BottleRock Lineup & BottleRock AfterDark Music Series
Confidence doesn’t always arrive with a bold entrance. Sometimes, it builds quietly, step by step, as we show up for ourselves day after day. It grows when we choose to try, even when we’re unsure of the outcome. Every time you take action despite self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you’re capable. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about trusting that you can figure it out along the way.
The key to making things happen isn’t waiting for the perfect moment; it’s starting with what you have, where you are. Big goals can feel overwhelming when viewed all at once, but momentum builds through small, consistent action. Whether you’re working toward a personal milestone or a professional dream, progress comes from showing up — not perfectly, but persistently. Action creates clarity, and over time, those steps forward add up to something real.
You don’t need to be fearless to reach your goals, you just need to be willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to believe that you’re capable of more than you know. The road may not always be smooth, but growth rarely is. What matters most is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep believing in the version of yourself you’re becoming.
Wine. Music. Madness.
Your complete guide to BottleRock 2026 — the headliners, the hidden gems, the AfterDark secrets, and everything in between.
The First Taste of Summer
Returns to Wine Country
Memorial Day Weekend, Napa Valley, and a lineup that reads like someone gave a music fan unlimited budget and zero genre restrictions. That's BottleRock 2026 — and this year, the organizers have outdone themselves.
From May 22 to 24 at the legendary Napa Valley Expo, BottleRock returns for another sun-soaked, Cabernet-fueled, eardrum-rattling celebration of everything we love about live music. This isn't just a festival. It's a philosophy: that the best moments happen when a world-class rock band is playing 50 yards from where someone is pairing a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir with wagyu sliders.
The 2026 edition spans five stages, more than 80 artists, and a musical vision so eclectic it practically dares you to pick a favorite set. Foo Fighters are back. The Backstreet Boys are coming for your nostalgia. Lorde is bringing the brooding poetry. And after the festival wraps each night, a whole separate universe of shows — BottleRock AfterDark — is waiting to keep the party alive across Napa and the Bay Area.
Let's break it all down.
The Headliners:
Stars Built for This Stage
BottleRock has always understood something other festivals don't: the headliner isn't just the biggest name — it's the right name. For 2026, they've stacked the billing with artists who each represent something distinct.
The stadium rock machine that never slows down. Dave Grohl and the Foos return to BottleRock as certified legends — the kind of band that turns a festival into a religious experience. Expect the full spectacle: hits from every era, explosive energy, and a set that will echo in your chest for days.
Sunday, May 24 • Main StageDon't even try to pretend you won't sing every word. The BSB co-headlining slot is pure genius — equal parts nostalgia bomb and proof that pop craftsmanship from the '90s holds up better than most of what came after. One of the most crowd-uniting sets you'll find anywhere this summer.
Saturday, May 23 • Main StageThe Grammy-winning provocateur brings her signature cinematic gravity to the hills of Napa. Her sets are less concert and more ritual — hypnotic, emotionally intelligent, and impossible to look away from. A BottleRock headliner spot that feels inevitable in retrospect.
Friday, May 22 • Main StageJames Murphy's art-rock dance party has aged like the finest Napa Cab — complex, powerful, more relevant with time. Their live shows are legendary: relentlessly groovy, intellectually charged, and sonically overwhelming. Catch them at the festival — AND at Napa Music Hall after dark.
Saturday, May 23 • Second StageThe breakthrough voice of the last two years comes to Napa with a chest full of soul and hit after hit. His festival rise from underdog to headliner is one of music's best recent stories. When he opens his mouth, wine glasses tremble.
Friday, May 22 • Second StageWeezy F. Baby — and the F is for Festival. One of the most decorated and influential rappers of his generation hits the BottleRock stage with the kind of catalog depth that could fill six hours without running out of bangers. BottleRock's biggest hip-hop booking in years.
Sunday, May 24 • Second StageThe Russian-German producer and DJ is a festival force of nature. His sets are precision-engineered euphoria — massive drops, impeccable sequencing, and the kind of electronic energy that turns a vineyard-adjacent crowd into a pulsing mass. Perfect BottleRock energy.
Saturday, May 23 • Main StageThe most exciting emerging name on the 2026 poster. SOMBR's blend of dreamy alt-pop and emotional depth has been building a massive following, and a BottleRock headliner slot is the kind of moment that cements a career. Watch this one closely — you'll be saying "I saw them before they were huge."
Friday, May 22 • Second Stage"BottleRock 2026 isn't just a lineup — it's a generational statement. The Backstreet Boys playing the same festival as LCD Soundsystem and Lil Wayne is either chaotic genius or proof that BottleRock truly belongs to everyone. Probably both."
What This Lineup
Is Really Saying
Read between the artist names and a clear musical philosophy emerges: BottleRock 2026 is built for the person who had "Torn" on repeat in 1998 and was still crying to Billie Eilish in 2023. In other words — most of us.
The Nostalgia Meets Now Axis
The pairing of Backstreet Boys and Rilo Kiley — two beloved acts who defined different strains of late-90s/early-2000s culture — with contemporary stars like SOMBR, flipturn, and Teddy Swims is not accidental. It's a conscious bridge between generations of festivalgoers. Parents and their kids can share the same blanket on the lawn and both have a set to cry about.
The Genre-Blurring Approach
Hip-hop heavyweights Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, and Arrested Development share billing with rock legends Foo Fighters, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, and Papa Roach. Electronic architects Zedd and LCD Soundsystem keep the energy up between the more introspective sets. Soul, folk, and alt-pop fill the spaces between. No genre owns BottleRock, which is exactly the point.
The Legends Strand
This year's lineup features some of music's most storied names: Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Bush, Men at Work, Better Than Ezra, Chaka Khan, Kool & The Gang, and Natasha Bedingfield. These aren't legacy bookings to fill time — they're cultural touchstones that remind us why live music matters across every decade.
The Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage: Where Food Meets Music
In true BottleRock fashion, music is only half the story. The Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage returns with celebrity chef demos and artist appearances — a living reminder that Napa Valley didn't just invent great wine, it invented the idea that every pleasure is better when paired with another. Expect chefs, artists, and surprise guests sharing space in a way no other festival pulls off.
Five Stages, Zero Excuses to Be Bored
BottleRock 2026 spans the Main Stage (the full spectacle), Second Stage (co-headliners and breakout acts), Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage (food, music, and magic), plus two additional stages for emerging talent and local acts. The Silent Disco by Allianz and The Club round out the after-hours experience on the grounds.
There's also something else at play here: BottleRock has always functioned as a platform for Northern California's own. This year, Moonalice, The California Honeydrops, Paris Jackson, and a host of Bay Area and Napa-adjacent artists bring the local flavor that makes this festival feel like it belongs to Napa rather than just visiting it.
BottleRock 2026
Complete Artist Lineup
Organized by festival day from earliest to latest. Headliner rows are highlighted. Set times to be released closer to the event.
| Date | Artist | Stage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🎸 Friday, May 22, 2026 | |||
| Fri, May 22 | Lorde | Main Stage | Headliner |
| Fri, May 22 | Teddy Swims | Second Stage | Headliner |
| Fri, May 22 | SOMBR | Second Stage | Co-Headliner |
| Fri, May 22 | AJR | Main Stage | |
| Fri, May 22 | Joan Jett & The Blackhearts | Main Stage | |
| Fri, May 22 | Jon Bellion | Second Stage | |
| Fri, May 22 | Tash Sultana | Second Stage | |
| Fri, May 22 | flipturn | Stage TBA | |
| Fri, May 22 | The Warning | Stage TBA | |
| Fri, May 22 | Nilüfer Yanya | Stage TBA | |
| Fri, May 22 | Chaka Khan | Culinary Stage | |
| Fri, May 22 | Charlotte Lawrence | Stage TBA | |
| Fri, May 22 | Del Water Gap | Stage TBA | |
| Fri, May 22 | Penelope Road | Stage TBA | |
| Fri, May 22 | Hannah Cohen | Stage TBA | |
| Fri, May 22 | The Chin Chins | Stage TBA | |
| Fri, May 22 | Indy | Stage TBA | |
| 🎪 Saturday, May 23, 2026 | |||
| Sat, May 23 | Backstreet Boys | Main Stage | Headliner |
| Sat, May 23 | LCD Soundsystem | Second Stage | Co-Headliner |
| Sat, May 23 | Zedd | Main Stage | Co-Headliner |
| Sat, May 23 | Papa Roach | Second Stage | |
| Sat, May 23 | Rilo Kiley | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | Busta Rhymes | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | Better Than Ezra | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | Natasha Bedingfield | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | Men at Work | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | BØRNS | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | almost monday | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | Arrested Development | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | Rev Run | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | The Beths | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | Maoli | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | Midnight Generation | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | Melt | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | The Paradox | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | Paris Jackson | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | DJ Pauly D | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | New Constellations | Stage TBA | |
| Sat, May 23 | Khatumu | Stage TBA | |
| 🍷 Sunday, May 24, 2026 | |||
| Sun, May 24 | Foo Fighters | Main Stage | Headliner |
| Sun, May 24 | Lil Wayne | Second Stage | Headliner |
| Sun, May 24 | Bush | Stage TBA | |
| Sun, May 24 | Ludacris | Stage TBA | |
| Sun, May 24 | Chevy Metal | Stage TBA | |
| Sun, May 24 | Treach | Stage TBA | |
| Sun, May 24 | Meredith Marks | Stage TBA | |
| Sun, May 24 | Zinadelphia | Stage TBA | |
| Sun, May 24 | Saxsquatch | Stage TBA | |
| Sun, May 24 | Folk Bitch Trio | Stage TBA | |
| Sun, May 24 | The Alive | Stage TBA | |
| Sun, May 24 | Moonalice | Stage TBA | |
| Sun, May 24 | Jake Zimma | Stage TBA | |
| Sun, May 24 | Malick Koly | Stage TBA | |
| Sun, May 24 | The Rookie5 | Stage TBA | |
| Sun, May 24 | The Return of Jackie & Judy | Stage TBA | |
| Sun, May 24 | Kool & The Gang | Culinary Stage | |
* Set times and stage assignments for non-headliner acts will be released closer to the event date at bottlerocknapavalley.com
When the Main Stage goes dark, the night is just getting started. BottleRock Presents extends the festival into intimate venues across Napa Valley and the Bay Area — May 19 through May 25.
The Idea Behind AfterDark
BottleRock AfterDark was born from a simple observation: festivals create an energy that doesn't just switch off at 10pm. People are alive, connected, euphoric — and they want more.
Produced by BottleRock Presents — the same team behind the festival — AfterDark is a curated series of late-night and evening shows that pulls directly from the BottleRock lineup roster and pairs it with special guests and venue-specific experiences. The result is something no other festival in California does this well: a complete music ecosystem that wraps around the main event like a warm Napa evening.
The goals are clear and elegant. First, give festivalgoers who purchased three-day passes a reason to make an entire week of it — build your Memorial Day trip around a full seven days of music. Second, offer more intimate encounters with the same artists you'd see at the Expo, but in rooms that hold hundreds instead of thousands. Third, serve fans who couldn't get festival tickets a gateway into the BottleRock universe.
The series runs from Tuesday, May 19 — four days before the festival kicks off — all the way through Monday, May 25, Memorial Day itself. It spans five cities: Napa, San Francisco, Berkeley, Menlo Park, and Novato.
The Personalities Behind It
The AfterDark lineup reads like a love letter to music fans who want depth alongside spectacle. LCD Soundsystem playing the intimate Napa Music Hall is the headline booking: one of the most critically acclaimed live acts on the planet, in a room where you can feel every bass note. Compare that to seeing them on the Second Stage and you'll understand why AfterDark tickets sell out first.
Rilo Kiley at the Uptown Theatre brings indie-rock pilgrims out for what's still a rare treat — a band whose catalog of bittersweet, beautifully crafted songs deserves a room where every lyric can be heard. BØRNS plays two venues, giving his glittery dream-pop an extended moment in the spotlight. Larkin Poe brings their Americana fire to both Napa's Uptown Theatre and the Guild Theatre in Menlo Park. And Bush close out Sunday night at Napa Music Hall in a post-festival set that promises to be one of the most emotionally satisfying of the entire week.
Then there's Destination Defender — a private dining experience with Mt. Joy under the stars at Silver Oak Winery in Oakville. This isn't just an AfterDark show. It's a concept: music, food, wine, and a legendary vineyard location colliding into something you couldn't plan if you tried. This is the BottleRock spirit made intimate.
Napa Music Hall + Uptown Theatre = Walking Distance
Both the Napa Music Hall and the Uptown Theatre are located in downtown Napa, within easy walking distance of the Napa Valley Expo. After the final notes fade on the Main Stage, you can be in your AfterDark show within minutes. Plan ahead and book both.
BottleRock AfterDark 2026
Complete Schedule
All shows confirmed as of February 25, 2026. Tickets on sale at bottlerocknapavalley.com.
| Date | Artist(s) | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌙 Pre-Festival Week | |||
| Tue, May 19 | BØRNS | The Guild Theatre | Menlo Park |
| Wed, May 20 | Chevy Metal | The Guild Theatre | Menlo Park |
| Wed, May 20 | BØRNS | UC Theatre | Berkeley |
| 🌙 Thursday, May 21 | |||
| Thu, May 21 | Larkin Poe | The Uptown Theatre ★ | Napa |
| Thu, May 21 | Izzy Escobar | Café du Nord | San Francisco |
| Thu, May 21 | Hannah Cohen | Swedish American Music Hall | San Francisco |
| Thu, May 21 | Destination Defender w/ Mt. Joy | Silver Oak Winery ✦ Private Event | Oakville, Napa Valley |
| 🌙 Friday, May 22 (Festival Day 1) | |||
| Fri, May 22 | LCD Soundsystem | Napa Music Hall ★ | Napa |
| Fri, May 22 | Rilo Kiley | The Uptown Theatre ★ | Napa |
| Fri, May 22 | Larkin Poe | The Guild Theatre | Menlo Park |
| Fri, May 22 | DJ Pauly D | August Hall | San Francisco |
| 🌙 Saturday, May 23 (Festival Day 2) | |||
| Sat, May 23 | Chevy Metal | Napa Music Hall ★ | Napa |
| Sat, May 23 | BØRNS | The Uptown Theatre ★ | Napa |
| Sat, May 23 | Midnight Generation + Paco Versailles | August Hall | San Francisco |
| Sat, May 23 | The Heavy Heavy | Swedish American Music Hall | San Francisco |
| Sat, May 23 | The Paper Kites | The Chapel | San Francisco |
| 🌙 Sunday, May 24 (Festival Day 3) | |||
| Sun, May 24 | Bush | Napa Music Hall ★ | Napa |
| Sun, May 24 | Maoli | The Uptown Theatre ★ | Napa |
| Sun, May 24 | Better Than Ezra | The Guild Theatre | Berkeley |
| Sun, May 24 | The Beths | UC Theatre | Berkeley |
| 🌙 Monday, May 25 — Memorial Day | |||
| Mon, May 25 | The California Honeydrops | HopMonk Tavern | Novato |
★ = Walking distance from Napa Valley Expo festival grounds | ✦ = Private event, limited availability
The Venues
Intimate venue steps from the festival grounds. The crown jewel of AfterDark Napa — host to LCD Soundsystem, Chevy Metal, and Bush.
A stunning historic theater also walkable from the Expo. Home to Rilo Kiley, Larkin Poe, BØRNS, and Maoli across the weekend.
Private Destination Defender event with Mt. Joy. The most exclusive AfterDark experience — dinner under the stars in one of Napa's most iconic vineyards.
Multi-city Guild locations host BØRNS, Chevy Metal, Larkin Poe, and Better Than Ezra across the pre-festival and festival week.
East Bay's beloved concert hall welcomes BØRNS pre-festival and The Beths on closing Sunday — two very different flavors of great indie music.
Four distinct SF venues spread the AfterDark love across the city — from DJ Pauly D at August Hall to intimate folk at Café du Nord.
Why BottleRock 2026
Is the One to See
Plenty of festivals have bigger stages. Some have louder headliners. A few have better food. But none of them are happening in a valley where the light turns gold at 5pm, where the air smells like dry oak and sun-warmed earth, and where you can walk from a Foo Fighters set to a Napa Valley wine bar in four minutes flat.
BottleRock 2026 isn't trying to be Coachella. It isn't trying to be Glastonbury. It's something genuinely its own — a celebration of the overlap between culinary craft, musical art, and a geographic location that has been making people feel things for over a century.
The lineup is extraordinary. The AfterDark programming is unprecedented in scope and ambition. And Napa Valley in late May is as close to perfect weather as outdoor concerts get.
Three days at the festival. A whole week if you go all in. The first taste of summer — and if this lineup is any indication, it's going to be a very good year.
Get Your Tickets at bottlerocknapavalley.com
3-day General Admission from $475 · VIP, Skydeck & Platinum options available · Single-day passes for Fri/Sat/Sun · BottleRock AfterDark tickets available separately. Tickets going quickly — especially for AfterDark intimate venue shows.