After 34 years, annual queer women’s party The Dinah may be ending. This year’s event, taking place September 24-28, will be its last edition organized by Mariah Hanson but the door remains open to the possibility of a successor taking over.
“It’s been the honor of a lifetime to help create space where our community could be bold, wild, and unapologetically ourselves,” Hanson said in a statement. “I’ve often been asked when I would pass the torch. I never had a specific answer—only that I’d know when the moment felt right. And now, the time is right. It’s time for a new generation to bring their vision, energy, and heart to this legacy and take it even further. That’s my deepest hope.”
Hanson founded the event in 1991, a time when it was arguably the only annual event of its kind—it really still is. The five-day festival in Palm Springs is a raucous party for queer women and nonbinary people filled with music performances by the likes of Lady Gaga, Lizzo, and Katy Perry. At the 2025 Dinah, Kate Moennig and Leisha Hailey of The L Word fame will be signing their new book So Gay For You at the Saturday Pool Party.
With lesbian bars closing in frightening numbers and in-person safe gathering spaces for queer people, The Dinah filled a gap that will now reopen. There are no details on how or if the event will continue, but the possibility is open.
“If The Dinah has ever touched your heart, brought you joy, or helped you feel seen — I invite you to join me one last time as I close out my Dinah career and celebrate 34 years of unforgettable memories, community, and cultural impact,” Hanson said. “While my Dinah chapter is ending, the future is full of possibility in new hands. My hope is that this beloved torch is carried forward — so The Dinah can thrive for another 34 years and beyond.”