Took a trip to Palm Springs this weekend to experience the two-day Desert Air Music Festival hosted by Splash House and Goldenvoice. An easy drive from Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego this festival should be on your list for 2022! The lineup featured a roster of rising and iconic house music acts at the Palm Springs Air Museum.
Daytime Activities at Desert Air Music Festival
We got an early start to our Saturday morning with Rooftop Yoga & Sound Bath in Downtown Palm Springs. With the view of the beautiful mountain range and palm trees around us, it was an amazing way to relieve tension and get in vacation mode. The class was led by an instructor and yoga mats were available for everyone. No prior yoga experience was needed as the instructor led us through a light workout designed to relax the body. After one final stretch, we dove right into a sound bath treatment that gave us a new appreciation for the power of music.
For our second activity of the day, we picked Poolside Mezcal tasting at the Saguaro hotel. The tasting was very relaxed as you could walk around and taste as many drinks as you like. After doing a round of tasting we head to the pool area at the Saguaro where a DJ was playing. Whenever we were ready for another round we had access to the tasting area for as long as they were open.
The daytime activities offered at Desert Air were one of my favorite parts of the weekend. with most festivals, if you are not part of camping you do not have access to any daytime activities. We felt like we were at the festival all day as each activity was filled with attendees and house music was being played at every stop.
Venue
Getting in and out of the Palm Springs Air Museum was quick and easy. No parking is available at the venue but shuttles are available at the Palm Springs Convention center to very quickly take you to and back from the festival. Amazing planes surrounded the walkways and multiple art attractions gave you plenty more spots to take photos with your friends.
Credits: Natt Lim
What to pack for Desert Air Music Festival & Weather
Sunny California provided us with great weather for the weekend. Sunny morning to afternoon were perfect for the yoga and poolside activities. Make sure to pack sunscreen, swimsuits, thin long sleeves, and a portable charger as you may be away from your hotel for most of the day. The desert weather brought some cold nights! Come dressed in layers and bring a pair of light gloves to keep your fingers warm while holding your favorite drink. As long as you are prepared for the cold it was not a problem.
Areas that could use improvement
I have little to no complaints about Desert Air, everything was well organized and operated smoothly. Lines at the bars and shuttles took no more than a few minutes so you could always enjoy the music or walk around with no worries. The only area i’d like to see improved for next year is louder sound. The speakers in place provided great quality music but on day one of the festival, the sound was a bit too low which made hearing other people’s conversations distracting. By day two it seemed like the sound levels were brought up and by Saturday’s headlining set it was the perfect level.
Final thoughts
If you are a fan of house music, you should definitely take a trip to Desert Air! The overall cost of the festival and its activities are very fairly priced. Hotels and BNBs are available at nearly every price point. I look forward to coming back to the festival next year and also keeping an eye on Splash House which takes place in Palm Springs as well. Follow @DesertAir on Instagram to keep up with announcements for 2022!
Credits: Quinn Tucker (Quasar Media)