Happy September! Cooler weather is approaching (hopefully?), and the entertainment scene is again exploding.
Acrisure Arena hosts three events not covered elsewhere by the Independent. Just announced (as of this writing): At 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, Chuy Lizárraga will kick off his new tour with special guest Luis Ángel “El Flaco.” Ticket prices are TBA. At 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 25, stars from Disney film franchises Descendants, ZOMBIES and Camp Rock unite for the Worlds Collide Concert Tour. Tickets start at $61.15. At 8:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26, rock en Español icons Maná return to once again share hits from their Latin legacy. Tickets start at $244.75. Acrisure Arena, 75702 Varner Road, Palm Desert; 888-695-8778; www.acrisurearena.com.
Fantasy Springs features comedy and music! At 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 4, viral comedian Nurse John brings TikTok to the stage for an evening of medical humor. Tickets start at $52.50. At 8 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 20, Latin pop legend Edith Márquez will showcase emotional ballads. Tickets start at $52.50. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
The Plaza Theatre welcomes fall with cinema and songs. On Saturday, Sept. 5, and Sunday, Sept. 6, the Drag Me to the Movies film series will include screenings of four classic drag-culture flicks. Catch The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (2 p.m. Saturday), The Birdcage (7 p.m. Saturday), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (2 p.m. Sunday) and Cabaret (7:30 p.m. Sunday). Tickets are $20 for each screening, or $60 for all four. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, standup star and 2 Broke Girls co-writer Whitney Cummings will bring the laughs. Tickets start at $35. At 7 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 13, catch a screening of a new film that documents the 2026 Sound and Vision Awards, an all-star event that took place at the Plaza in March honoring rock icons Paul Rodgers and Geezer Butler. Tickets start at $25. At 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 19, guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel will make those strings sing! Tickets start at $62.10. At 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26, Gregg Glaviano will host the Mama’s Boy cabaret show. Tickets start at $60.80. Plaza Theatre, 128 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-593-5818; www.palmspringsplazatheatre.com.
The McCallum Theatre is back in action with three special shows. At 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, kickoff the McCallum season, and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, with a special community block party before Latin-fusion rockers Ozomatli take the stage at 8 p.m. The block party is free to attend, and tickets for Ozomatli start at $50. At 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 16, genre-bending Latin act La Santa Cecilia will tap into rock, salsa, jazz, funk and more! Tickets start at $50. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26, catch the mesmerizing dance talents of Ballets Jazz Montréal as they present Dance Me: The Music of Leonard Cohen. Tickets start at $60. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-340-2787; www.mccallumtheatre.com.
Morongo Casino hosts two headliner concerts. At 9 p.m., Friday, Sept. 18, Norteño-banda badasses Voz de Mando will share upbeat corrido sounds. Tickets start at $68.75. At 9 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 19, Annabelle Louie and Chi Kwong Chiang team up to bring Hong Kong and Cantonese tunes to Cabazon. Tickets start at $88.75. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www.morongocasinoresort.com.
Spotlight 29 is keeping busy. At 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 4, pop icon Taylor Dayne, who you’ll remember from the upbeat chart-topper “Tell It to My Heart,” is set to perform. Tickets start at $28.50. At 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11, Spanish titans Banda Machos return to Coachella, carrying with them some big-banda energy. Tickets start at $38.80. At 7 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 20, enjoy some high-energy Spanish tunes from Banda Los Recoditos. Tickets start at $38.80. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26, set your clocks back to the late ’70s and enjoy Little River Band. Tickets start at $33.65. Honest Goodness Comedy Fridays host Andrew “G Money” Nunez (Sept. 4), Luis Garcia (Sept. 11), Melanie Iglesias (Sept. 18) and Rick Izquieta (Sept. 25). Shows are at 8 p.m., and tickets start from $17.32 to $28.50; you must be 18+ to attend. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.
Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage boasts a stacked September calendar. At 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 4, catch the Motown soul sound from The Temptations. Tickets start at $55.20. At 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, desert sand becomes beach sand for the first ever Island Fest, an all-day celebration of island vibes, hula dancers and live music from Anuhea, Eli-Mac, Katchafire and J Boog. Tickets are $50.50, and tickets with seats start at $60.80. At 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 18, Geoff Tate—vocalist of progressive metal powerhouse Queensryche—and his band Operation Mindcrime will turn The Show into The Rock Show! Tickets start at$29.59. TikTok comedian and singer/songwriter Matt Mathews is heading to Rancho Mirage. While one show is sold out, tickets are still available to see him at 6 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 20. Tickets start at $56.15. At 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 25, Kevin Costner and Modern West return to the desert to perform country once again. Tickets start at $56.15. At 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26, Armenian singer/songwriter Erik Karapetyan will showcase his brilliant pop vocals. Tickets start at $75. At 8 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 30, heavy rock act Daughtry celebrates 21st-century heavy-music dominance. Tickets start at $66.45. Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www.aguacalientecasinos.com.
Agua Caliente Palm Springs and residency events go together like “Coachella” and “Valley,” or “Venue” and “Report!” Desert Blues Revival Wednesdays welcome Texas blues-guitar wizardry via Brazil from Fernando Noronha (Sept. 2), Americana and Latin unity from Tremoloco (Sept. 16), out-of-this-world blues from Satellite Voodoo (Sept. 23) and the Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling (Sept. 30). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start from $17.85 to $22.11. Carousel Thursdays showcase Parisian jazz from Les Bons Garçons (Sept. 3), virtuosic vocals from Michael Ragonese (Sept. 10), serene songs from Judy Wexler (Sept. 17) and a tribute to crooners and bolero music from Bread and Butter Jazz (Sept. 24). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start at $19.98. Tickets for all shows are available at eventspalmsprings.com. Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 888-999-1995; www.aguacalientecasinos.com.
Here are a few notable events happening at the always-busy Pappy and Harriet’s. At 9 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 1, dreamy pop meets fuzzy garage rock when Naïm Amor and Kid Congo Powers team up. Local punks Hot Patooties will open. Tickets are $27.72. At 9 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 9, electronic supergroup The Black Queen (featuring members of the Dillinger Escape Plan and Nine Inch Nails) celebrate 10 years of their synthy debut album, Fever Daydream. Snakes of Russia and ALONER are set to open. Tickets are $31.86. Modern pop phenom Arlo Parks is set to perform an intimate desert show at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 15. Tickets start at $37.56. At 9 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 19, the costumed Magic Sword will present their lore-dominant, synth-heavy, sci-fi sound. Tickets are $27.72. At 9 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 24, comedy music staple Neil Hamburger heads to Pioneertown for some flop-sweat hilarity. Tickets are $32.90. At 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26, ferociously fast Japanese punks Otoboke Beaver return to Pappy’s to once again share their frenzied sound. Tickets are $42.74. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-228-2222; www.pappyandharriets.com.
Oscar’s in Palm Springs is hosting some interesting events. At 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 3, Swedish jazz singer Gunhild Carling will enchant with swinging sounds and vaudeville vibes. Tickets start at $43.95. At 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 25, Micro Maidens, the world’s first short-girl burlesque show, will feature a sizable number of dancers ranging from 2’10” to 4’12”. Tickets are $22.95. Similarly, check out the self-explanatory Extreme Dwarfanators Wrestling at 8 p.m., Monday, Sept. 28. Tickets are $32.95. Some Oscar’s shows include a food/drink minimum. Oscar’s Palm Springs, 125 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 760-325-1188; oscarspalmsprings.com.
The Purple Room returns with fan favorites and more! At 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 4, and Saturday, Sept. 5, Broadway’s David Burnham will present Burnham Sings Bublé, an evening of tributes to Michael Bublé. Tickets start at $50.85. At 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11, vocalist Brenna Whitaker mixes outstanding originals with Broadway bops. Tickets start at $50.85. At 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 18, Jason Graae’s musical-theater magic will hit Palm Springs. Tickets start at $45.70. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 19, Chuck Sweeney presents Fever!, a portrayal of and tribute to the iconic Miss Peggy Lee. Tickets start at $45.70. At 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 25, and Saturday, Sept. 26, enjoy a musical homage to Tina Turner and friends from soulful vocalist Debby Holiday. Tickets start at $56. All shows include dinner reservations two hours before show time. Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-322-4422; www.purpleroompalmsprings.com.
