Splash House turns 10 and turns it up

FESTIVALS

The series of desert pool parties has broadened its scope steadily

Splash House got its start in 2013, and for its 10th iteration, which unfolds through August, some of the DJs who were there at the beginning are returning. COURTESY OF BLAKE DARYAIE

The Splash House series of gatherings in Palm Springs brings together DJs, sunshine, hotel pools, drinks and more, including nighttime parties, for thousands of participants. COURTESY OF KRISTINA BAKREVSKI

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By Holly Alvarado

halvarado@scng.com

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Splash House summer concert series in Palm Springs is honoring the past while toasting the present and looking to the future.

The series takes over a trio of hotels including the Renaissance Palm Springs, Margaritaville Resort Palm Springs and The Saguaro Palm Springs from Friday through June 11, Aug. 11-13 and Aug. 18-20. These 21-or-older events will feature live music, drinks and poolside activities. There are also after-hours parties scheduled at the Palm Springs Air Museum.

The June edition of the fest will include performances by Armand Van Helden, Ash Lauryn, Black Loops, Bones, Bontan, Chelina Manuhutu, Chromeo (DJ set), Dennis Ferrer, DJ Susan, Gerd Janson, Gordo, Heidi Lawden b2b Masha Mar, HoneyLuv, Matt Sassari, Maximo, Nic Fanciulli, Purple Disco Machine, Ranger Trucco, The Knocks (DJ set), The Sponges and others.

The 10th anniversary lineup is diverse and includes old friends and past performers, even a few that were part of the inaugural run in 2013.

For Tyler McLean, creator and founder of Splash House, it definitely feels like everything has fallen into place for this anniversary, and he’s hoping to provide a summer event that fans won’t soon forget.

“It’s certainly a bit surreal that we’ve been doing this for 10 years,” he said with a laugh during a recent Zoom interview. “It’s a great time to just be reflective and celebrate this milestone because there’s not a lot of events that can stay around for 10 years. I believe it’s a great testament to (Splash House) and everyone who’s been involved. But, most importantly, it’s a moment for fans and the community that has been created over the event. So it’s a special era for us, and it feels great.”

The evolution of Splash House was a slow, steady rise, McLean said, yet it succeeded in bringing in bigger crowds and names as the years went on. And since 2018, it’s sold out every weekend, drawing more than 7,000 fans to the desert.

A Palm Springs local, McLean and friends formed Splash House as an independent party to create something fresh and unique for their hometown.

Even in the early days of creating the summer series, McLean knew it was perfect as festive, poolside events. There was no master template on how it would unfold, but he said they did have a vision to mix house music with the desert. And that’s worked so far.

“Each year, we brought on different layers of production to after-hour parties, decorating and activations,” McLean said. “As time has passed, we’ve grown and evolved into something we never thought possible. It seems like fans spread the good gospel of what we’re doing each year and it builds from there. We’ve tried so many different things over the years, but we feel like now more than ever, Splash House has become its own entity and we cherish that.”

In recent years, Splash House has expanded from two weekends to three, serving up a mix of big-name talent and emerging artists. It’s also grown to include the after-parties, which require a separate ticket. This Friday’s party will include a performance by Grammy-winning DJ Purple Disco Machine and Heidi Lawden b2b Masha Mar, and Saturday will feature Gordo performing in front of the open-air dance floor with a stunning view of the San Jacinto Mountains.

As part of the expansion, concert promoter Goldenvoice has become a Splash House partner. The team is also preparing ways for fans to connect more with the city, coordinating tastings at spots like Sandfish Sushi and Whiskey in Palm Springs and hosting events at bars and vintage shops neighboring the hotels. There’s also offer a complimentary shuttle service so fans can more easily reach participating venues.

Though the complete programming has yet to be released, promoters are directing fans to Instagram for updates on other events and the lineups for the remaining dates in the series. Aside from the three main hotels, fans can also stay at Mahala, a new boutique hotel a block from the Margaritaville, which will have rooms exclusive to Splash House guests.

As for the future of Splash House, McLean wants to keep the spirit of the three-day weekend festival in the heart of Palm Springs. He notes that the beauty of Splash House is not having a road map. Instead, the team takes it day by day, organically building upon past events and looking forward to improving shows and experiences for fans.

“Right now, it’s so important to have the mindset of ‘no rush, let’s do this at our own pace’ because that mentality is what brought us success,” McLean said. “Of course, were always trying to figure out ways to build with programming and our lineups, but it’s about making moments special for fans when they attend our events and how we can achieve that. For now, that’s where we’re at and we’re happy to be here.”