What to expect at Desert Air Festival 2024

Everything you need to know before attending Splash House and Goldenvoice’s Desert Air Festival in Palm Springs this November 15th-16th.

This August, Splash House and GoldenVoice made waves by announcing the return of Desert Air, a festival that the two promoters put on for the first time back in 2021 but has been on pause since. In its first edition, the stylish and modestly-sized festival proved a scenic success for both true house heads and those that just checked in for a soiree and a show. For fans that enjoyed the first go-round three years back, news of a sequel was music to their ears.

Desert Air 2024 will again take place over two days: Friday November 15th and Saturday November 16th. The Palm Springs Air Museum in California will reprise its role as the festival’s venue, with a sprawling tarmac and gorgeous vintage planes available to create an unforgettable stage and dance floor among the palm trees. Conveniently for the talent and any out-of-town attendees, the air museum is located quite literally right next to the Palm Springs International Airport.

For those out-of-town attendees, Desert Air has seven hotel partners in the area, ranging from the basic Courtyard to the swanky Riviera. A shuttle service, included with festival passes, picks up and drops off fans at two locations in Palm Springs to get attendees from their accommodations to the venue.

Once at the Palm Springs Air Museum, all attendees must be at least 21 years of age to enter. Doors open at 5 PM each day, and the show stops at midnight sharp. Don’t expect anything bordering on a kandi-style rave; no totems or signs of any kind are allowed, nor are LED apparel, toys, or gloves.

Now, on to the good stuff: the music. House music is once again the genre on tap for Desert Air, with many different flavors across the two-day lineup. Each day is led by one headliner-to-the-stars, one extra-special guest performance, and nine more incredible artists to boot.

The timeless Kaytranada tops the bill for Friday, strapped with his catalog of dynamic hip-hop tracks featuring the likes of Childish Gambino, Aminé, Anderson .Paak, and H.E.R. Modern English house legend SG Lewis joins forces with radio pop star Tove Lo to take the stage as their scorching duo Club Heat. Among those rounding out the schedule for Friday are multi talented English artist Shygirl – who incidentally released a banger with SG Lewis earlier this year – and Polish techno-forward rising star VTSS.

Saturday introduces another English house icon in Jamie xx, fresh off the release of his brand new album ‘In Waves.’ Vibrant hitmaker Sammy Virji will be on hand to spice things up, as will inventive Australian phenom Mall Grab – named after a slang expression for holding a skateboard incorrectly. Ketboi69, a delightfully brash group composed of Irish artist Kettama and Australian artist Partiboi69, will provide perhaps the most wild and freewheeling set of the weekend.

With tremendous tunes and an undefeated setting, Desert Air has all it needs to create a new batch of warm memories under the Palm Springs sun. Check out the Desert Air website for more information and listen to the official playlist below to get in the mood!

Featured Image: Instagram / Desert Air