Desert Hearts is set to return this fall with a new smaller-scale event after pausing its flagship festival for 2026, according to Billboard.
The dance music collective announced Microfest, a five-day gathering scheduled for Oct. 1-5 at Deloro Valley in Northern California. The event is intended to reflect the more intimate, community-centered atmosphere that helped define Desert Hearts when it first launched more than a decade ago.
The news follows the group’s November announcement that Desert Hearts Festival 2026 would be paused. In that statement, the collective said it needed time to reset, refocus and rebuild so the event could continue for years to come.
Microfest will feature a mix of longtime Desert Hearts favorites and house and techno veterans, including DJ Minx, Stacey Pullen, Danny Daze, Doc Martin, Justin Martin, DJ Holographic, Kevin Knapp, Shaded (Live), Toy Tonics, and Life On Planets. Founders Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs and Porky are also scheduled to perform, along with additional artists including B Rose, Brunch Life, Caleb Jackson, Groovewell and Techno Tupac.
Along with the lineup announcement, Mikey Lion, Marbs and Lee Reynolds released a new song titled “A Place For Us” under their newly unified Desert Hearts artist project. Tickets for Microfest are on sale now.
