The Loop
Julianne Beffa
Splash House: LOOP Attended Palm Springs’ Hottest Poolside Playground
- By: Amber Rager & Monica Braun
Cooler Than Ever…
Palm Springs in August is not for the faint of heart. The heat doesn’t just wrap around you, it dares you to keep dancing. And at Splash House Weekend One, we did- in swimsuits, in sunglasses, in shallow water, with drinks sweating in our hands and basslines thumping under our feet.
From August 8–10, LOOP Mag packed up and headed to Splash House to watch the desert turn into an oasis of sound, style, and unapologetic hedonism. Three resorts, one after-hours venue, and a rotating roster of DJs created a weekend that blurred the line between pool party and music festival.
This wasn’t just an event. It was a scene.
Poolside Perfection
Splash House isn’t a festival you attend. It’s a world you slip into. Mornings start on sun-warmed balconies with a view of the turquoise pool below, and by the time you make it downstairs, the decks are already filled with beautiful strangers and beats.
Everywhere you looked, there was a mood board moment: a crew in banana costumes tossing themed floats into the water, race car guys in coordinated red shorts and lanyards, balconies draped with banners promising after-parties fueled by Casamigos. The crowd was equal parts fashion-forward and fun-first- think vintage mesh tanks, metallic bikinis, sporty shades, and enough body glitter to catch the light from every angle.
The Heat Hack
It’s Palm Springs in the dead of summer, which means you give up on perfect hair by noon and embrace the beauty of the pool plunge. The second the sun became unbearable, you’d slide into the water, balancing a frozen mojito while house music rippled across the surface.
Dancing and swimming weren’t separate activities here. They blended. One minute you were shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the stage, the next you were floating on a neon flamingo while the DJ played an edit you didn’t know you needed.
Soundtrack of the Summer
The lineup didn’t just deliver, it showed off.
ACRAZE opened with “Do It To It”-level infectiousness that set the tone for the weekend. Disco Lines kept the daytime vibe playful and cheeky. San Pacho brought Latin tech heat, while Eli Brown’s pulsing techno left no room for small talk.
TroyBoi’s set was pure chaos in the best possible way- bass-heavy, water-soaked, and cinematic, with dancers on shoulders and lights blinding like the climax of a Step Up movie. Westend and Wuki kept house grooves tight until sunset.
And the discoveries were just as memorable: Nostalgix’s fiery stage presence (yes, we ended up onstage, sunglasses down, dancing like we owned the place), Hayden James’s euphoric sets, 49th & Main’s indie-electronic sweetness, and a poolside surprise from Devault that felt straight out of a movie.
Poolside Dining, But Make It Worth It
Festival food rarely makes headlines, but Splash House rewrites that rule. Fresh fish tacos, dangerously good watermelon margaritas, truffle fries for sharing (or not), and the MVP- a minty, boozy frozen mojito that kept us coming back for more.
Brand activations kept things lively. 818 Tequila popped up with its own specialty bar, Beatbox set up shop at every resort with merch and chilled boxes, and Bailey’s handed out complimentary iced coffee and orange creamsicle samples to anyone who needed a pick-me-up. Even the hotel lobbies turned into mini food courts between sets.
Sunday Glow
By Sunday afternoon, the festival hit its sweet spot. The crowd was sun-kissed, blissed-out, and just tipsy enough to be swapping sunglasses with strangers.
Marten Hørger dropped a track that sent half the pool into the water and the other half into a synchronized sway on deck. The golden light bounced off the water like a spotlight, and for a moment it felt like we’d stepped into a perfect, endless summer.
After Hours Under the Stars
When the pool decks shut down, the night migrated to the Palm Springs Air Museum. Picture this: vintage planes glowing under red “Splash House” lights, strobe beams cutting through the desert sky, and a crowd that felt even more electric in the cooler night air.
We stopped for photos in front of the planes, grabbed drinks at bars framed by aviation displays, then dove into the crowd. Stickers reading “HOT” were everywhere, and a man in an Alice in Wonderland hat handed out tiny sprout accessories to his chosen favorites.
Diplo B2B BLOND:ISH owned the night, dropping smooth transitions, unexpected deep cuts, and a finale that left everyone smiling like they’d been let in on a secret.
The Boy Toy Twist
Weekend One also came with an unexpected subplot. Within 10 minutes of Friday’s first pool plunge, two married guys from a bachelor party swam over to chat. They introduced us to their single friends, including one tall, tan, dark-haired “shy” guy who stayed by our side all night.
By Sunday, he’d skipped his flight, bought us coffee for the drive back to LA, and ended up staying with us for two days. Festival flings aren’t supposed to be this efficient, but here we are.
Why It Works
Splash House isn’t trying to be Coachella, and that’s exactly why it works. The scale is intimate, the crowd feels like one big friend group, and the energy swings from blissful float sessions to sweaty, shoulder-to-shoulder dance breaks without missing a beat.
Yes, the heat is intense. Yes, you will lose at least one pair of sunglasses. But by the time the weekend ends, you’ll already be plotting your return- possibly with a new house playlist, a few new best friends, and maybe, if you’re lucky, a boy toy who follows you home.
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