2026 Festival

Our two-year theme continues for the Twelfth Annual Rancho Mirage Writers Festival as we celebrate “The United States Semiquincentennial.” The Festival will take place January 28–30, 2026.

America 250

The Rancho Mirage Writers Festival is a world-class gathering of the finest writers who contribute to the intellectual vitality of our time. The City of Rancho Mirage, California, welcomes 60 authors and over 1,000 readers from around the globe to the Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory each year. Jamie Kabler, who wanted to bring a premier intellectual event to the Coachella Valley, founded the Festival in 2014, which has been described as “Coachella for the brain.”

Our mission is to bring our readers a rich and diverse program with topics ranging from politics, history, humor, and health to genre and literary fiction. Our writers are all experts in their field, distinguished historians, respected journalists and gifted storytellers. Many are recipients of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award and the Man Booker Prize as well as New York Times bestsellers.

America’s Best
Writers Festival

Outdoor event with many people dining at tables with white chairs and umbrellas, set against a desert landscape with mountains and palm trees.
Abstract purple illustration featuring tropical plants and leaves.

SOLD OUT

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Pink graphic illustration featuring tropical leaves, pineapples, and abstract floral elements.
Purple abstract illustration with tropical leaves and patterns.
Pink background with a silhouette of a woman in a dynamic pose, with flowing hair and abstract decorative elements surrounding her.
Close-up of a stylized fish illustration with abstract patterns and seaweed in shades of teal.
A building with two large silver observatory domes, surrounded by desert landscaping and palm trees, with mountains in the background.

Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory

Modern building with a curved brick wall, a metal logo, and a large roof overhang, surrounded by trees and flowers, with a mountain in the background.

  • The Festival, as well as other year-round events, are held at the award-winning Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory. The Library ranks at the top of California libraries in check-outs per hour, books added annually, total annual visits and total check-outs per capita for children and adults. The Library is the home of the Festival, as well as the site for our other community events including the Book Club and the Writers Series.

  • The Rancho Mirage Observatory opened on March 25, 2018 as a teaching and learning tool for all ages, intended to further public understanding of our night skies while offering new programming opportunities in astronomy. The Observatory plays an integral role in the growth of the Rancho Mirage Library’s campus. Constructed adjacent to the Library’s western entrance, the addition of this research level facility underscores the Library’s commitment to lifelong learning in the direction of the sciences. Through onsite tours, public stargazing, educational programming, and special events, the Observatory creates limitless astronomy engagement opportunities for enthusiasts of all ages and levels of expertise.

City of Rancho Mirage

Desert landscape at sunset with a stack of rocks in the foreground and a winding road through the arid terrain, mountains in the background.
Desert landscape with cactus plants, leafless trees, and snow-capped mountains under a clear blue sky.

  • Nestled between the majestic Santa Rosa Mountains to the south and the snowcapped San Jacinto range to the west, Rancho Mirage stands as an oasis of extraordinary beauty in the heart of the desert. Long favored by presidents, corporate leaders, and Hollywood icons, this exclusive enclave has become the desert’s premier luxury destination.

    • Known as the “Playground of Presidents”, with Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, and Barack Obama among those who made Rancho Mirage their desert home

    • Perfect weather, averaging 65–80 degrees in January and February

    • Luxury resorts and world-class spas, including the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage, Sensei Porcupine Creek, and the soon-to-open Cotino Storyliving by Disney

    • A golfer’s haven, with nine prestigious courses within city limits and access to more than 100 across the Coachella Valley

    • Cultural and lifestyle highlights include the Rancho Mirage Library & Observatory, The River, the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater, and the historic Sunnylands Center & Gardens

    • Premier entertainment venues such as the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater, The Show at Agua Caliente Resort & Casino, and the nearby McCallum Theatre

    • Signature events including the Rancho Mirage Writers Festival, the Galleri Classic, the Desert Jazz Festival, and Rancho Mirage Observatory Stargazing Nights

2025 By The Numbers

72

WRITERS + SPEAKERS

600

READERS

588

ANGELS