Paula Abdul will perform during the White Party’s “Big Top Circus T-Dance” in Palm Springs May 1. (Photo by Sarah Krick, from whitepartyglobal.com)
The White Party is returning to Palm Springs, California April 29-May 1.
The White Party Palm Springs is an annual multi-day music festival and the largest gay circuit party in the U.S. The event typically brings more than 30,000 to California’s desert resort city every year for a series of pool parties during the day and epic dance parties at night.
The event was first launched in 1990 by event organizer Jeffrey Sanker, who passed away in May 2021, and has grown into White Party Global, which hosts LGBTQ events around the world throughout the year. After postponing, first due to COVID-19 then after the passing of Sanker, White Party Palm Springs returns to the desert after a two-year hiatus.
“When we lost Jeffrey to cancer last year it was hard for all of us. We just really miss him,” says Chris Diamond, executive producer of White Party Global. “But he made it very clear to me, whatever you do don’t stop the party. He wanted the party to continue on, and he said don’t make it sad.”
Diamond and Sanker were friends for more than 25 years, with Diamond coming on to work the White Party for the last 10 years. Prior to that, he would join Sanker as a guest of the event coming out to enjoy the parties.
“The White Party was the first of its kind,” Diamond says. “When you talk about history, it got started in 1989 where Jeffrey just got 500 of his closest friends together for a weekend party in the desert and 32 years into the event it attracts over 30,000 people. At the time, the city of Palm Springs was not necessarily known for being a gay friendly city and now it is known for being one of the gay-friendliest cities in the whole United States, maybe in the world. I think a lot of that is due to the White Party.”
This year’s event host hotel, and the setting for each day’s Soaked! Pool Party, is the Hilton Palm Springs. The weekend kicks off Friday night with a rainforest-themed Rio party called “Jungle Cruzin” at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The party returns to the convention center Saturday night with its traditional event where everyone wears white. This year’s theme is inter-dimensional superheroes and is called “Eternal.” The weekend’s circuits close out Sunday with “Big Top Circus T-Dance,” an outdoor party that starts in the afternoon and goes on into the wee hours of the morning. Diamond says that there will be a tribute to Sanker during the weekend.
The weekend will also have some great entertainers as well. On Saturday, U.K. singing sensation Raye will perform during the “Eternal” party. The singer-songwriter is best known for her hit singles “By Your Side” and “You Don’t Know Me.” On Sunday, the “Big Top Circus T-Dance” will feature two performers: Israeli singer-songwriter and 2018’s Eurovision Song Contest winner Netta and the Grammy-winning superstar Paula Abdul, who has not only topped the Billboard Hot 100 six times but became a pop culture icon as a judge on the first eight seasons of “American Idol.”
As far as safety, Diamond says they will follow whatever local and state COVID protocols are in place at the time.
“We have had several meetings with Palm Springs already and they are keeping us updated on what the protocol is and we will follow whatever they advise to keep people safe and healthy,” he says.
White Party Palm Springs will be April 29-May 1 at the Hilton Palm Springs. Weekend passes start at $395. For more information on events and to purchase tickets, go to WhitePartyGlobal.com.
