash House news including presale ticket release dates and line-ups, follow Splash House on Facebook and Instagram @SplashHouse.

Written By:
Kaitey Marie
kkalisva@uci.edu

Photos by Jesse Fulton