This year’s edition of Splash House delivered an epic second weekend distinguished by top-tier talent, mesmerizing mixes, and grade-A attendees.
Founded by siblings and Palm Springs locals Tyler and Kelly McLean in 2013, Splash House has just completed its 12th year of operation. I had the pleasure of attending Weekend Two of the festival’s 2025 installment. From August 15-17, world-renowned dance acts Max Styler, Claude VonStroke, Boys Noize, Disclosure, Sofi Tukker, and Cloonee, among others, played exceptionally tasteful DJ sets across four venues: three hotels and one Palm Springs Air Museum.
As always, the vibes were high at the Saguaro, the Riviera, and the Renaissance. The Saguaro offered a chiller environment, the Renaissance assumed the main stage role, and the Riviera was a rambunctious middle ground. When they’re all combined, nothing beats swim attire, cold beverages, and house music. I especially noted the high-quality attendees at this year’s festival. Everyone was out to help each other have a good time.
I have no critiques on Splash House’s daytime festivities this year, except that I wish Emmit Fenn enjoyed a larger turnout at Saguaro on Saturday. His climactic mash-up of Drake‘s world-famous “Pound Cake” sample layered atop “Control” deserved peak attendance. Unfortunately, set time conflicts are largely unavoidable, and by then, everyone was already hurrying to catch Max Styler tear it up at the Renaissance.
As expected, Styler absolutely crushed it during his headline performance, although the master mix, as heard by the audience, could definitely have been louder. Hopefully, by next year, Renaissance’s sound system will match its main stage appeal.
The daytime festivities during the second weekend of Splash House were exceptional. The ultimate driver of the festival’s long-built community, however, happens at the Palm Springs Air Museum, with everyone in one place.
During the first night at the always impressive Palm Springs Air Museum, budding electronic tastemaker DJ Strawbry “opened the festival gates” with Splash House Weekend Two’s first taste of music. Fans then packed out the airplane-hangar-turned-dance music venue in anticipation of Disclosure’s looming midnight appearance.
Prior to Disclosure, however, London native Max Dean spent 90 minutes tending the decks to a now overflowing sea of festival attendees. As Dean’s set neared its end, the evening’s final opener made the long-awaited introduction to England’s beloved dance duo in memorable fashion.
He played out the famed sample from motivational speaker Eric Thomas‘ 2011 podcast recording, “Episode 30: Rope-A-Dope,” that Disclosure popularized on a global level with their massive 2013 hit, “When A Fire Starts To Burn.” As the duo took over and dove straight into the crowd favorite, I quickly realized Howard Lawrence would not be joining his brother Guy onstage to complete the duo.
Still, 50% of Disclosure played with 150% gusto. Guy kept the energy relentlessly high from start to finish, delivering on all of the hits, while also taking the liberty to drop unexpected gems, like the Molella and Phil Jay-produced 1997 Gala track “Freed From Desire.” Of course, as 2am neared, Guy took his sweet time teasing the beginning of “Latch,” and the crowd ate it up.
On night two, Los Angeles-bred JAINORMIS and emerging Argentine producer Discip set the stage for Cloonee.
The lattermost artist’s catalog is a pretty granular, percussion-intensive offshoot of modern tech house in that the low-end production intricacies are what make his music so interesting, listenable, and danceable.
Unless you were situated in the direct path of the stage’s subwoofers, you likely weren’t catching the essential rhythmic and melodic components that make Cloonee who he is. Wherever you were standing in the venue, however, you were bestowed an absolute treat upon hearing the British DJ rinse his and FEZZO‘s unreleased edit of MGMT‘s “Kids.”
The second weekend of Splash House most definitely ended on a high note. The notes just could have been a little bit louder, is all.
Splash House isn’t going anywhere. It was Tyler and Kelly McLean’s goal to create community during the off-season at a few of the region’s esteemed hotel resorts. Over the last 12 years, Splash House has fostered exactly that by celebrating the constantly evolving dance music scene.
Today, their mission statement is as strong as ever. As long as there is dance music, and as long as there is Palm Springs, there will be Splash House.
