Desert Hearts Festival coming to Playa Ponderosa, Arizona

Desert Hearts is proud to announce the dates and venue of its famed boutique house and techno festival experience, taking place July 4-8 at Playa Ponderosa – a remarkable private property located just outside Flagstaff, Arizona in the natural splendour of Coconino National Forest. Returning to its roots, Desert Hearts Festival will rekindle the magic and freedom felt at its earlier Southern California instalments in partnership with the celebrated Phoenix-based event outfit, Walter Productions.

Desert Hearts is the festival, globally touring DJ crew, record label and creative community that grew from humble roots in the Mojave desert to one of the electronic music landscape’s most recognizable brands over the last twelve years. Helmed by four best friends – Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs and Porky – Desert Hearts has become synonymous with a free-spirited DIY ethos, offering a welcomed alternative to the commercially dominated North American events landscape.

The Desert Hearts community has long beckoned for the festival to return to the original renegade atmosphere felt at its prodigal home of Los Coyotes Indian Reservation. By partnering with Walter Productions and moving to Playa Ponderosa, the event will be able to regain its around-the-clock music programming, move back to its foundational ‘one-stage, one-vibe’ format, and showcase its unique festival layout: an interconnected arena of theme camps, live painters, installations, and art cars that border the entire dance floor – with the added ambience of the majestic Ponderosa Pines and spectacular views of Flagstaff’s San Francisco Peaks.

In Mikey Lion of Desert Hearts’ own words, “Join us as we write the next chapter of Desert Hearts Festival history on July 4th weekend in Flagstaff, AZ, amidst mountains and pine trees! Our new venue, the incredible Playa Ponderosa, is an intimate and beautiful property owned by friends familiar with the classic DH vibe. The theme of this festival is reconnecting with our roots and embracing the essence of what made Desert Hearts so special during our time at the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation from 2014 to 2019.

This means an intimate and free environment with One Stage, One Vibe playing the full spectrum of House & Techno music nonstop all weekend. We are excited to be teaming up with our twin flame community, the Walter Fam, who you may know from their unreal venues in Phoenix, Walter Where?House and Walter Studios, or their incredible Camp Walter at Burning Man that is host to a fleet of radical art carts. We can’t wait to create unforgettable memories under the starry sky as we dance, connect, and celebrate the spirit of freedom, love, unity, and endless possibility! House, Techno, & Love… We Are All Desert Hearts.”

Desert Hearts and Walter have been fostering a relationship and throwing parties together for over a decade. Walter is known for its fleet of art cars, most famously ‘Walter’, the world’s largest VW Bus forged from a retired fire truck which made its Burning Man debut in 2009. Walter now sits at the centre of a thriving Phoenix art scene. The creative venture has expanded to multiple venues including Walter Where? House, Walter Studios, and Walter Station Brewery brought its art cars to Bonnaroo, EDC, and Life is Beautiful as well as nurtured its nonprofit organization, Walter Hive, that promotes healing and creativity through art and fabrication programs. 

“Everyone at Walter Productions is excited to bring the Desert Hearts Festival to Arizona.  We have collaborated with Desert Hearts for more than 10 years and together we’ve grown an amazing extended family. Walter has been part of the festival scene for many years and we can safely say there is no better venue than Playa Ponderosa.” – Kirk Strawn of Walter Productions

Desert Hearts Festival 2024 fittingly takes over July 4th weekend to redefine what it means to be truly free under the azure skies and vibrant sunrises and sunsets over the scenic wilderness of Coconino National Forest.

For Tickets and More Information on the Desert Hearts Festival Visit: https://desertheartsfestival.us/

Back to top