The Desert Sun’s weekly Hot Picks column shares can’t-miss live performances.
5 things to do in Palm Springs area this week includes these concerts
These are The Desert Sun entertainment team’s top picks for must-see concerts Feb. 6-8, 2026, in the Coachella Valley and nearby communities
In the mood for some live entertainment this weekend? Here are The Desert Sun’s picks for the can’t-miss live performances in the Coachella Valley and surrounding communities Feb. 6-8.
HOT PICK
Ernest at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino
Country: What do the country songs “More Than My Hometown” by Morgan Wallen, “One Mississippi” by Kane Brown, “Son of a Sinner” by Jelly Roll, and “Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90’s” by Sam Hunt have in common? They were all written by the singer-songwriter Ernest, along with many others, especially in Wallen’s catalog.
In 2024, Ernest performed at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival and was a special guest during Jelly Roll’s set. On Saturday, he will return to Indio to perform at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. His concerts are more focused on retro country, storytelling, and his vocal warmth rather than a typical pop-country spectacle.
If you go: 8 p.m. Saturday, Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio. Tickets $49 to $99. fantasyspringsresort.com
BEST BETS
Drink the Sea at Pappy and Harriet’s
Rock: Imagine a band featuring members from R.E.M., Queens of the Stone Age, and Screaming Trees. That’s what Drink the Sea is. The band formed when Alain Johannes of Queens of the Stone Age jammed with Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees at Martin’s studio in Seattle. After Martin and Mark Lanegan Band guitarist Duke Garwood toured in Europe, everything came together in Joshua Tree with Johannes and R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck.
Drink the Sea will perform on Friday at Pappy and Harriet’s.
If you go: 9:30 p.m. Friday, Pappy and Harriet’s, 53-688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown. Tickets $48.96. pappyandharriets.com
The Mismiths at The Dune Room
Tribute: The Misfits are a horror punk band, while The Smiths were a British indie post-punk band, and there’s no connection between the two. But don’t tell that to The Mismiths, a Smiths/Morrissey tribute band that blends Morrissey’s catalog with The Misfits’ horror punk image.
See for yourself on Friday at The Dune Room when The Mismiths perform The Smiths’ classics such as “How Soon Is Now?” and “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.”
If you go: 8 p.m. Friday, The Dune Room, 82-707 Miles Ave., Indio. Tickets $15. duneroomindio.com
Emo Kids at Mojave Gold
Emo: Do you miss the catharsis of the early 2000s emo scene and wish you could return to that simpler time of going to the Warped Tour and listening to My Chemical Romance and The Used in your bedroom? That’s what Emo Kids is all about. Relive your teens and early 20s in a dance party environment with DJs that play all your favorites. Get out those skinny jeans, cut up band tees, put on some eyeliner, and sing along to every word on Friday at Mojave Gold when the DJs of Emo Kids perform.
If you go: 9 p.m. Friday, Mojave Gold, 56-193 Twentynine Palms Highway, Yucca Valley. Tickets $21. mojavegolddesert.com
Mania: The ABBA Tribute at The Plaza Theatre
ABBA: Mania: The ABBA Tribute is not your average tribute band. Mania performed a theatrical show as part of a residency in London’s West End in 2002 and 2021, and has played more than 3,000 live concerts in over 35 countries.
You can expect a full ABBA-style production with costumes, musical theater energy, and disco nostalgia on Sunday when Mania performs at The Plaza Theatre.
If you go: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, The Plaza Theatre, 128 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs. Tickets $24.50 to $60. palmspringsplazatheatre.com
Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He can be reached at [email protected].
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