Desert Hearts has canceled the 2026 edition of the Desert Hearts Festival, citing the need to take a break to refill their creative cup and focus on music and more intimate experiences.
Desert Hearts has stood tall among the Southern California collectives looking to make waves in the dance music scene. From their humble beginnings in San Diego to their explosive growth over the past decade, this motley crew has embodied the ethos of house, techno, and love by providing memorable experiences along the way. While satellite events and tours have kept everyone dancing, their annual Desert Hearts Festival was a prize for many who would flock to the Southwest—but those plans have been put on pause for 2026.
After this year’s edition, Desert Hearts Festival announced the 2026 dates, and tickets went on sale soon after, but there’s been a change of plans: as the Desert Hearts crew took to social media to officially cancel the experience. The DH crew, which is currently composed of Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, and Marbs, has cited the need to cancel to “ensure the longevity of Desert Hearts,” as they detail in their social media post.
“We went into DHF 2025 with the intention of taking a break in 2026, but we ended up throwing the best Desert Hearts Festival ever. In the afterglow, we went on sale for 2026,” the Desert Hearts crew shared. “When we finally came back down, we realized what throwing a full-scale DHF next year meant, and we didn’t like how that looked for our artist paths and personal lives. We sincerely apologize for getting ahead of ourselves.”
The Desert Hearts crew went on to cite how difficult it is to throw a party on the scale of their festival, and that instead of being able to produce music or pursue other creative endeavors, they were glued to spreadsheets and Zoom calls. Recent years have brought additional hurdles for the festival, as they faced increased insurance costs and venue issues that led them to depart from Southern California and find a new home at Playa Ponderosa in Arizona.
This pause is a chance to refill our creative cup, rebuild the foundation of Desert Hearts, and ensure that every future event reflects the true heart of this family. While the festival rests, we’ll be channeling our energy into new music, our Love Bizaar parties, and if the stars align, a very special, intimate campout that brings us back to our roots.
Desert Hearts
Those who purchased passes for Desert Hearts Festival 2026 will receive a full refund within 1-3 business days. Stay tuned for more updates from the Desert Hearts crew by following their social media channels.