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2/25/2026
Neon Carnival Sets 15th-Anniversary Celebration in the Desert With Ty Dolla $ign
Organizers have teased "surprise performances" & additional "special guests" to be announced later.
By Tim Chan
Tim Chan
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One of the biggest parties in the Coachella Valley is back for a milestone season, and they’re bringing in Ty Dolla $ign to celebrate, Billboard can exclusively announce.
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Neon Carnival returns to the Coachella Valley this April for its 15th year, and the after-hours party is pulling out all the stops, with a headlining performance from Ty Dolla $ign in front of the iconic light-up ferris wheel at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California. DJ Mary Mac opens the night with a short set before giving way to Compton’s Channel Tres, who is “bringing his signature blend of house and hip-hop to the DJ decks,” per a release. Ty Dolla $ign makes his Neon Carnival debut joined by DJ NITRANE and Dre Sinatra. Organizers Brent Bolthouse and producing partner Jeffrey Best have teased “surprise performances” and additional “special guests” to be announced later.
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Previous editions of Neon Carnival have bought out artists like Anderson .Paak (as DJ Pee .Wee), The Pharcyde, Too Short and Busta Rhymes, along with high-profile nightlife names and DJs like A-Trak, DJ Rukus and social media fave Charly Jordan.
The celebrity guest list, meantime, has drawn a who’s who of music, movies and entertainment — think Justin Bieber, Drake, Rihanna, Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothee Chalamet and Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, with the latter two spotted at Neon Carnival 2024, just a few months after they went official.
For Bolthouse, the vision for the party has always been the same: “to create a destination that was, at its core, a celebration of the weekend,” he says; “a late-night dance party where old and new friends from all over the world could come together once the festival gates closed.”
A decade and a half in, the hospitality pioneer says he’s still excited to see what unfolds at the late-night soiree, adding that Neon Carnival is a rare party where A-listers mingle with invited guests and wristband holders in the open air of the desert.
“After the first couple years, we realized that we had hit a nerve with the culture,” he tells Billboard. “There was a sense of euphoria and pure excitement of people coming to the party that neither Jeffrey nor I had ever seen in all our years of throwing parties together. It captured that ‘Old Hollywood’ spirit, where you’d find yourself dancing under the desert stars alongside the most influential people in the world.”
Bolthouse says he’s aware of all the other parties and events that have popped up during festival season, but he’s confident that Neon Carnival remains a draw, thanks to its mix of live music, dancing and immersive entertainment, with a touch of childhood fairground nostalgia (yes the midway games and cotton candy will be back).
“The landscape has shifted,” he says. “It’s no longer just about exclusivity of the experience [but] it’s about creating an unforgettable, immersive atmosphere that guests can immediately feel the moment they arrive. This year is about celebrating how far we’ve come while setting the bar even higher for what the future of Neon Carnival can be.”
“Fifteen years on, our focus is to continuously elevate the experience—delivering immersive, best-in-class brand integrations and world-class production to ensure Neon Carnival remains the industry benchmark,” adds Best.
Neon Carnival returns Saturday, April 11, 2026 with festivities kicking off at 10 p.m. and running till late in the desert. Like the last 14 years of the event, Neon Carnival remains one of the most exclusive festival weekend events: entrance is by invite-only.
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