White Party Palm Springs set for return in April, tickets now on sale – The Desert Sun
Get ready for non-stop dance parties featuring international DJs and more, because the largest gay circuit party, White Party Palm Springs, is set to return this spring.
White Party Palm Springs will be held from April 29 to May 1 at the Palm Springs Convention Center and the Hilton Palm Springs
Traditionally, the party takes place over three days from Friday to Sunday with a series of pool and dance parties. The weekend usually kicks off with a theme party on Friday night.
On Saturday, guests are encouraged to dress in white. White Party also features internationally renowned DJs and music artists. Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga performed in recent years.
This year’s The White Party Eternal event on Saturday will feature DJs Rick Braile, Chris Turina and Phil Ramaono, and the closing party on Sunday night features DJs Joe Gauthreaux and Mauro Mozart.
It’ll be the first in-person event in three years following the death of founder Jeffrey Sanker in June, and after the event was rescheduled multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. White Party Palm Springs typically attracts more than 30,000 attendees during the Coachella Valley’s spring season.
“It is an honor to continue White Party Palm Springs for my dear friend Jeffrey,” said White Party Global Executive Producer Chris Diamond in a prepared statement.
Sanker, who was 65, had his family with him when he died in June at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles after a long battle with liver cancer, reported the Los Angeles Blade.
Sanker drew attention last year when he hosted a New Year’s Eve event at a resort in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, according to the Los Angeles Blade. The LGBT news source reported that Sanker asked attendees not to reveal the party’s location and “not to share photos or video of the event on social media.” Authorities in the state of Nayarit told the Blade the event didn’t go against issued health orders at the time.
The L.A.-based promoter helped make Palm Springs the gay-friendly city it is now. When he launched the Palm Springs White Party in 1990, many states still enforced anti-sodomy laws. The event turned into one of the biggest gay circuit parties in the world.
“Jeffrey Sanker was the person who brought the big numbers to town,” Craig Prater, former director of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, previously told the Desert Sun. “He filled hotels, restaurants with great numbers. As a result, gay men came back to the desert because of their fun at Jeffrey’s events.”
In 2014, Sanker was honored with a star on The Palm Springs Walk of Stars, which recognizes notable individuals who have contributed to the cultural and or civic life of Palm Springs. The star remains in front of LuLu California Bistro.
During the ceremony, Sanker was called a “humanitarian and pioneer.”
“He brought entertainment here that was top level,” Ron Oden, former mayor of Palm Springs, said at the time. “That continued to make the name Palm Springs prominent, not only in California and the United States, but throughout the world.”
If you go
What: White Party Palm Springs
When: April 29 through May 1
Where: Hilton Palm Springs, 400 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs and Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs
Cost: $375 to $450
More information: whitepartyglobal.com
Previous reporting by Desert Sun staff writer Maria Sestito was used in this story.
Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye. Support local news, subscribe to The Desert Sun.