Thousands of music lovers descended into the Southern California desert for a weekend filled with fat beats and fun in the sun. Splash House summer festival, a two-weekend multi-hotel takeover, was back for its eighth year after missing 2020 due to the pandemic, and the party people were prepared to make up for the year off by going extra hard in the heat.
Weekend one, which ran August 13-15, featured huge names like Dom Dolla, Shiba San, TOKiMONSTA, and Whethan on the decks. For the second weekend, August 20-22, they brought in big guns like The Brothers Macklovitch, Camelphat, and San Holo, among many more musicians, to be the soundtrack to the fun.
Credit: Blake Daryaie
The excitement of day-long discoing, floating to the sounds of famous producers, and pool-hopping had me antsy for the untz, so I packed some sunglasses and sunscreen and headed towards Palm Springs to see what all the fuss was about.
Upon arriving, you’re immediately whisked into another world, where the vibes are sky-high. Beach balls were soaring, the pools were splashing with the movement of everyone bopping and dancing around, balconies were decorated to the nines, ice-cold cocktails were flowing, and outfits were absolutely on point. The ambiance was immaculate, and reminiscent of Vegas pool parties but with its own special, groovy spin.
Credit: Blake Daryaie
The team behind Splash House grace concert-goers with so many incredible music options to choose from, it’s hard to pick where you want to end up (first world problems, I know). We were spoiled with acts, and there was so many activities going on simultaneously. I quickly found myself wishing that if I had a superpower, it would be the ability to be in three places at once. My ears wanted to be at the rainbow-tinted Saguaro with Bob Moses for their club set, while my heart wanted to be at the Renaissance for Gorgon City, and my toes wanted to tap to SG Lewis’s DJ set at the tropical and vibey Margaritaville.
Fortunately for the festival-goers, the multiple setups and saturation of sounds meant that there was truly no bad place to be. Whether you were going hard on the rail in front of the DJ at one set, or relaxing and listening to another from a unicorn floaty, you were guaranteed to be having an absolute blast.
Credit: Julian Bajsel
The pool party aspect of the festival also really encouraged you to put your phone away, hop in the water, and be present. Looking around, there was nothing but smiling faces, hands in the air, and people living in the moment and loving it. It truly felt like you checked out of reality and into a little slice of EDM paradise where everyone was on the same wavelength.
And the party didn’t stop when the pools closed and the sun went down. Everyone changed from bathing suits and into their dancing shoes and hit the Palm Springs Air Museum for some after-hours house heaven until 2:00am. With the stage placed next to the runway, it was a stunning setting to lose yourself to the sounds of legends Jamie Jones and MK, among others, under the shining night sky.
Credit: Julian Bajsel
As much as I prayed and prayed it wouldn’t, the festivities finally came to a close on Sunday night. But with a happy heart, sore feet, and ears still ringing with “Baby, I got your back, like we’re still seventeen”, I left Splash House feeling like I unlocked a new layer of fun.
We absolutely can’t wait for next year. Make sure to follow the Splash House team on Instagram at @splashhouse so you can be in the loop for when 2022 tickets go on sale. Trust me – this is not something that you want to have FOMO for.