Need a Minute presents
Oct 9–11, 2026 · Santa Cruz Mountains
Share what you loved about #9, plus what could be even better next year. One entry wins a free ticket to Polar Palooza 10.
We're still buzzing from the way it all came together to create the magic of our favorite weekend of the year. There were so many perfect new elements this year, and outstanding mainstays that blew us away:
All surrounded by the lush beauty of the redwood forest. We almost can't believe it keeps surpassing what we imagine every year.
A resounding thank you to all the DJs, performers, volunteers, art installation builders, team leads and vendors for co-creating our collective wonderland: the place where we can all come as we are, feel inspired to make art, and feel free to be our most genuine, brightest selves. This event could not exist without you.
Polar Palooza is a labor of love. We dedicate our time, our love, our money and our passion to this project so that we can build the festival and create the scene we want to see in the world. For it to be a beacon for what festival culture can give at its very best.
Achieving that takes a mix. Type 1 fun is when you go to something and only experience the fun. There's a lot of Type 1 fun to be had. We practice Type 2 fun, which means the fun of creating the container for people to have fun and watching them enjoy it. After this year we realize we've reached a new milestone: Type 3 fun, where you create the space for others to practice Type 2 fun. The space where they are inspired to create and share art that is uniquely theirs. We're so honored to host this type of fun.
What we've learned is that the more you give, the more it inspires others to give as well. We've received everything we've given to Polar Palooza and Need a Minute back a hundredfold. This community means everything to us. Cherishing it, nurturing it and protecting it has been the most impactful work of our lives. We all come here for a place of freedom, of rare vulnerability, a place to be ourselves with no judgement, whoever we might be. You are never alone at Polar, because everyone around you is an amazing friend waiting to be made.
We hand-pick the people we invite and have curated this community with intention over the past 9 years. Please only bring the people you know will respect and raise the vibrations of our tribe. A big reason Polar always feels awesome is that we keep this community safe by acculturating everyone to the Polar Palooza we know and hold dear. That culture means taking responsibility for our behaviors and our actions. Acting ethically and honestly. Treating everyone with kindness, and trying to understand one another and how we got to this place. Remembering that we're just a bunch of humans all in one place, having a collective dream and a magical experience together.
That is the Palooza. You make it happen. You are the Palooza!Much love, your Need a Minute Xaddy Bears
Share what you loved about #9, plus what you think could be even better next year. One entry will be picked at random to win a free ticket to Polar Palooza 10.
Take the surveyIf you ever felt unsafe at this year's event, please let us know. We strive to make Polar Palooza an inclusive and harm-free space, and we take every report seriously to keep our community safe.
Let us knowMissed out on Need a Minute leggings or a bomber jacket? We got you. Grab one on Etsy, and peep the merch drops coming up.
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Twenty-odd DJs from up and down California, playing from Friday sundown to Sunday sunrise. Bring your dancing shoes and maybe a second pair.
One stage plays at a time, so the party moves. Afternoons up at Polar Peak until 10pm, then down to Cosmic Convergence until 2:30am, then into the Brine until 7am. Tap the ☆ to save a set.
· times are Pacific · subject to the whims of the bear
Friday · Between Dimensions. Black and white, like colour hasn't loaded yet. Glitchy, not just checkered. Inspo board
Saturday · Celestial Renaissance. Sun, moon, stars, vintage elegance. Push past the usual crescent-moon earrings. Inspo board
Two acts of homemade theater starring your friends. Somebody's been messing with time. Every timeline in the Need a Minute universe is glitching, and they're all sliding toward one we were never supposed to see. The Time Keepers are on it. Allegedly.
Act 1
Friday 11:30pm
Cosmic Convergence
Act 2
Saturday 6:30pm, at sunset
Polar Peak
Thirty minutes each. Get there early, it fills up. If you've never seen a Polar play: prepare yourself.
Daytime is for learning something weird from someone you'll be dancing next to later. Bring a mat for yoga and acro.
Private land, deep in the redwoods. Here's where the music lives and where to wander between sets.
Afternoons till 10pm
The treehouse stage, up in the trees, inside a giant bear's head. The bear got a glow-up this year: new eyes, a crown, the works. Act 2 happens here at sunset.
10pm till 2:30am
The garage, now a portal. Fabric, frames, bass you feel in your sternum. Act 1 opens here Friday night, and the family dinner happens here Saturday.
2:30am till 7am
The heated pool, gone full pickle. Steam, sunrise sets, regrettable decisions. No lifeguard and no open drinks in the pool, so swim smart.
Sat 2:30–4am
A deck for lying on your back and looking up. Silent disco with SAMM late Saturday, stargazing the rest of the time.
Saturday, one big meal, cooked for everyone, eaten together. It's the only meal we serve all weekend, so bring your own food for everything else. You know the deal, it's family style. Your wristband colour is your dinner wave.
At Cosmic Convergence. Disco taxidermy runs in the garage lounge at the same time, so wander through.
The load-bearing stuff. Read it once, screenshot it, then go back to being excited.
Bring one cool, higher-value piece you'd love to see on someone else. Not a bag of discards. Take something that sparks joy. The rack lives by the runway.
The Water Refill spigot by the garage is drinking water. Fill up there, and drink more than you think you need. Mountains are sneaky.
Showers are by the garage too, and there's also a shower in the glamping area.
The stuff people keep asking. We'll add to it as new questions come in.
Yes, bring your own food for the weekend. Saturday's family dinner is the only meal we serve. There's a communal kitchen, and we'd love you to cook there instead of on your own stove because it saves space at the campsites. Bringing your own stove is fine too.
Yes. There are showers by the garage, and there's also a shower in the glamping area.
Saturday's family dinner comes with every weekend ticket. It's the only meal we serve, so bring food for the rest of the weekend. Menu and allergens are under Dinner.
Gates are open Friday 5:30pm to 11pm and Saturday 11am to 5pm. Coming outside those hours? Tell us ahead of time.
No. Polar has a no-dogs policy, so please leave yours at home.
Please don't. No renegade sound: the only music is on our stages.