Desert in a Minute: The 1986 Palm Springs Spring Break Riot That Ended a Decades-Old Tradition

As NBC Palm Springs resident historian, Steve currently produces the “Desert in a Minute” segments, sharing memorable moments from the Coachella Valley’s past.

For decades, Palm Springs was one of the country’s most popular Spring Break destinations. Every year, thousands of college students traveled to the desert to cruise Palm Canyon Drive, meet other young people, and party late into the night.

But one chaotic night in 1986 would change that tradition forever.

The incident, captured on video by Ken Kurtz, began with a small crowd gathering along Palm Canyon Drive. As the night progressed, the crowd quickly grew larger and more unruly.

What started as a party atmosphere soon escalated into a mob scene.

People began rocking vehicles back and forth and climbing on top of them. The situation intensified when a pickup truck carrying several young women drove through the intersection. The crowd surrounded the vehicle, and the women ran from the scene as their clothes were torn off during the chaos.

Police quickly moved in to regain control of the situation. Despite beer bottles being thrown at officers, law enforcement eventually dispersed the crowd and made approximately 120 arrests.

The riot prompted a major response from city leaders.

Under the administration of then-Mayor Sonny Bono, Palm Springs introduced strict new rules aimed at controlling Spring Break crowds. Police began aggressively enforcing citations for offenses such as jaywalking and public drinking.

City officials even banned certain clothing considered distracting to drivers, including G-strings. Water guns that had once been commonly sold along Palm Canyon Drive were also outlawed.

The crackdown worked.

With stricter enforcement and new regulations in place, the large Spring Break crowds gradually stopped coming to Palm Springs. Over time, the decades-old tradition quietly disappeared.

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