Update: Desert Daze will not take place in 2023. Instead, Desert Daze organizers will sponsor a 6-day concert series at various venues around LA in October. See the Home link below for details. Organizers say the full festival will be back in 2024.
Desert Daze is a relatively small, about 2,000 capacity festival that takes place at the Lake Perris Park in the California Desert between Riverside and Hemet. It is one of the camping oriented festivals that combines the notion of a weekend retreat with a music festival. It is not exclusive to music as there is a thriving art community out in the region. It was founded by Phil Pirrone, a creative director and a musician who leads the band JJUUJJUU, as a reaction to the commercialization of music festivals. It has been playing it straight by curating its sponsors carefully based on their impact on the music business. It has also built a reputation for being the kind of festival that encourages oddball and experimental acts.