Event season in the Coachella Valley runs from early November 2026 through late April 2027, and La Quinta sits close to all of it. This calendar covers the confirmed dates for every major event in the area — tennis, golf, art, hot air balloons, film and the two biggest music festivals in the country — plus what each one means for planning your stay.
TL;DR
Palm Springs Pride (Nov 6–8, 2026) and the WTA Finals (Nov 8–15) open the season.
The Cathedral City Hot Air Balloon Festival runs Nov 20–22, 2026.
The American Express returns to PGA West Jan 18–24, 2027; tournament play runs Jan 21–24.
Modernism Week is Feb 11–21, 2027; the BNP Paribas Open runs Feb 28–Mar 14, 2027.
Coachella: Apr 9–11 and 16–18, 2027. Stagecoach follows Apr 23–25.
Why this matters for your trip
Desert event season is the reason most visitors book a La Quinta vacation rental in the first place: warm days, cool evenings and a dense calendar of world-class events packed into six months. If you are planning around the spring festivals, start with our guide to Coachella weekend concerts at the Empire Polo Club, then work backward — the weeks around Coachella, Stagecoach, Modernism Week and the big tennis weeks book out months ahead of everything else.
The season at a glance
Greater Palm Springs Pride
Dates: Nov 6–8, 2026
Where: Downtown Palm Springs
WTA Finals Indian Wells
Dates: Nov 8–15, 2026
Where: Indian Wells Tennis Garden
La Quinta Art Celebration Encore
Dates: Nov 12–15, 2026
Where: La Quinta Civic Center Park
Cathedral City Hot Air Balloon Festival
Dates: Nov 20–22, 2026
Where: Cathedral City Festival Lawn
WildLights at The Living Desert
Dates: Late Nov–Dec 2026
Where: Palm Desert
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Dates: Jan 7–18, 2027
Where: Palm Springs
Dates: Jan 18–24, 2027
Where: PGA West, La Quinta
Dates: Feb 11–21, 2027
Where: Greater Palm Springs
BNP Paribas Open
Dates: Feb 28–Mar 14, 2027
Where: Indian Wells Tennis Garden
La Quinta Art Celebration Spring
Dates: Mar 4–7, 2027
Where: La Quinta Civic Center Park
Dates: Apr 9–11 and 16–18, 2027
Where: Empire Polo Club, Indio
Dates: Apr 23–25, 2027
Where: Empire Polo Club, Indio
November 2026: Pride, tennis and balloons
Greater Palm Springs Pride — November 6–8, 2026
The season opens with a downtown takeover: free open-air festival zones fill Palm Canyon Drive and the Arenas District in Palm Springs with live performances, food vendors, community booths and a large marketplace. It is a walkable, city-center event, and evening temperatures in November make it comfortable from afternoon until late.
WTA Finals Indian Wells — November 8–15, 2026
The season-ending championship of women's tennis lands at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, bringing the year's top-qualified players to the desert for round-robin and knockout play across eight days. Because it falls just before the holiday rush, hotel and rental availability in the valley is still reasonable — this is one of the easier big events to book late.
La Quinta Art Celebration Encore — November 12–15, 2026
La Quinta's own fine art festival returns to the 14-acre Civic Center Park at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains. More than 100 jury-selected artists from across the United States and abroad exhibit original work in 11 categories, which is why Southwest Art Magazine readers have ranked it a favorite outdoor art festival. For guests staying in La Quinta Cove, this one is minutes away rather than a drive across the valley.
Cathedral City Hot Air Balloon Festival — November 20–22, 2026
The 12th annual festival runs three days on the Cathedral City Festival Lawn, with mass balloon launches, tethered rides, a drone light show and live music each evening. Balloon flights depend on wind conditions, so morning launches are the ones to plan around.
December 2026: WildLights at The Living Desert
From late November through December 2026, The Living Desert Zoo in Palm Desert reopens after dark as WildLights, its holiday light display. It is a family-friendly evening outing rather than an all-day commitment, and it pairs well with daytime hiking in the Cove or a round of golf.
January 2027: film and golf
Palm Springs International Film Festival — January 7–18, 2027
The 38th annual festival opens with the Film Awards on January 7 and screenings begin January 8, running through January 18. The festival has a long reputation as an awards-season bellwether, and screenings sell out fastest in the first weekend.
The American Express — January 18–24, 2027
The PGA Tour returns to La Quinta the same week the film festival wraps. The 2027 tournament runs January 18–24, with competitive play Thursday through Sunday (January 21–24) across PGA West's Pete Dye Stadium Course, the Nicklaus Tournament Course and La Quinta Country Club. Concerts follow play on Friday and Saturday evenings, so the Stadium Course grounds stay lively after the final groups come in.
February and March 2027: design weeks and tennis
Modernism Week — February 11–21, 2027
The signature 11-day February festival returns with house tours, walking and bus tours, films, talks and parties across Greater Palm Springs — roughly 300 activities in a typical year. The schedule preview went live in late October 2026, and tickets went on sale November 1, 2026 at noon Pacific. The most popular home tours sell out within days of tickets going live, so book your stay and your tours in the same week.
BNP Paribas Open — February 28–March 14, 2027
The largest combined ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event in the world runs two full weeks at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, with qualifying starting February 28 and the finals on the last weekend. Weekday sessions in week one are the easiest tickets; the second weekend is the hardest.
La Quinta Art Celebration Spring — March 4–7, 2027
The spring edition of La Quinta's art festival overlaps with the opening week of the tennis, which makes La Quinta an unusually good base that week: art in the morning, tennis in the afternoon.
April 2027: Coachella and Stagecoach
Coachella — April 9–11 and 16–18, 2027
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival returns to the Empire Polo Club in Indio over two identical weekends, April 9–11 and April 16–18. The 2027 lineup is announced closer to the festival; the 2026 edition was headlined by Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G. Advance passes went on sale in May 2026, and passes, lodging and shuttle combos are the first things to disappear.
Stagecoach — April 23–25, 2027
Country music's desert festival takes over the same polo grounds the weekend after Coachella, April 23–25, 2027, with Riley Green, Zach Top and Garth Brooks topping the bill. Because it directly follows Coachella, many guests book a single two-week stay that covers both.
Where to stay for event season
La Quinta Retreat operates permitted homeshare rentals in historic La Quinta Cove, minutes from the Cove trailheads and downtown La Quinta restaurants and a short drive from every venue on this calendar. The Entertainers Delight on Calle Ensenada is a one-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath home with a chef's kitchen built around Sub-Zero, Miele and Wolf appliances, a private gym and 16-foot ceilings in the master suite. La Casita is a one-bedroom, one-bath guest house with a kitchenette, a private walled yard and French doors off the bedroom — and it is pet friendly, which matters if the dog is coming along.
For Coachella, Stagecoach, Modernism Week, the BNP Paribas Open and The American Express, book as early as you know your dates. Those five events drive the valley's highest occupancy, and La Quinta's inventory is small compared with Palm Springs or Palm Desert.
FAQ
When is Coachella 2027?
Coachella 2027 runs April 9–11 and April 16–18 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Advance passes went on sale in May 2026 and the lineup is announced closer to the festival.
When is Stagecoach 2027?
Stagecoach 2027 runs April 23–25 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, the weekend after Coachella. Headliners are Riley Green, Zach Top and Garth Brooks.
When is Modernism Week 2027?
Modernism Week 2027 runs February 11–21 across Greater Palm Springs. Tickets went on sale November 1, 2026 at noon Pacific.
When is the BNP Paribas Open 2027?
The 2027 BNP Paribas Open runs February 28 through March 14 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, with qualifying starting February 28.
When is The American Express golf tournament in 2027?
The American Express runs January 18–24, 2027 at PGA West and La Quinta Country Club, with competitive play January 21–24.
When is the Palm Springs International Film Festival 2027?
The 38th annual festival runs January 7–18, 2027. The Film Awards are January 7 and screenings begin January 8.
When is the Cathedral City Hot Air Balloon Festival in 2026?
The 12th annual festival runs November 20–22, 2026 on the Cathedral City Festival Lawn, with balloon launches, tethered rides, a drone light show and live music.
How far ahead should I book a rental for Coachella?
Book as soon as you have festival passes — rentals near the polo grounds and in La Quinta Cove typically fill months before April. The same applies to Modernism Week and the BNP Paribas Open.
One last thing
The Modernism Week February 2027 schedule preview published in late October 2026, and the most coveted house tours have historically sold out within days of tickets going live on November 1. If Modernism is your reason for visiting, buy tours first and match your dates to what you actually got — the reverse order is how people end up in Palm Springs for the wrong week.
