Inside Maxim’s ‘The Arrival – Welcome To Palm Springs’ Desert Event
Featuring a headlining performance by hip-hop legend Too $hort and a star-studded guest list including Wiz Khalifa, Alissa Violet and David Dobrik.
Maxim’s “The Arrival – Welcome To The Palm Springs” festival kick-off event—highlighting our April cover starring Cindy Crawford and featuring a headlining set by Too $hort, whose new album Sir Too $hort, Vol. 1 (Freaky Tales) dropped on April 18—was the hottest ticket in Palm Springs on April 17, as evidenced by a star-studded guestlist that included Wiz Khalifa, former Maxim cover star Amber Rose, Alissa Violet, Dale Moss, David Dobrik, Blake Gray, Patrick Ta, Faze Banks and many others.
Maxim set the bar high for the locale’s two weeks of musical festivities while also celebrating the release of the Too $hort-executive produced, Pedro Pascal-starring movie Freaky Tales. The party was held minutes from the festival grounds at Laguna Seca Estates in Bermuda Dunes, featuring a sprawling property and an airplane hanger transformed into the focal point of the region’s nightlife. Among the many other musicians, actors, models and influencers in attendance were Chloe Veitch, Becca Brazil, Joshua Uduma, Red Lotus, Crime By Design, Natalie Noel, Shannon K, Griffin Johnson, Mark Estes, Faze Banks, Olivia Alboher, Emma Pill, Paul Butcher, Freaky Tales executive producer David Weintraub and director Ryan Fleck, Mike Majlak, and Love Island personalities Kaylor Martin, Mackenzie Dipman, Kendall Washington and Harrison Luna. A packed dance floor featuring DJ sets by Beau Cruz, Quenville, Lightleak and Hamoodie kept the crowd moving before the hip-hop legend’s electric headlining set.
Key partners for the evening included Heineken, Absolut, Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey, Casa Azul Tequila, FanFix, Culture Kings and LaCroix, with highlighted activations by partners such as Brooklyn Beckham’s Cloud 23 x Mike Majlak’s 10/10 Burger, Monster Energy, Nasty Beast Hard Tea, The Beast, Tour Water, Doughbrik’s Snacks’ new Wavers, mainstay fashion trendsetter True Religion, Live Tinted, Liquid IV, Reclip App, Lovesac, Vacation, Filthy, Ooka, Jameson and FanFix. Zouk Los Angeles, spurred from global hospitality leaders Sam Nazarian’s SBE and Singaporean nightlife powerhouse Hui Lim of Zouk Group (Zouk Las Vegas), added an air of luxe exclusivity with VIP bottle service and hospitality.
Additional influencers and notables in attendance included Peyton Knight, Veronika Rajek, Skylar Erna, Natalie Paulick, CJ Franco, Madison Brodsky, Madi Teeuws, Great Ezihie, recording artist Markos D1, Dayna Marie, Olivia Brown, Adam Cohen, Shyra, Brooke Morrison, Kelsey Cathleen, Stavrina Anar, Kristi Cook, Loren Piretra, Jade Brewster, Welcome, Taylor Renfroe, Ariel Bell Sebastian Topete, Theresa Jae, Amen Benyam, Tarlan Tarlanian, Blue, Andrei Gillot, DJ Pookie, Anastasia Rose, Eugenia Schlitter, Matt Rhoades, Emma Furr, Frenchi Armelle, Josh Killacky, Emmy Combs, Mea Wilkerson, Carmelle & Jay Truel, Jeff Tirado, Bratty, Nicole Monge, Ana Perez, Meredith Shiney, Sergio Farias, Jermaine Mitchell, Harrison Luna, James Goldcrown, Stephanie Sands, Shelly Tedghi, Maddie Roe & Sarah Roe, Cesar Daniel, Manny Mazurek, Zaki Dean, Shayli Marciano, Alannah Keyser, Taylor McPherson, Natasha Fisker, Karina Marquez, Piper Phillips, Natalie Abatemarco, Wissal Choqri, Mitchie Chiu, Haley Jackson, Simon Pompan, Trae Meyer Whalley, Robert Graham, Neela Jolene and many more.
Freaky Tales—which opened nationwide in theaters on April 4—is based on a true story set in 1987 Oakland and premiered to acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival. The action-packed movie stars Pedro Pascal, Tom Hanks, Jay Ellis, Normani, Keir Gilchrest, Ji-Young Yoo and Ben Mendolsohn alongside Too $hort and Euphoria fan favorite Angus Cloud in his final movie role. It was written and directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (of Captain Marvel fame) and executive produced by Too $hort and David Weintraub.
Additionally, an array of activations added extra layers of engagement. True Religion showcased their latest festival denim collection; Cloud 23 served delicious spicy cuisine topped with their hot sauce flavors and launched their new collaboration with 10/10 Burger; Live Tinted staged a lavish touch-up beauty bar experience; Reclip hosted a live podcast studio; and Skrewball attracted guests with their “Puppeteer peanut butter whiskey shot contest activation. David Dobrik’s new Doughbrik’s Wavers pizza snack chips also debuted at the bash, while cocktails from Absolut vodka and Casa Azul tequila mixed with La Croix quenched thirsts.
Produced by one of Los Angeles’ premiere experiential marketing agencies, the event was conceptualized by Enter and founding creative Zev Norotsky, who has curated a widely recognized annual weekend of programming tied to the festivals for the last decade. The annual “Welcome To Palm Springs” party, which relocated to Bermuda Dunes from Palm Springs proper two years ago, acts as a festival reunion party, welcoming key influencers, celebrities, music artists, athletes, nightlife notables, tastemakers, young creatives and entertainment industry elite alike.