Pluto TV Will Send One X-Files Superfan to a Secret Desert Location to Watch All 218 Episodes

What the Prize Actually Includes

The prize offered by Pluto TV is genuinely one of the more creative travel packages a streaming platform has put together in recent memory. The full package includes:

• Roundtrip economy airfare for the winner and one guest

• A ten-night stay at an off-grid facility near Joshua Tree, California

• A nine-day X-Files marathon viewing experience covering all 218 episodes

• Select meals and beverages throughout the experience

• Ground transportation related to the experience

The Fan Is Out There experience runs from April 19th through 29th, 2026. Pluto TV will also ask the winner to appear in filming, photography, and promotional content related to the experience, so if you go, you're not just watching television in the desert. You're becoming part of the content.

The setup itself leans fully into the theme. There will be a living case board to track patterns, connections, and conspiracies across all 218 episodes, along with black coffee, sunflower seeds, daily on-camera debriefs, and a few still-classified extras that Pluto TV is keeping under wraps for now.

Source: Screenshot from Fooji

Why Joshua Tree Makes Perfect Sense

If you were going to design the ideal location for an X-Files marathon, the Joshua Tree desert would be a strong contender. The landscape is genuinely otherworldly with strange rock formations, alien-looking trees, vast open skies, and enough isolation to make you forget the rest of the world exists entirely.

Joshua Tree National Park sits where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet and covers nearly 800,000 acres in Southern California. It has long drawn artists, stargazers, and people who just like places with a little space to breathe. The night skies out here are especially good, the kind that remind you how rarely most of us see real darkness anymore. For nine days of desert isolation while watching one of television’s most iconic paranormal series, the setting is doing a lot of the work.

The area around Joshua Tree has also become one of Southern California’s more interesting travel destinations in recent years, with good food, distinctive architecture, and the kind of creative, slightly offbeat energy that makes the region worth exploring whether you win the contest or not.

Who This Contest Is For

The eligibility rules are specific. To enter, you must meet the following requirements:

• Legal resident of the 50 United States or Washington D.C.

• 18 years or older (19 or older in Alabama and Nebraska)

• Available to participate April 19 through 29, 2026

• One entry per person

• No purchase necessary

To enter, complete these three steps during the contest window:

1. Provide your basic information including your name, phone number, email address, and availability to participate on the April 19 to 29 dates.

2. Upload a video explaining why you are the ultimate X-Files fan.

3. Provide a physical mailing address within the United States to confirm eligibility. No P.O. boxes.

The video is where most people will either win or lose this thing. Pluto TV says it is looking for genuine superfans, so a thoughtful, specific, and confident explanation of why you are the right person for nine days in the desert with 218 episodes will go much further than simply saying you love the show. If you can name episode writers or debate the best standalone monster-of-the-week entries versus the mythology arc, that's the kind of thing worth putting on camera.

The Entry Window and the Backup Plan

The contest opened on March 10 at 11:00 AM ET and closes on March 20 at 11:59 PM ET, which means there’s still time to put together a solid entry if you start now instead of waiting until the last minute.

If you don’t win, Pluto TV is still planning a full X-Files marathon on April 20 that anyone can watch for free. The desert experience is the grand prize, but the rewatch is open to everyone. Since the entire series is already available to stream on Pluto TV at no cost, this is also a good excuse to start a rewatch now, especially with Ryan Coogler’s reboot on the horizon and interest in the show picking up again.

Whether you win the desert experience or end up watching from your couch on April 20, The X-Files holds up better than most television from that era, and there has genuinely never been a better time to revisit it. The contest is free to enter, the prize is genuinely unusual, and the worst case scenario is you spend twenty minutes making a video about a show you already love. The truth is out there. Your entry deadline is March 20.

Frequently Asked Questions: Pluto TV X-Files Fan Contest

What is the Pluto TV X-Files Fan Is Out There contest?

It's a skill-based contest where one winner and a guest are sent to an off-grid facility near Joshua Tree, California, to marathon all 218 episodes of The X-Files across nine days, with flights, accommodation, meals, and ground transportation included.

When does the contest open and close?

The submission window runs from March 10, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET to March 20, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. One entry per person.

When does the experience take place?

The desert marathon experience runs April 19 through 29, 2026.

Who is eligible to enter?

Legal residents of the 50 United States and Washington D.C., aged 18 and older (19 and older in Alabama and Nebraska). No purchase necessary.

How do I enter?

Submit your name, contact details, and availability, upload a video explaining why you are the ultimate X-Files fan, and provide a physical US mailing address to confirm eligibility. Entries at the official contest page on Pluto TV's site.

What does the prize include?

Roundtrip economy airfare for the winner and one guest, a ten-night stay at an off-grid Joshua Tree facility, all 218 episodes of The X-Files across nine days, select meals and beverages, and ground transportation. The winner will also appear in promotional content related to the experience.

Where is Joshua Tree?

Joshua Tree is in Southern California, roughly two and a half hours east of Los Angeles. The national park covers nearly 800,000 acres at the intersection of the Mojave and Colorado desert ecosystems and is known for its distinctive landscape, dark skies, and remote atmosphere.

Can I watch The X-Files on Pluto TV without winning the contest?

Yes. The entire series is available to stream free on Pluto TV without a subscription. Pluto TV is also running a full marathon on April 20, open to anyone at no cost.