White Party Palm Springs: Everything You Need to Know
White Party is an annual gay festival held in the famously gay-friendly town of Palm Springs, California.
A wild weekend of back-to-back circuit parties and poolside dancing, White Party Palm Springs is one of the most popular gay circuit events in the United States.
In the sections below, I’ll tell you all about what gay travelers should expect at White Party, the most popular places to stay, the party’s host hotel, what to wear, and even some travel tips.
When is White Party Palm Springs?
White Party in Palm Springs typically spans a long weekend in late April/early May. Events begin early Friday afternoon with the signature opening pool party. See this year’s exact dates on the White Party Official Website.
Parties continue through all of Saturday and Sunday and the closing party extends into the early hours of Monday morning.
White Party Event Locations
The Hilton Hotel Palm Springs hosts White Party each year. The daytime pool parties are here at the Hilton Hotel pool and are definitely my favorite part of the weekend.
Pop-up bars and cabana beds the pool area, leaving a ton of space to dance and socialize. The energy is incredibly fun and it’s pretty easy to meet people by the pool.
The main stage is set up just next to the pool, where a live DJ, drag queens, and dancers perform all afternoon.
Nighttime parties are hosted at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The space is huge and nicely accommodates the crowd.
There are adequate bathroom facilities, powerful air conditioning, and plenty of bar staff. It is a relief that you never have to wait for more than a few minutes in line!
What's White Party Like?
The vibe at White Party Palm Springs is carefree and relaxed, especially during the daytime events. After all, it’s a party weekend in paradise!
People are friendly and eager to meet new friends. I found it very easy to find my way into conversations with new people.
Here’s a little clip of one of the White Party 2019 performances at the outdoor concert.
Since the prices of White Party tickets are not exactly cheap, the crowd tends to be primarily between 30 and 40 years of age. There are relatively few guys younger than 25 at the event.
I met many working professionals while in Palm Springs and I even ran into some friends I met at other party-driven events like Tel Aviv Pride!
Evening dance parties are quite intense. They play primarily circuit music with dark, heavy beats. World-renowned circuit DJs usually play, like DJ Nina Flowers, DJ Dan Slater, and about a dozen more.
The pool party dance music is a bit more lyrical, with some pop songs mixed into the party’s beats for the daytime vibe.
What to Wear to White Party Palm Springs
You may be wondering if wearing white at all of the parties is mandatory. Below I’ll explain the consensus for each event. The trends for White Party Palm Springs are a bit different than those for White Party in Miami.
White Party in Palm Springs has themed nights which they announce in advance. Attendees largely follow the planned themes. In 2019, one dance party was military-themed and the majority of men had some sort of themed clothing on.
Everyone does actually wear white at the White Party main event. Most wear some sort of white trunks or shorts. In 2019, the theme of the main event was “gods” and lots of people wore some rather elaborate accessories.
I certainly recommend making sure you have something white to wear. I recommend a pair of sexy white underwear, a white elastic harness, and maybe some white tube socks if it works with your outfit.
wolfyy’s Gay White Party Outfits idea list has a bunch more inspirational ideas. You can also check out my recommended gay circuit gear.
If you don’t have time to order something online in advance, there are plenty of shops in Palm Springs that sell gay party-themed clothing and accessories.
GayMart, Bear Wear, and other adorable shops in Palm Springs sell harnesses, white shorts, and tank tops. They are all clustered together on East Arenas Road.
Related → The Ultimate Gay Harness Guide
Where to Stay for White Party
Many men choose to stay at the Hilton Palm Springs, the host hotel for WPPS. Staying directly next to the parties definitely has its perks.
There are also a ton of clothing optional gay resorts in Palm Springs only a short walk or drive away from the Hilton.
I personally booked a Palm Springs VRBO vacation rental with friends, not too far away. Our own place afforded us more space, a private pool and jacuzzi, a large yard, and a full kitchen.
If you have a group of friends headed to White Party, book a vacation home rental! We were only four minutes away by car to the convention center.
Related → Ways to save money on Airbnb and VRBO.
White Party Gay Travel Tips
Convention Center Clothing Check & Security
The Convention Center parties will have a clothing check available, so you can store any shorts, electronics, or other items you’d like to keep aside. But, the Convention Center specifically will not allow backpacks inside.
Whatever you are bringing into the party, make sure you can fit it all in your pockets. I had to throw away a little drawstring bag that I thought I would be able to bring to the party and leave at the clothing check. The convention center is quite strict and wouldn’t allow this.
Useful Accessories for White Party
A couple of wearable gay party accessories that I find convenient for situations like this are zipper sweatbands to wear on your wrists or a pair of zipper socks.
The clothing and accessories sold in the stores on East Arenas Road are not expensive! It may make more sense to wait until you arrive in Palm Springs to pick out your outfit.
I bought some extra white items the day before the main party and there was still a decent selection.
Prepare for the Long Weekend
If you can afford to take the time off, a recovery day after the long weekend is a smart idea. I found myself running on little sleep, and by the end of the weekend, I was ready for some rest.
Many of my friends took an extra day off of work to have a day to decompress and prepare for the work week ahead.
Sometimes it sounds like a great idea to go straight from a red-eye flight to the office, but you will thank yourself later if you can work remotely or take an extra vacation day.
Not sure what to wear to WPPS? Get inspiration from wolfyy’s White Party outfits idea list on Amazon.
Also, don’t miss these awesome Palm Springs clothing optional gay resorts!
Want more gay festival ideas? Here’s a list of more than 40 gay circuit parties around the world.
Explore even more with wolfyy’s full list of gay travel guides.
