Palm Springs — the desert sun always shines a little brighter the week The Dinah descends. If you’ve ever dreamed of five days of pure, unfiltered LBQ joy under the palms, you’ve felt the pulse of this legendary gathering. And now, with buzz surrounding its future—especially with founder Mariah Hanson stepping back—2025 carried both promise and poignancy for the world’s most iconic queer women’s festival.

Since its humble start in 1991, the Dinah Shore Weekend—more simply known as The Dinah—has grown from a one-night gathering to the world’s largest lesbian / queer women’s music festival. What began as a brave experiment in visibility has blossomed into a multi-day cultural beacon, with pool parties, red carpet soirées, artist performances, celebrity drop-ins, and moments of deep communal joy.

The festival has always been more than “just a party.” Hanson often spoke of The Dinah as a movement, a space for queer women to shine, connect, and belong fully. Over the years, acts like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Lizzo, and more have graced its stages—sometimes before they became household names. Palm Springs itself—midcentury glam aesthetic, endless sunshine, and LBQ+–affirming vibe—has been the perfect canvas. The festival is now firmly woven into the city’s identity.

2025: A Turning Point — Final Bow, New Chapter

This year, The Dinah arrives with bittersweet energy. Mariah Hanson has announced that 2025 will be the last edition she produces. Her decision marks the end of an era—and raises a million questions about what comes next. Some reports caution that the festival may “end as we know it,” yet insiders hint that she’s actively searching for successors to carry the torch forward.

Even as her leadership steps aside, the 2025 lineup is bold, ambitious, and packed with signature Dinah experiences. From the G-Spot Pool Party during daytime hours to red carpet glamour in the Riviera Ballroom, celebrity DJ sets, meet-and-greets, and vendor fairs—this will be a festival in true Dinah spirit. Notably, The L Word stars Kate Moennig and Leisha Hailey are among those slated to return, making last weekend feel like a full-circle celebration.

It’s an invitation to both longtime attendees and first-timers: come raise a toast to what’s been, what is, and what might yet come. As Hanson put it, 2025 is her “personal love letter to the community.”

Why It Matters

The Dinah has never been just a party. It has stood as a rare and powerful space: queer women centering themselves, reclaiming visibility, forming community, and embracing joy when so many other times demanded survival. Over three decades, it’s fostered sisterhood, artistry, and resilience.

This moment this year is heavy with change, but also charged with possibility. Will the event pass into new hands? Will it reimagine itself under fresh leadership? Or will its 2025 finale be the final crescendo in its current form? The community watches, ready—willing—to carry forward what is beautiful, radical, and necessary.

Don’t forget to support LGBTQ+ Media.