The Dinah is ending as we know it after 34 years

Editor's note: After this story was published, The Dinah's organizers reached out to say that the event is not ending, but founder and organizer Mariah Hanson is stepping down and is in talks with potential successors to carry on the event. The story has been updated.

After more than three decades of creating an inclusive space for queer women with pool parties and LGBTQ+ music, The Dinah as we know it is coming to an end.

LGBTQ+ trailblazer Mariah Hanson has announced that this year’s Dinah Shore Weekend will be her last, bringing to a close a sapphic cultural touchstone that has had a huge impact on the community.

“After 34 unforgettable years, I’m stepping away from producing this world-famous celebration of queer joy, freedom, and connection,” Hanson said. “It’s been the honor of a lifetime to help create space where our community could be bold, wild, and unapologetically ourselves.”

Hanson hopes that her trailblazing event serves as an inspiration to younger generations, and she is currently seeking a partner who can keep The Dinah going after her departure. “I’ve often been asked when I would pass the torch. I never had a specific answer — only that I’d know when the moment felt right,” she said. “And now, the time is right. It’s time for a new generation to bring their vision, energy, and heart to this legacy and take it even further. That’s my deepest hope.”

Hanson will take her final bow this September at the Riviera Resort in Palm Springs with one final Dinah that she produces herself where The L Word stars Kate Moennig and Leisha Hailey will be returning — a fitting end, considering the iconic lesbian show catapulted The Dinah into the cultural consciousness — to sign copies of their new book So Gay for You and make a special appearance at the Saturday night party.

The hope is that the event will continue its legacy once Hanson is gone, but if she is unsuccessful at selling The Dinah, then 2025 will be its final year.

“This final Dinah is my personal love letter to the community — a celebration that reflects the boldness, beauty, and heart that have always defined who we are,” Hanson shared. “More than anything, I hope the legacy I leave is one of joy, connection, and possibility — a foundation for the next generation to build something even greater.”

From left: Mariah Hanson, Keeana Kee, and Maureen.

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Not only is Hanson known for producing epic pool parties and creating a safe space for queer women to live out loud and proud, but she also has a long-running history of booking talented musicians before their big break, often predicting their meteoric rise. Stars like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Lizzo, Bebe Rexha, and Doechi have all performed at The Dinah.

From the outside, The Dinah may look like one five-day-long party — and it is — but it’s also so much more than that. The Dinah was started in 1991, when it was still dangerous to come out of the closet, years before marriage equality, and in the middle of the AIDS Crisis. It didn’t just provide a launch pad for LGBTQ+ musicians, but a sanctuary for lesbians and queer women.

Much like other exclusively women’s events, The Dinah has undergone an evolution and had to engage in internal discussions about making the event more gender diverse. In the end, Hanson proved once again that The Dinah is a subversive event that challenges societal norms while embracing inclusivity when she and her team welcomed the trans and nonbinary community with open arms.

“We are collectively stronger than any assailant of our rights. When you see all those women, nonbinary and trans folks and their friends come together to celebrate life in Dinah fashion, you are filled with a level of inspiration and acceptance that carries you through the weekend with a sense of liberation and community,” Hanson wrote in a personal essay for Out Magazine on the 30th anniversary of The Dinah.

What started as a one-night-only party back in the early ‘90s has ballooned into a yearly celebration of queerness in the decades since.

“This last edition isn’t just an event—it’s the culmination of 34 spectacular years of joy, liberation, visibility, and love. Whether you’re returning to relive the magic or experiencing it for the first time, this is your moment to be part of herstory,” Hanson said. “Come raise a glass, dance under the sun, and help write this last, extraordinary chapter with me—a tribute to a journey that changed lives, built community and sparked decades of culture-shifting moments, bold firsts, and unforgettable memories. While I may be taking my final bow, the legacy we’ve built together will live on in every life it’s touched.”