Mariah Hanson is an icon in the queer community. Founder of the 33-year running event known as The Dinah – she stands at the helm of what is now inarguably the largest festival of its kind in the world. And she was 100% confident that this is where she would arrive. “I knew this is what the community needed.”
In the year 2000 I was a regular to the Long Beach and West Hollywood lesbian nightlife scene. Without fail there were glossy postcards handed out at the end of each club night by young dudes who were paid $25 for their service. These cards littered the ground and clogged the gutters. But this is how I learned of The Dinah.
Then, The Dinah was a fledgling festival coinciding with an LPGA tournament an hour’s drive from me in Palm Springs. Now, it has evolved beyond a spring break vibe one-night party with a relatively small 1,500 attendees and is instead a full-blown, five-day music festival. A true multi-day resort takeover with all day DJ’d pool parties and celebrity entertainers each night the event is bigger than ever. Having booked my first trip to this legendary party, I reached out to Hanson in full fangirl mode.
She expressed that a warm and wholesome “sense of unity and community permeates the event” and invites attendees to “embark on a journey into a world of empowerment and inclusivity where true selves are celebrated.”
Hanson has turned The Dinah from a SoCal local event into a worldwide phenomenon. The Dinah boasts an impressive list of alumnae headliners including Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Bebe Rexha, and Meghan Trainor. This event has truly gone global by including some of the past three decades’ most influential superstars and has been featured in prominent spots on hugely popular TV shows including Showtime’s The L Word, ABC’s Jeopardy!, Hulu’s Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne and more recently, Netflix’s The Ultimatum: Queer Love. The Dinah has assured its place in the pop culture canon with confidence.
Always keeping her finger on pulse of the music scene, Hanson has yet again secured a stunning lineup featuring an impressive array of high-profile headlining acts and up-and-coming talent. Queer artists Lauren Jauregui, Iniko, KiNG MALA, Lauren Sanderson, Whitney Peyton, Lucy & La Mer, and Sherrelle Holmes have been announced as headliners for the 33rd edition of the festival.
Welcoming all – no matter what your shade of rainbow – as well as allies, The Dinah 2024 starts on Wednesday September 25 and continues through Sunday September 29. Tickets are available at TheDinah.com. Come by and wish me a Happy Dinah!
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