Project Salton Sea
Project Salton Sea is a 3-day camping music and arts festival uniting the Coachella Valley and guests from around the world to dance, create, and celebrate life. A majority of proceeds from tickets, merchandise, and on-site experiences support restoration and conservation of the Salton Sea, while ensuring fair pay for every artist, employee, and production team member. 100% of donations go directly to projects that reduce toxic dust, improve air quality for nearby communities, and protect critical habitat for hundreds of bird species along the Pacific Flyway. By helping stabilize water levels and restore shoreline wetlands, we support long-term water health and a more resilient desert ecosystem for future generations.
A Brief History of the Salton Sea
The Salton Sea was accidentally created in 1905 when the Colorado River breached an irrigation canal, flooding the Salton Sink for two years. This massive inflow transformed a dry basin into California’s largest lake, establishing an unexpected but thriving aquatic environment in the desert.
By the 1950s and 60s, the area blossomed into a premier resort destination known as the 'Salton Riviera,' attracting celebrities and tourists alike. However, without a natural outlet, agricultural runoff and evaporative loss caused salinity levels to rise sharply over the decades.
Today, the sea faces severe environmental challenges as receding shorelines expose toxic lakebed dust. This pollution impacts air quality for nearby communities and threatens the critical habitat of hundreds of migratory bird species along the Pacific Flyway.
Our Mission for the Salton Sea
The core goal of Project Salton Sea is to unite our local community and visitors from around the globe through a shared love of music and art. By channeling funds from every ticket purchase, donation, and corporate partnership, we aim to one day restore the Salton Sea to its legendary former glory of the 1950s—revitalizing the environment and bringing back the vibrant spirit of the 'Salton Riviera'.
In the face of intensifying global warming, the efforts we undertake here serve as a critical laboratory for ecosystem preservation. By working together to save this unique desert environment, we create a roadmap that could inspire and empower other communities worldwide to take similar bold actions to protect their own fragile natural wonders.
These images are conceptual renderings meant to illustrate a possible future for the Salton Sea and the Project Salton Sea festival.
