Your Handy Gay Guide to IGLTA 2025 in Palm Springs
Palm Springs will be hosting the IGLTA Global Convention for the very first time, from October 21–25, 2025 – cementing our status as the gay travel capital of the desert (maybe the planet). You can expect international queer tastemakers, industry insiders, and wide‑smiling gay men flocking to our sun‑soaked oasis.
With over 325 days of sunshine and nearly 50% LGBTQ-identified population – our little desert oasis embodies gay belonging on a grand scale. So if this is your first time here in Palm Springs, breathe deep, let that mid‑century modernism envelope you, and get ready to live your best gay life for the week!
If you have anything you’d like to contribute to this article, please email us (and let us know why).
In the meantime, here’s Your Handy Gay Guide to IGLTA 2025 in Palm Springs 😎
Before the Convention: Arrive, Unpack, Explore
Touchdown & Checkin
Palm Springs International Airport delivers you in style in our newly renovated (renovations ongoing to be exact) adorable (outdoor!) airport. 🛬 For an immediate taste of Palm Springs, grab a quick espresso at The Pink Door – located conveniently near baggage claim – before you hop in your Uber.
Tell your driver to drive down 3400 E Tahquitz Canyon Way (they likely will by default for at least a few blocks) so you can see the "Pillars of Palm Springs" project – a showcase six art installations on the median of Tahquitz Canyon Way, running from the Airport to Palm Canyon Drive. You’ll literally see for yourself how much community matters here!
Check into a gay‑owned or queer‑friendly resort. Palm Springs has more gay resorts than anywhere on Earth: 11 inside the city and another in nearby Cathedral City. Many are clothing-optional resorts for men-only (that range from mild to wild, depending on your interests). Browse Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels for the most mid-century-made-modern boutique hotels you can imagine. Or check out our Best Clothing-Optional (Men-Only) Resorts in Gay Palm Springs and Santiago, Descanso & Twin Palms Resorts: A Three-Way Comparison articles.
First Night Vibe-Check
Keep it low‑key and ease into vacation mode Stroll through downtown Palm Springs. It’s very walkable and brimming with restaurants and shops that will infuse the spirit of Palm Springs as fast as you get there from the airport.
We love shops like Peepa’s (and new Peepa’s Men’s Store), Destination PSP, and GayMart in the Arenas district (our official gayborhood district).
While you’re on Arenas, pop in for happy hour at one of our beloved local queer watering holes, like Blackbook (great bar food too!), Dick’s on Arenas (hey, daddy!), or QUADZ (video bar)!
Then eat your heart out at Ponzu (sushi), Clandestino (Mexican), or Ash & Vine (American fusion).
If you find yourself downtown on a Thursday and you aren’t *too* allergic to families with children – check out Palm Springs Village Fest, a weekly Thursday night street fair for local craft vendors and food trucks. Or walk on over to the Palm Springs Art Museum (Thursday nights are free for locals) and grab a bite at Livs.
Check out our Hot & Delicious: 5 New Palm Springs Openings You Need To Try, Best Gay Shopping in Palm Springs and The Best Sex Shops and Adult Play Gear for Gay Men in Palm Springs for further inspo ;)
Between Sessions: Quick Escapes That Won’t Hijack Your Schedule
Eats & Pick-Me-Ups
There are lots of options nearby the Palm Springs Convention Center. It helps to remember that everything is less than a 10 minute drive in any given direction in this town – and there’s really no traffic (yay)!
If you want to sneak away for a lunch break, grab a sandwich at Sherman’s Deli & Bakery or something with chicken over at Chicken Ranch – quick, delicious, and curated for ease.
Koffi is known for its coffee, baked goods, egg sandwiches, sandwich wraps, and local charm. It’s great if you're darting back to the Convention Center between panels. With three locations in town, your closest location will be Koffi Central, which is walkable from the Convention Center.
Pocket Escapes
If you can squeeze in 45 minutes or less, escape to the Moorten Botanical Garden. It’s not a big place, and it’s pure cacti and botanical bliss!
If you want a dose of creative inspiration, check out the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center or The Lofts Art District. And while you’re there, drop in Revivals for some thrifting (because you’ll also be helping humans in need through AIDS support via DAP Health)!
And if you’re looking for ALL of the pink we have in Palm Springs, swing by Trixie Motel – a pink paradise located in uptown Palm Springs, opened by Drag Race icon Trixie Mattel. If you can’t afford to stay there, you’ll be glad you at least saw it. There’s even an entire HBO series you can watch about the making of it – appropriately titled Trixie Motel.
Search Homes at Modern Living Palm Springs
Evening Shenanigans: When Palm Springs Comes Alive
Late-Night Culture
For more cocktail kitsch, check out PS Air Bar – Palm Springs only aviation themed restaurant & speakeasy bar, located (hidden) inside of the Bouschet market. You’ll be seated in first class seats (literally), and there might even be a drag queen or lounge singer serenading you throughout the evening.
And nothing says Palm Springs like The Purple Room – an old-Hollywood chic supper club hosting intimate entertainment accompanied by a classic surf 'n' turf menu. This is one of the regular spots the Rat Pack used to perform back in the day!
If retro kitsch is your after-conference vibe, check out the Art Museum’s somewhat secretive evening programming or a moonlit stroll around Forever Marilyn – a 26-foot tall Marilyn Monroe statue by artist Seward Johnson. The statue is now located in Palm Springs Downtown Park in front of the Palm Springs Art Museum (100 feet to the right of where she used to be more prominently placed)... Why was she moved when locals overwhelmingly wanted her to stay put? Because apparently Trina Turk wanted it that way 💸
Nightlife, The Gay Way
The Arenas District is where all the gays gather, of course. It’s a short block with plenty of bar hopping to be had. Look for the iconic “DRAG QUEEN CROSSING” caution sign, and consider it a warm welcome from a local drag queen. 👑
For a complete list of all events, drag shows, and weekly happy hours, visit our friends at Gay Desert Guide!
Just a short drive from Arenas, the popular Tool Shed is always hopping on Sunny Dunes Road – the original leather + Levi bar in Palm Springs. There’s plenty of cruising to be had there, especially on “Underwear Night” Thursdays and “Beer Bust” Sundays.
If you’re feeling extra thirsty, Club 541 – Palm Springs only sex club – is just a short walk across the street. Need we say more? 😈
After the Convention: Prolong Your Desert Paradise
Embrace the Nature
Go for an unforgettable hike in Indian Canyons or Tahquitz Canyon – peace, natural beauty, and powerful inspiration all wrapped into a mid-afternoon escape.
If you’ve got a half-day to kill, take a ride up the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to Mt. San Jacinto State Park – the second-highest mountain range in Southern California. Once you reach the Mountain Station (elevation 8,516 feet above), you’ll have two restaurants and a bar to choose from, observation decks, over 50 miles of hiking trails, and THE most stunning views of the Coachella Valley there are.
If you’ve got a car rental or bike rental from BIKE Palm Springs Rentals, why not check out what Palm Springs modernism is all about? Neighborhood tours are one of the most inspiring things to do here because Palm Springs has one of the most concentrated collections of mid-century modern homes on the planet! It’s not difficult to stumble upon one of the many midcentury gems we have around here – just drive through virtually any neighborhood!
From Twin Palms to Old Las Palmas, each distinct neighborhood is perfect for Insta-mood shots that showcase Palm Springs at its most iconic. Neighborhood tours are the next best thing to Modernism Week.
Explore on your own, or check out our MCM Architecture Self-Guided Tour (complete with GPS directions)!
Count Your Blessings – And All Of Your New Friends
In Palm Springs, friendships form as easily as cocktail orders. Whether you're chatting with a fellow delegate by the pool or meeting new locals at a bar, Palm Springs is built for connection.
And let’s be real: year-round fabulous weather, plus gay-owned resorts, drag-run hotels, and a culture that embraces you like nowhere else – that’s the kind of hospitality that turns fleeting visits into lasting memories and friendships. So come for the IGLTA conference, stay for everything else. You’ll find your people here.
What brings you to this year’s IGLTA 2025 Conference? Let us know!
Curious About Buying, Selling, or Relocating?
In addition to being one half of The Palm Springs Guys – Glen Nadeau is one of Palm Springs’ top-producing Realtors, known for his no-pressure approach, deep market expertise, and genuine commitment to his clients.
A member of The Caldwell & Linger Group – ranked a Top Real Estate Team by Palm Springs Life Magazine – Glen is also backed by COMPASS, which remains the #1 ranked brokerage in the country. Glen takes great pride in knowing that his clients are in such good hands.
“Hospitality is what drives me because helping folks achieve their real estate goals is essentially helping them build a better life for themselves.”
Visit Modern Living Palm Springs, or reach out to me directly. Ask me anything – I promise to give you much more support than ChatGPT, Google or the news will.
Your Palm Springs Insider,
Glen Nadeau (pronounced “Ned-oh” as in “meadow”)
📱 Call or Text: 805-220-8097
📨 Email: glen.nadeau@compass.com
🔎 My Google Business Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
