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- Published February, 2020
Gay Guide to White Party Palm Springs
Your Gay Guide to White Party Palm Springs
White Party is an annual gay dance party 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 festivals in the United States.
In this guide, 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 more.
When is White Party Palm Springs?
White Party 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.
The entire pool area is lined with cabanas and pop-up bars. The energy is incredibly fun as everyone socializes and dances and hangs out in the water. The energy is super high!
The main stage is set up just next to the pool, where a live DJ and dancers perform all afternoon.
Nighttime parties are hosted at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The space is very large and accommodates the crowd nicely.
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!
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What is White Party Like?
White Party is certainly carefree. After all, it’s a vacation weekend in paradise! People are friendly and eager to meet other guys.
There’s a relaxed vibe since the weather is warm and people are dancing under the desert sun! I found it very easy to make friends at White Party.
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 21 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!
White Party 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 ant parties is mandatory. I’ll fill you in. The trends for White Party Palm Springs are a bit different than those for White Party in Miami.
White Party 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.
Given that most people dress quite scantily at these parties, sometimes men only carry a fun circuit party accessory.
Most importantly, everyone does in fact wear white at the White Party main event. Most wear some sort of white trunks or shorts. In 2019, the theme of the White Party main event was “gods.” Many gung-ho partiers added some rather elaborate accessories to their look.
I certainly recommend making sure you have something white to wear. I recommend a pair of jockstrap-like white underwear as well as some white tube socks with stripes along the top, if that’s your style.
For more inspirational options, check out my list of the best gay underwear and jockstrap brands.
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.
Where to Stay in Palm Springs for White Party
Many men choose to stay in the Hilton Palm Springs, the host hotel for WPPS. Staying directly next to the parties definitely has its perks
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.
Here are some easy ways to save money on Airbnb and VRBO.
White Party Gay Travel Tips
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. However, note that the Convention Center will not allow backpacks inside.
So, whatever you are bringing, make sure you can keep it in your pockets. I had to ditch a little drawstring bag that I thought I would be able to bring to the party. The convention center is quite strict. For some useful wearable accessories, check out this list of essential gay circuit party gear.
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 plenty of selection.
If you can afford to take the time, 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.
For more tips, see wolfyy’s Palm Springs gay guide.
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 destinations.
