Beyond Coachella: 8 Exceptional Ways to Experience Festival Season in Greater Palm Springs
Whether you hold Coachella tickets or simply crave the festival vibe, discover eight exceptional ways to elevate your experience in Greater Palm Springs.
1. Achieve the Ultimate Festival Look with Braids and More
Forgot your electric blue mascara? No worries—the valley has you covered. Beauty expert Michele Dolan at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa in Indian Wells offers custom flower headdresses, ribbon-and-feather braids, glitter face paint, neon body adornments, and temporary tattoos. Walk-ins welcome in the hotel's main lobby during Coachella weekends.
2. Shop Festival-Ready Fringe Fashion
Ladies, snag fringe attire, tribal summer dresses, or ethno-print Boho sandals. Gentlemen, grab lightweight summer pants and pastel bandanas. Visit Nordstrom Rack Town Center, Lush Couture, Anthropologie, Trina Turk | Mister Turk, and Wil Stiles for trendy hippie-chic and modernist warm-weather gear.
3. Unwind at Premier Pool Parties
Escape the desert sun and stage-hopping with a refreshing Arnold Palmer poolside. In Palm Springs, Riviera Palm Springs hosts pool parties from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. all three weekends—no cover, live DJs, Bacardi servers, shotskis, and rentable cabanas/daybeds on this chic property.
Alternatively, join The Saguaro's Dirty Desert pool party featuring DJs like Dr. Fresch or Hotel Garuda, with luxe daybeds and piña coladas.
4. Savor Coachella-Inspired Cocktails
Thursdays before Coachella weekends (12-6 p.m.), Whole Foods in Palm Desert hosts a beer garden with craft ales, food pairings, live music, and vibes—$0.25 entry donates to the Whole Planet Foundation.
Wine lovers: Try downtown Palm Springs' Dead or Alive Bar, with its 1980s dark interior and fuchsia lighting.
For cocktails, Elixir Pool Bar & Grill at V Palm Springs offers Polynesian-inspired tiki mixology and an extensive vegetarian menu.
At The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage, State Fare Bar + Kitchen serves a Poker Face cocktail (pineapple juice, tequila, Cointreau, lime) nodding to Lady Gaga, plus Coachella Cooler with ginger syrup and Jameson. Edge Steakhouse features Prickly Pear tequila with shiso leaf.
5. Discover Your Own Music Festival
At the Hilton Palm Springs, Dayclub returns both Coachella weekends with daily pool parties and guests like Skrillex.
6. Recharge at World-Class Spas
Rejuvenate amid healing mineral waters at Greater Palm Springs spas—find your spa oasis in this chill destination.
7. Explore Desert X Art Installations
Grab a map at Ace Hotel for Desert X, a world-class art exhibition spanning the valley. Road-trip to installations. Fridays, visit parallel Desert Island exploring the Western Desert's resilience.
Don't miss our guide to experiencing Desert X on a four-hour tour.
8. Fly In Effortlessly
Avoid I-10 traffic: JetSuiteX offers $199 pop-up flights from Burbank (LAX area) to Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Thermal, near Indio fields, throughout April.
Extend the fun with our Spring Break for Adults in Greater Palm Springs guide.
