David Archuleta Headlines Cathedral City LGBT+ Days This Weekend

Cathedral City's LGBT+ Days celebration kicks off this Friday, March 6th, with three days of community events—and headlining Saturday night's festival is David Archuleta, performing live at the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater.

Now a New York Times bestselling author, Archuleta recently released his memoir Devout, which chronicles his experience growing up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while coming to terms with being queer. "I grew up feeling like I always had to hide," he told NBC Palm Springs ahead of the performance. "Being queer was always told to me as a bad thing—an evil thing that we needed to find a way to fix through our faith." 

His latest single, "Crème Brulée," has racked up millions of views and streams online, and Archuleta says it reflects a more open, confident chapter in his life. "I wanted to show people a flirtier side—a lover boy side," he said. " I'm just going to embrace it and have fun."

For Saturday's show, fans can expect choreography, dancers, his catalog of hits, and new music. Archuleta says he hopes the performance gives people a moment to exhale. "There's a lot going on in the world and it's hard," he said. "Sometimes you just need a little break—to find joy, find healing. Music and dancing is healing."

Saturday’s festivities run from noon to 9 p.m. at the amphitheater, with artisan vendors, a youth zone, VIP lounge, food, and drinks. The weekend also includes Friday's Pride Flag Raising at City Hall (4:30 p.m.) and a drone show at The Roost Lounge (8 p.m.), Saturday's CommUNITY Strong Walk benefiting HRC Coachella Valley (9 a.m.), and Sunday's parade, bed race, and vendor marketplace starting at 9 a.m.

Tickets are available at cathedralcitylgbtdays.com.