Visitor Center for Palm Desert & Palm Springs

Palm Desert
Menu

Desert Events 2026

Greater Palm Springs & Palm Desert Events Calendar 2026: Concerts, Festivals & Things to Do

Looking for the ultimate guide to Palm Desert and Palm Springs events? As the desert temperatures shift, the regional entertainment calendar fills up with world-class arena concerts, Broadway productions, iconic street fairs, and vibrant arts festivals.

Whether you are a local resident or planning a vacation to Greater Palm Springs, here is your master chronological list of notable community events, major live music performances, and city festivals locked in for the rest of 2026.

☀️ Summer Events (June – August)

Beat the summer heat with early morning wildlife conservation programs, massive indoor arena concert tours, legendary pool parties, and brand-new cultural festivals.

  • June 9 – July 2, 2026: Summer ZooCamp at The Living Desert

    • Time: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

    • Location: The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (Palm Desert)

    • Details: A multi-week youth conservation and animal science program perfect for families looking for summer activities in Palm Desert.

  • June 11 – 22, 2026: Inaugural XOXO Palm Springs Arts Festival

    • Time: Full schedule varies daily

    • Location: Downtown Palm Springs / Historic Plaza Theatre (Palm Springs)

    • Details: A brand-new, vibrant 12-day citywide festival of music, film, live performance, visual arts, and immersive culinary experiences across Palm Springs.

  • June 17, 2026: Shakira Live in Concert

    • Time: 7:30 PM

    • Location: Acrisure Arena (Greater Palm Springs)

    • Details: Global pop icon Shakira brings her massive stadium tour to the desert.

  • June 19, 2026: Dive-In Movie Night & Pool Party

    • Time: 7:30 PM

    • Location: Palm Desert Aquatic Center (Palm Desert)

    • Details: A favorite local community pool party featuring an outdoor movie screening.

  • June 20, 2026: Bob Dylan Live

    • Time: 7:00 PM

    • Location: Acrisure Arena (Greater Palm Springs)

    • Details: An evening with the legendary classic rock and folk icon.

  • June 20, 2026: Star Party at the Monument

  • June 21, 2026: World Giraffe Day

  • June 27, 2026: Summer Vintage Flea Market

  • July 4, 2026: City of Palm Springs 4th of July Concert & Fireworks

    • Time: 3:00 PM gates open, 6:00 PM Palm Springs Power Baseball game, 9:15 PM Fireworks

    • Location: Palm Springs Stadium (Palm Springs)

    • Details: Iconic Independence Day celebrations featuring collegiate baseball, family fun, and synchronized fireworks over the stadium.

  • August 7 – 9 & August 14 – 16, 2026: Splash House Summer Series

    • Time: Pool parties run all day; After-hours events vary

    • Location: Renaissance, Margaritaville, and Saguaro Hotels (Palm Springs)

    • Details: The valley’s premier multi-weekend poolside music festival featuring world-class electronic dance music (EDM) artists and late-night museum after-parties.

  • August 8, 2026: Lionel Richie & Earth, Wind and Fire

    • Time: 7:30 PM

    • Location: Acrisure Arena (Greater Palm Springs)

    • Details: A massive co-headlining night of classic soul, funk, and pop hits.

  • August 29, 2026: Ramon Ayala Live

    • Time: 8:30 PM

    • Location: Acrisure Arena (Greater Palm Springs)

    • Details: A major showcase celebration of regional Mexican music.

🍂 Fall Festivals & Performing Arts (September – October)

As the autumn desert weather cools down, massive world-renowned weekend festivals return to downtown corridors and formal theater seasons begin.

  • September 2, 2026: Chicago & Styx

    • Time: 7:00 PM

    • Location: Acrisure Arena (Greater Palm Springs)

    • Details: A double-bill classic rock event in the Coachella Valley.

  • September 13, 2026: Weird Al Yankovic

    • Time: 7:30 PM

    • Location: Acrisure Arena (Greater Palm Springs)

    • Details: Family-friendly musical comedy and pop parodies.

  • September 23 – 27, 2026: Club Skirts Presents The Dinah

    • Time: Multiple day and night event times

    • Location: Margatitaville Resort / Various Venues (Palm Springs)

    • Details: The world’s largest music and entertainment festival for the LGBTQ+ lesbian community, pulling in visitors from around the globe.

  • September 25, 2026: Disney Descendants & Zombies: Worlds Collide

    • Time: 7:00 PM

    • Location: Acrisure Arena (Greater Palm Springs)

    • Details: An arena-sized dance and music production geared heavily toward kids and families.

  • September 26, 2026: Maná Live

    • Time: 8:00 PM

    • Location: Acrisure Arena (Greater Palm Springs)

    • Details: An evening of iconic rock en español from the legendary Mexican rock band.

  • October 3, 2026: The Doo Wop Project

    • Time: 8:00 PM

    • Location: McCallum Theatre (Palm Desert)

    • Details: Classic vocal harmonies officially kicking off the 2026 Palm Desert theater season.

  • October 15, 2026: Aida Cuevas

    • Time: 7:00 PM

    • Location: McCallum Theatre (Palm Desert)

    • Details: A passionate performance of traditional Mariachi by the “Queen of Ranchera.”

  • October 16 – 18, 2026: Palm Springs Modernism Show (Fall Edition)

    • Time: Opening night reception Friday; Show hours Saturday & Sunday

    • Location: Palm Springs Convention Center (Palm Springs)

    • Details: Mid-century modern design enthusiasts gather to shop vintage 20th-century furniture, art, and jewelry alongside home architectural tours.

  • October 25, 2026: 62nd Annual Palm Desert Golf Cart Parade

    • Time: Festivities start at 8:00 AM | Parade steps off at 12:00 PM

    • Location: El Paseo Shopping District / Golf Cart Parade Route (Palm Desert)

    • Details: Palm Desert’s signature annual community parade! Thousands gather on luxury shopping street El Paseo to watch local schools, marching bands, charities, and businesses roll down the boulevard in wildly decorated golf carts.

🏙️ Weekly Nightly Tradition: Palm Springs VillageFest

Every single Thursday night (7:00 PM – 10:00 PM during summer hours), downtown Palm Springs closes its main corridor for Palm Springs VillageFest. It features more than 180 vendors showcasing art, handcrafted crafts, artisan food, and live street musicians.

🎵 Local Palm Desert Tradition: Free Concerts in the Park

Palm Desert activates its weekly Free Fall Concert Series every Thursday night in October at the Civic Center Park Amphitheater. Bring your lawn chairs and picnics! Lineup drop occurs in early September.

❄️ Winter & Holiday Season Events (November)

November in the desert brings award-winning Broadway tours, stand-up comedy, spectacular hot air balloon spectacles, and massive pride celebrations.

  • November 1, 2026: & Juliet Broadway Tour

    • Time: 1:00 PM

    • Location: McCallum Theatre (Palm Desert)

    • Details: The hit, modern, pop-infused Broadway musical production makes its Palm Desert stop.

  • November 4, 2026: Tom Papa Live

    • Time: 7:00 PM

    • Location: McCallum Theatre (Palm Desert)

    • Details: A night of hilarious, observational stand-up comedy.

  • November 6 – 8, 2026: Greater Palm Springs Pride Festival

    • Time: Festival opens Friday evening; Parade rolls Sunday at 10:00 AM

    • Location: Downtown Palm Springs / Palm Canyon Drive (Palm Springs)

    • Details: One of the largest LGBTQ+ pride celebrations in California, complete with continuous block-party music stages, artisan marketplaces, and a massive parade down Palm Canyon Drive.

  • November 7, 2026: Indigo Girls

    • Time: 8:00 PM

    • Location: McCallum Theatre (Palm Desert)

    • Details: An intimate folk-rock concert performance.

  • November 11, 2026: Straight No Chaser

    • Time: 7:00 PM

    • Location: McCallum Theatre (Palm Desert)

    • Details: A captivating, holiday-adjacent contemporary a cappella performance.

  • November 13, 2026: Los Tigres del Norte

    • Time: 8:00 PM

    • Location: Acrisure Arena (Greater Palm Springs)

    • Details: A massive Norteño music stadium concert event.

  • November 13–15, 2026: Cathedral City Hot Air Balloon Festival

    • Time: Event times vary by day (TBA)

    • Location: Cathedral City Community Amphitheater (Located directly between the Palm Springs and Palm Desert borders)

    • Details: A massive valley-wide weekend tradition featuring tethered hot air balloon rides, stunning nighttime balloon glows, live musical entertainment, and local food trucks.

  • November 24, 2026: The Who’s Tommy Broadway Musical

    • Time: 7:00 PM

    • Location: McCallum Theatre (Palm Desert)

    • Details: The high-energy classic rock opera theatrical production live on stage.

Scroll to Top