Steady growth
When: Festival lineup starts at noon Friday and goes nonstop until noon May 2. Preparty starts at noon Thursday.
Where: Lake Perris State Recreation Area, 17801 Lake Perris Drive, Perris
Tickets: $399for festival admission. Camping is $399-$3,299, plus $99 for Thursday arrival.
Information: deserthearts.us
Desert Hearts Festival returns Thursday through May 2to a new home at Lake Perris.
most amazing experience ever,” Lion said.
Since its inception, Desert Hearts has grown and moved to new locations, including its most consistent home, at Los Coyotes Indian Reservation, where the event had been held since 2014. The coronavirus pandemic scuttled any plans for the event in 2020 and 2021.
The festival also has branched out into a record label and a DJ collective under the Desert Hearts name that has put on about 600 shows all over the world, from the U.S. to Australia, Brazil, Germany and the United Arab Emirates.
And the new venue signifies yet another milestone in their growth, Lion said.
“It’s this unbelievable camping location. Tons of grass camping, tons of car camping. There’s all kinds of amenities we’ve never had before like fixed bathrooms and showers and access to water. Before, we literally had to bring every single thing, so now we’re using an established venue,” he said.
Lake Perris State Recreation Area, which is between Perris and Moreno Valley
in Riverside County, has hosted many festivals, including Desert Daze and Same Same But Different.
For the first time, Desert Hearts will have two stages: one next to the lake, where people can even swim during the daytime partying, and one in a grassy area for nighttime music. But music will play on only one stage at a time.
People also can expect to see familiar Desert Hearts features including art installations and fashion shows, plus new things like a speakeasy named Tonight’s Tavern, where there will be comedy and spoken word performances.
And while the festival continues to grow, Lion said even those who were there from the beginning can still expect to experience everything that made Desert Hearts enjoyable.
“The thing that really separates Desert Hearts from the rest of the festivals is the vibe. The vibe is just something that is so tangible you can cut it with a knife. It’s this love bubble that’s so powerful that when you’re in it and you’re on the dance floor you are just absorbed by this collective consciousness,” Lion said.