XOXO Palm Springs festival kicks off Thursday with free event at Plaza Theatre
The launch party offers a first look at the 12-day citywide arts and culture festival set for June 11–22.
Palm Springs residents are invited to attend a free launch event Thursday evening at the historic Plaza Theatre downtown, offering an introduction to XOXO Palm Springs — a new 12-day citywide festival of music, film, performance, visual arts, architecture, food, storytelling, and immersive experiences scheduled for June 11–22.
Doors open at 5 p.m. and the program begins at 6 p.m. at the theater located at 128 South Palm Canyon Dr..
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The evening will include live performances by The Flamingo Girls, Sweet Baby J’ai, and Mikael Healey with special guest Anna, along with a preview of the artists and experiences planned for the inaugural festival.
Palm Springs City Councilmember Jeffrey Bernstein said the festival reflects what local arts and culture organizations already recognized about the city’s offerings.
“XOXO Palm Springs is a unique concept brought by the arts and culture organizations in our community,” Bernstein said. “They recognized that our city has a greater depth and breadth of offerings than many larger cities.
“We have four major museums and several others, over 70 live music venues, a dozen film festivals, five theater companies, two symphonies, two large choral groups, two dance companies, more than 100 galleries and studios. Plus, major cultural events such as Palm Springs International Film Festival, Greater Palm Springs Pride, and Modernism Week.”
XOXO Palm Springs is described as a citywide celebration, with programming expected to take place across galleries, theaters, boutique hotels, and outdoor spaces throughout the city.
The festival will also serve as a lead-in to the PS/NExT Summit 2026, a two-day event focused on artificial intelligence, emerging technology, and innovation scheduled for June 22–23 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
The summit is presented by the City of Palm Springs Office of Economic Development and the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, and builds on the sold-out 2025 Palm Springs AI & Creativity Expo.
Programming at the summit will be organized into six tracks covering AI literacy, small business tools, education and workforce development, creator-focused AI experiences, business “Vibe-a-thons,” and GenJam creative sprints exploring AI-powered film, music, and visual art.
Featured speakers include Rob Minkoff, co-director of Disney’s The Lion King; Emmy-nominated storyteller Baratunde Thurston; AI artist Kelley Boesch; Philip Su, a distinguished engineer at xAI and former OpenAI engineer; and artists Cristopher Cichocki and Glen Wexler.
Coachella Valley residents may register for the summit at a community rate of $95 for both days, with free participation opportunities available for students and educators through sponsored programs.
Thursday’s launch event at the Plaza Theatre is free and open to all. More information on the festival is available at XOXOPalmSprings.com, and summit registration details can be found at PalmSpringsNext.com.
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