Desert Daze, the long-running experimental psych-rock festival that was scheduled to return to Lake Perris in October, has been canceled.
Desert Daze had just announced its lineup, which would include Jack White, Cigarettes After Sex and Mars Volta, a month ago. The festival, founded more than a decade ago as a roadhouse gig that grew into a major Southern California event drawing tens of thousands of people, was hoping for a spectacular return after taking a year off in 2023.
Festival founder Phil Pirrone, reached by phone the day before the announcement, said the sudden cancellation was largely due to economic reasons, from high production costs to lower-than-expected ticket sales.
“We’ve tried everything to avoid it, but this is a tough year for everyone. That goes from food to production costs,” Pirrone said. “I think it goes beyond the music industry. I think everything is just too expensive right now. You know the cost of putting on an event, whether it’s a small festival or a big one, no one is immune to that right now. If you compare the cost of putting on a festival even a few years ago, line by line, you just go, wow!”
Despite an enticing lineup of stadium-worthy rock, jazz and electronic acts, Pirrone said ticket sales, which started at $299, were not enough to cover the festival's costs.
Other major tours have had similar problems, including those of Jennifer Lopez, The Black Keys and The Fugees. While flashy new venues such as the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles are opening, this year's Coachella festival did not sell out in advance for the first time in years, and festivals around the world are reporting similar slowdowns in a crowded and expensive market.
According to Pollstar, in the United States, ticket sales for the top 100 tours fell by almost 15% compared to 2023 (although ticket prices rose by 9.4%).
“There is a lot of competition and growing pains are real,” Pirrone said. “Some festivals are doing well and there doesn’t seem to be a logic to which ones are and which ones aren’t. But there is a certain type of artist that thrives. [at Desert Daze] and a real cultural significance to this event, and that has always given me a great purpose.”
Money is pouring into the Southern California desert music economy, including the new Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert and the Yaamava' resort near Highland. But the past few years have tested Pirrone, a fixture of the high desert music scene and founder of the rock group JJUUJJUU.
Desert Daze's cancellation comes two years after a heated lawsuit over operations at beloved Pioneertown venue Pappy & Harriet's that involved the venue's new owner, Pirrone, and its festival's former co-promoter, Knitting Factory.
Pirrone said Desert Daze is not going away as a concert brand, though its flagship festival will undergo a major restructuring. Refunds for the festival will be available at point of sale for fans.
“I’m working on figuring out what our next step will be. That same spirit will be what drives it, but it may be different,” Pirrone said. “My heart goes out to the many great people who put their heart and soul into this event. A lot of people have put all their love into this for 10 years or more. I don’t think it’s just a paycheck for anybody. I really wanted to honor all those people, but I’m going to be OK and we’ll be back.”
