Happy new year! January means a fresh start, new beginnings, great weather—and an even greater slate of local entertainment!
Acrisure Arena hosts college hockey, boxing and comedy! On Friday, Jan. 2, and Saturday, Jan. 3, the Cactus Cup brings four collegiate hockey teams to the desert for some thrilling bouts! On Friday, catch University of Massachusetts Lowell vs. Minnesota State University Mankato (3:30 p.m.) and St. Cloud State vs. Yale (at 7 p.m.); the losers and winners will face off on Saturday at 3:30 and 7 p.m., respectively. Tickets start at $20.95 per day, or $31.25 for a two-day pass. At 6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 16, put up your dukes for Golden Boy Boxing. Don’t miss matches like Alexis “Lex” Rocha against Raul “El Cugár” Curiel, and Manuel “Gucci Manny” Flores vs. Jorge “El Niño Dorado” Chavez. Tickets start at $54.95. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 24, comedian Katt Williams will bring his legendary wit to the desert. Tickets start at $84.85. Acrisure Arena, 75702 Varner Road, Palm Desert; 888-695-8778; www.acrisurearena.com.
The Plaza Theatre is off to the races! At 7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 10, enjoy a musical blast from the past with a performance by Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone, the band’s original vocalist. Tickets start at $62.95. Bring the kids to Palm Springs for Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical, happening at 9:30 a.m. and noon, Thursday, Jan. 15. Don’t miss the classic children’s book come to life in a feathery-musical fashion! Tickets are $10. At 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 20, actress/vocalist Liz Callaway takes part in Pops at the Plaza with an evening of music and storytelling. Tickets start at $57.70. At 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 28, musical parody Spamilton will mix hilarity and high-energy song and dance. Tickets start at $46.05. At 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 30, famous folk voice Don McLean, known for “American Pie” and other hits, is set to perform. Tickets start at $74.55. Plaza Theatre, 128 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-593-5818; www.palmspringsplazatheatre.com.
Fantasy Springs hosts fighting and fun music! At 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 15, enjoy the SoCal Battle of the Badges, a charity boxing event in which police officers, firefighters, correctional officers and military personnel spar off to raise funds for Cops 4 Kids and Communities. Tickets start at $27.50. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 17, move your feet to another double-serving of Motown legends The Temptations and The Four Tops. Tickets start at $62.50. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 24, the Regional Mexican sound is on full display, so enjoy a double dose of banda from El Flaco and Julio Preciado. Tickets start at $72.50. At 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 30, Yachtley Crew tackle high-energy performances of soft-rock hits known as “yacht rock.” Tickets start at $42.25. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
The McCallum Theatre is starting another busy year; here are some highlights from their January calendar. At 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 2, and Saturday, Jan. 3; and 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 4, catch three intimate shows with legendary pop and jazz vocalist Paul Anka. Tickets start at $83. At 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 8, witness, before your very eyes, The Magic of Jen Kramer, an exhilarating magic show from the International Magicians Society’s “Female Magician of the Year.” Tickets start at $37. At 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 14, keep your eyes on the skies, as The Peking Acrobats bring high-flying acrobatic energy to Palm Desert. Tickets start at $63. At 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 18, all cat-lovers need to get themselves to the McCallum for Wild Cats Revealed, a feline-focused speaking event with National Geographic explorer/photographer Sandesh Kadur. Tickets start at $48. At 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 23, enjoy an evening of piano mastery from the Jussen Brothers, as they tackle Debussy, Mozart and more, in partnership with the Palm Springs Friends of Philharmonic. Tickets start at $58. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-340-2787; www.mccallumtheatre.com.
Morongo Casino is hosting some cool concerts! At 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 10, catch a rare acoustic performance from heavy rock act Daughtry. Tickets start at. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 31, Jalisco, Mexico’s own La Original Banda Maguey, with their innovative techno-banda style, are set to perform. Tickets start at $68.50. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www.morongocasinoresort.com.
Spotlight 29 features Latin, laughs and legends! At 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 10, sing along to corrido kings Los Rieleros del Norte after an opening performance from one of Mexico’s most beloved comedians, La Chupitos. Tickets start at $43.95. At 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 23, experience some Sinaloa sounds from Hijos de Barrón. Tickets start at $33.65. Step back in time and enjoy some soul icons when The Whispers and Morris Day and the Time team up for a night of R&B and funk at 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 24. Tickets start at $59.40. Honest Goodness Comedy Fridays welcome Frazer Smith (Jan. 2), Stoner Rob (Jan. 9), MC Raider (Jan. 16), Paul Rodriguez (Jan. 23) and Shaun Latham (Jan. 30). Tickets start from $17.32 to $33.84. You must be 18+ to attend. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.
Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage has a busy month, so here are some notable events. At 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 15, singer/songwriter and movie-theme-maker Melissa Manchester is teaming up with The Desert Symphony for a night of extraordinary tunes! Tickets start at $69.42. At 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 16, the “Godmother of Soul” Patti LaBelle heads to the desert for a legendary night of R&B hits. Tickets start at $65.74. At 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 29, you might be a redneck if you don’t go see Jeff Foxworthy and his unique and comedic Southern wit. Tickets start at $49.23. At 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 30, the desert moon will “Shine” a little brighter when ’90s rockers Collective Soul come to town. Tickets start at $49.23. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 31, don’t miss your chance to see country star Brad Paisley in a relatively intimate fashion. Tickets start at $111.15. Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www.aguacalientecasinos.com.
The new year brings more blues, old-school music, comedy and more to Agua Caliente Palm Springs. A musical time-capsule show, this time dedicated to the year 1984, will take place at 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 2, and feature performances from Tod Macofsky and Siobhan Velarde. Tickets for this show start at $22.11, available at eventspalmsprings.com. Desert Blues Revival Wednesdays feature folk and country from Kimberly Cofer and the Tumbleweeds (Jan. 7) an Elvis birthday celebration from The Gand Band (Jan. 14), guitar mastery from Laurie Morvan Band (Jan. 21) and a celebration of Bay Area funk bands from Funk Monks (Jan. 28). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start at $17.85 to $22.11, available at eventspalmsprings.com. Carousel Thursdays feature folk and blues from Adam Moezinia’s Folk Element Trio (Jan. 8), jazzy classic-rock covers from Nutty (Jan. 15), vintage soul from The Urban Renewal Project (Jan. 22) and soothing jazz from Crystal Lewis (Jan. 29). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start at $17.85, available at eventspalmsprings.com. Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 888-999-1995; www.aguacalientecasinos.com.
Here are some highlights from another star-studded month at Pappy and Harriet’s. At 9:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 9, new-wave sensation Missing Persons bring those early ’80s MTV hits to the desert. Local electronic-pop queen Jesika von Rabbit is set to open. Tickets are $42.74. At 9:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 10, Orange County punk legends D.I. will ignite the Pioneertown Palace into sweaty fits of moshing! Tickets are $26.68. At 9:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 17, garage-rockers Together Pangea will headline an evening of crunchy guitar and high-energy jams. The High Curbs and Purest Form will open. At 9 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 20, the high desert celebrates folk and country with modern twang sensation Vincent Neil Emerson. William Prince will open the show. Tickets are $30.83. At 9 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 29, punk legends Black Flag head to the desert with their new lineup, featuring original member Greg Ginn (age 71) and three new musicians all under the age of 22. Tickets are $54.14. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-228-2222; www.pappyandharriets.com.
Mojave Gold is hosting a variety of musical events to kick off 2026. At 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 2, the banjo-playing Nora Brown and fiddler Stephanie Coleman join forces for a moving night of music. Tickets are $24. At 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 16, Sam Blasucci, whom you may know from rock band Mapache, visits the desert performing piano-based songs from his solo record. Tickets are $15.31 in advance. At 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 29, stoner-rock band Temptress will head to the land of desert rock for a night of badass riffs and fuzz-filled rock. Local bands Warm Uncle and Hammer of the Ozz are set to open. The show is free! At 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 31, country-folk singer Hayes Carll brings plain-spoken vocals over rootsy songwriting. Tickets are $28.96 in advance. Mojave Gold, 56193 Twentynine Palms Highway, Yucca Valley; 442-205-0192; mojavegolddesert.com.
Oscar’s in Palm Springs is hosting a few non-residency events. At 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 16, Steven Brinberg transforms into Barbra Streisand for Simply Barbra, a show honoring the star with real singing! Tickets start at $39.95. At 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 21, jazz vocalist Jack Donahue will host a cabaret show filled with great songs. Tickets start at $35. At 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 30, drag diva Miss Bouvèé, from the film Big Easy Queens, presents Big Bawdy Bouvèé, a night of songs, hilarity and more. Tickets start at $44.95. Shows include a food and drink minimum. Oscar’s Palm Springs, 125 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 760-325-1188; oscarspalmsprings.com/events.
The Purple Room in Palm Springs hosts more fun weekends! At 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 9, and Saturday, Jan. 10, 17-time Billboard Top 20 artist Debby Holiday will pay tribute to music icon Tina Turner and other soul legends. Tickets are $56. At 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 16, and Saturday, Jan. 17, enjoy a tribute show that combines musical salutes to both Liberace and Liza. Tickets start at $56. At 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 23, and Saturday, Jan. 24, local favorite Chadwick Johnson pays homage to Burt Bacharach and Quincy Jones. Tickets start at $45.70. At 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 30, and Saturday, Jan. 31, Broadway star Lillias White brings her magnificent voice to town for two special evenings. Tickets start at $61.15. All ticketed shows include dinner reservations two hours before showtime. Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-322-4422; www.purpleroompalmsprings.com.