Getting Ready to Sip and Rock My Way Through BottleRock Napa Valley 2024

I had so much fun last year, I’m back for another round of BottleRock this Memorial Day weekend.

This festival truly does bring together some of my favorite things, all of which happen to handily fall in my entertainment and lifestyle coverage area — great music, delicious wine, fabulous food, easy travel, and the kickoff to summer — all coalescing with three days of live performances, foodie fun, and festivities on three music stages, plus a culinary stage. I can’t wait to share it all with our readers.

The list of headliners is pretty dynamite: Stevie Nicks, Megan Thee Stallion, Pearl Jam, Maná, Ed Sheeran, and Queens of the Stone Age (who also happen to be stopping at the Santa Barbara Bowl on May 24 before heading to Napa for their May 26 show). But the list goes on and on, including St. Vincent, Miike Snow, Bebe Rexha, Pete Yorn, Say She She, Santa Barbara’s own Chris Shiflett (whose day job is lead guitarist with the Foo Fighters), Oliver Tree, Cold War Kids, Kali Uchis, My Morning Jacket, The Kid Laroi, Tower of Power, The Aquadolls, Dominic Fike, Norah Jones, The Offspring, and Stephen Sanchez (who is coming to the Bowl September 14), to name just a few of the more than 75 bands playing over the long weekend.

The wine, food, and beverage offerings are every bit as high level as the artists. And there are plenty of wine cabanas, beverage bars, and food tents located throughout the festival grounds (rather than all in only one area).

One of my favorite special touches at last year’s BottleRock was the highly entertaining Williams Sonoma culinary stage, which mashed up celebrities from the world of music, film, and TV with top chefs and culinary rock stars. While the 2024 culinary stage details will be announced at a later date, last year featured chef celebs José Andrés, Giada De Laurentiis, Aarón Sánchez, and the Voltaggio Brothers alongside musicians Lil Nas X, John Taylor and Roger Taylor of Duran Duran, Wu-Tang Clan, Sammy Hagar, Dancer Derek Hough (who took off his shirt and leapt in an ice bath onstage), and Keanu Reeves in the kitchen, among others.

One of the other nice things about BottleRock is how close the different stages are to each other. Last year there were a few artists playing at the same time where I was truly torn about which one to go to, so I split my time. Granted, you can’t get up super close to the stage by doing that, but that’s not usually my preference at these things with big crowds anyway.

And then there’s the wine. This is Napa Valley after all. “Each year BottleRock raises the bar in offering an unparalleled blend of world-class music, the finest Napa Valley wines, and incredible culinary delights,” shared John Anthony Truchard, Founder and CEO of JaM Cellars, the presenting sponsor for the eighth year. “As part of this extraordinary three-day festival we’re inspired every year to bring something new to the festival experience. This year we’re delighted to debut new wines Butter Sauvignon Blanc and Butter Pinot Noir alongside classics Butter Chardonnay and Butter Cab at the JaMPad stage and lounge.”

Additional wineries pouring include Caymus Vineyards, The Duckhorn Portfolio, Miner Family Winery, Cardinale, Shafer Vineyards, Schramsberg Vineyards, Blackbird Vineyards, Silverado Vineyards, Emmolo Wines, Frias Family Vineyard, Sinegal Estate, Mumm Napa, Robledo Family Winery, Lang & Reed, Vintner’s Diary, Mathiasson Wines, and Art House Wines.