Nothing could have prepared us for the return of Desert Hearts festival in 2024. This year they took their festival to a new location after moving it the past two years. Rather than continue with their luck in SoCal, they opened the gates to a new location in Flagstaff Arizona. Playa Ponderosa had their first year with Desert Hearts in association with Walter Productions and it was nothing short of magical.
Our weekend kicked off with an 8.5 hour drive from Los Angeles to Playa Ponderosa. We felt like this drastic change in scenery would be too large of a drive for the usual Desert Hearts audience. But we soon found out that this did not stop this die hard fans from attending.
Entering the gates on Thursday proved to be a great idea. We were able to secure a solid campsite in the forrest. Thursday festivities kicked off with a pop-up party thrown by the Desert Hearts crew. Opening set duties were Lee Reynolds B2B Porky and a set later by Mikey Lion followed by Drew Dapps.
Friday we really got the lay of the land. Playa Ponderosa was a beautiful scene. It was surrounded by tall green trees. There was a vast grass playa to explore as well as a beautiful backdrop of mountains. The venue was stunning in every which way, and the colors of the sky during sunset made it all the more magical.
72 HOURS OF HOUSE MUSIC
Missfitz played an amazing opening set followed by Ladell Ransom and Techno Tupac. Once night time fell, the music became beafitul and melodic. We enjoyed so many incredibly vibey sets including Gorje Hewek and Nick Warren. Later on Desert Hearts co-founder Marbs ushered in the sunrise like a champion and was followed by Desert Hearts Black label-mate Rinzen.
One of the highlights of the weekend was exploring all of the amazing themed camps and art installations. Pile Palace, Soul Palace, Camp Plamp, and Pirate Radio were just a few of the quirky installations that we got lost in. Friday was also the perfect time to explore all of the amazing Walter Production art cars that were parked around the dancefloor. There were so many that were lit up, climbable, and a few that shot fire. If you didn’t come for the music, there was still plenty to do.
Saturday morning began with an incredible set from Sprout. He pulled up with his Afternoon Umbrella crew in full force. Later that day Mikey Lion brought the house down with a sunset performance that was hands down the biggest daytime crowd we had yet to see.
Mikey Lion At Sunset
The rest of the night got crazier and crazier with sets from Lubelski, VNSSA, and Porky. Finally the headliner of the festival went on. Walker & Royce sent it with a vengeance. There was so much energy in their set. People unleashed their freaky side like no other. It was the perfect way to end the night before morning sets from Lee Reynolds and Ky William.
There really is no place like Desert Hearts. The amount of art, activities, and sites to see is overstimulating in the best way. With only one stage of music, DH is able to curate a vibe that is free from the stresses of overlapping sets and instead fully immersive with sites and experiences.
We are happy that their first festival in Flagstaff went over so well and we look forward to attending again next year!
