Splash House weekend took an ugly turn early Sunday morning after a dispute at the Palm Springs Air Museum escalated, leaving nine attendees injured after bottles were thrown into the crowd.
The incident unfolded around 1:37 a.m. during the festival’s After Hours programming, shortly after The Chainsmokers took the stage. According to the Palm Springs Police Department, officers working the event responded to reports of an assault before additional personnel arrived and secured the area.
What started as a dispute between an unknown number of people quickly escalated, with bottles being thrown into the surrounding crowd. The people injured were reportedly not involved in the original altercation.
Nine attendees suffered minor injuries, with two treated at the scene and seven transported to a local hospital. Some of the injuries were reportedly caused by broken glass.
The Air Museum serves as one of Splash House’s signature late-night destinations, transforming the desert venue into a massive after-hours dance floor following the festival’s daytime pool parties. Splash House returned to Palm Springs this year for its annual two-weekend takeover, bringing thousands of dance music fans across the Renaissance, The Saguaro, and, Hilton Palm Springs. After Hours events continued at the Air Museum. Weekend one ran August 7–9, with a second weekend scheduled for this weekend.
While Splash House is known for its party-heavy atmosphere, incidents like this are a reminder of how quickly things can go sideways when alcohol, massive crowds, and late-night festival energy collide. Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident and are asking anyone with information to contact the Palm Springs Police Department.
For a festival built around sunshine, pool parties, and some of the best electronic music Palm Springs has to offer, this certainly isn’t the ending anyone wanted for opening weekend.
