The Associated Student Programs Board’s (ASPB) Spring Splash has always been the premiere event for students to get the needed respite from grueling midterms all the while serving as the perfect send-off for those graduating. With the promise of delicious food, fun activities and performances from somewhat recognizable artists, any reason to miss out on the event are close to nonexistent.
2026’s Spring Splash, held on May 3, 2026, had students form up in U-shaped lines down to Webber Hall and eventually left towards Eucalyptus Drive in order to attend the event. The excitement of the eventgoers was strong enough for them to stay resilient against 85 degree weather, though some trees scattered throughout the lawn offered shade and rest. With doors opening at 4 p.m., eventgoers eventually flowed through security checks.
Given the diverse music lineup with artists such as Malcolm Todd and Mike Sherm as well as the plethora of amenities, it seems as if no expense was spared when it came to the planning of the event. The distinction between this year’s Spring Splash and previous Spring Splashes were made all the more apparent given the faintly identifiable “Percy Jackson” theme.
Merchandise
T-shirts and hats were passed out at two locations in the venue, one designed by progressive graphics and the other by ASPB for the first 600 students. Both ran out within the first half hour and then custom jerseys with the artist’s name on the back were tossed out after Bryant Barnes’ set. Students seem to enjoy the design as they slung it over their shoulders or putting it over their outfits.
Amenities and Activities
This year’s Spring Splash featured a whole host of activities for students to enjoy featuring rock climbing, a bungee trampoline, facepainting, jousting, a photobooth, soccer darts, axe throwing, yard games and a Megladon slide. Additionally the lounge, set aside to the left of the stage, gave a space for students to grab mock laurel wreaths as well as make bracelets while they sat at bean bags and tables while watching the artists. Other sponsors had booths as well, including Raising Canes and Vons, giving out free merchandise such as tote bags and gift cards. The usual Spring Splash photowall was also up for students to grab their staple Instagram post.
Lines for the activities were extensive as students waited between performances and many were seen enjoying themselves. While a definite step up from this year’s Block Party amenities, many of them closed down within an hour and half of the event. Furthermore, lines were extensive with students waiting as much as an hour for a single activity. That being said, one could hit at least two to three activities while enjoying the musical performances so there were options available, however big or small, to all.
Food Options
Though there were technically only two food carts available at the venue in Fuegomeup and Big Easy Sandwich, there were plenty of other food options available in the lower HUB area offering everything from funnel cake to acai bowls, hot dogs, elote, dubai chocolate strawberries and more. Lines were extravagant for these locations and due to their placement near the outdoor HUB seating, were somewhat hard to navigate between the chairs and Disneyland-esque lines.
The shortest wait times, if one would even call it that, would be from The Big Easy Sandwich. In the time waiting for the food, students were able to recover from their collective shock at the eyewateringly expensive food. With food items like the Buffalo Chicken Tenders coming out to be a whopping $22 after tax and tip, and the strawberry lemonade coming out to a solid $8.75, one can’t help but feel somewhat cheated. While the number of food vendors solved the problem of there being not enough options, one can only stop and think about the prices students paid for the sake of not passing out from heatstroke.
Musical Performances
The artist lineup for this year’s Spring Splash certainly captured the holy trinity of UCR-centric music genres: indie rock, rap and electronic dance music (EDM) with the addition of lofi R&B as well. Given the eclectic mix of artists performing, it was pretty clear that ASPB was aiming to cater to the music tastes of most, if not all, students within UC Riverside. What’s all the more interesting is that Malcolm Todd, the main staple of the event, marks a return of indie rock artists headlining Spring Splash since the Wallows played back in 2023.
DJ Rani, the event’s host, started off by playing remixes recognizable to many students in UC Riverside. Some of the renditions include “Nasty” by Tinashe, “365” by Charli XCX and “Hot in Herre” by Nelly. A crowd of concertgoers eventually began to converge towards the stage.
Bryant Barnes, given his melancholic and soft alternative R&B sound, was an interesting but welcoming choice when kicking off Spring Splash. Playing yearnful and melodious songs such as “Is This Love To You” and “Why Can’t You,” Barnes gradually won the favor of the audience. More and more potential fans piled to the front as Barnes sang somber yet equally electric tracks like “Don’t Want a Love Song,” a song he specifically dedicated to his day ones.
The artist went on to introduce an unreleased song coming out in two weeks as well as “I’m a Fan,” a track that he recorded just five days before the event. Alongside original music, Barnes also covered “Wicked Games” by The Weeknd, a song that matches the emotional tone heard throughout Barnes’ discography. The artist additionally played “I’d Rather Pretend,” a pensive and piano-driven song he’s stated to have “got him here.” Barnes ended his set at 5:20 p.m., but not before closing out with a cover of “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood.
Shifting the direction to something more rowdy and turned up, Mike Sherm was next up on the list. Eventgoers quickly flocked to the stage to hear Sherm play quintessential banger tracks such as “Ballin” and “Ima Boy.” Eventgoers familiar with the artist were quick to rap along to prosaically prophetic tracks like “Squirt Squad Cream Team” and “Homecoming.” Additionally, Mike Sherm commendably asked if someone passed out midway through his performance and told the audience to take five steps back. Mike Sherm ended his gig with his most arguably notable track, “A – – – – – -.”
RL Grime went up to indulge the ravers of UC Riverside with good old fashioned EDM music. Playing remixes of songs like “Good Feeling” like Flo Rida and “All of the Lights” by Kanye West, the hype and support RL Grime received from the concertgoers was nothing short of immense. RL Grime continued on with more classic EDM tracks such as “Kernkraft 400” by Zombie Nation and “Sandstorm” by Darude.
With smoke machines accentuating the bombastic music as well as the presence of neon graphics, UC Riverside felt less of a quaint college and more of an all-out rave festival akin to the likes of Beyond Wonderland. Like Mike Sherm, RL Grime had to stop the performance halfway through in order to have the audience take one big step back as to accommodate for others that might be squished.
At around 8 p.m., Malcolm Todd took to the stage in all of his flanger-filled glory. Starting off with “Earrings,” Todd entranced the audience with blissful vocals and dreamy guitar chords. Other songs played by him include “Make Me a Better Man” and “Sweet Boy.” Throughout the set, Todd made numerous hilarious repartees all the while showing love for UC Riverside, even playing a rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” with “UC Riverside” transposed within the lyrics. The love that Todd showed towards the UC Riverside community, as well as the love reciprocated back to him by the students, was practically immeasurable.
Todd went on through the night playing hits like “Starstudded” and “Attention,” captivating the crowd with gyrating dance moves while showing his guitar chops when playing “Hesitating.” To the approval and knowledge of many of the concertgoers, Todd played “Chest Pain (I Love),” a track that recently took social media by storm. He additionally covered “Leave it All to Me,” the theme song of “iCarly” before finally ending the night with “Roommates.” The sheer rawness and sincerity of his performance was unlike anything that could be heard from the tracks produced. If anything, Todd proved to the audience of UC Riverside that his penchant for performing is just as equally exhilarating as the songs that he puts out.
