From pre-festival parties to dancing in a porta potty (yes, you read that right), BottleRock is serving up some eclectic entertainment on and off the stage.
BottleRock returns to Napa May 24-26. Click through the gallery for six things you can’t miss beyond the music. (Courtesy photo).
R&R: Three full days of walking around and dancing will do a number on your body, so a trip to the BottleRock Spa for a massage, foot rub, facial, or hydration therapy is the perfect refresher to keep you going strong through Sunday. You can even get your hair and makeup done, or visit the sustainable sparkle bar to complete your outfit. Tip: Head there first thing to sign up for a treatment; last year they booked up quick! (Courtesy photo)
Get Cookin’: Some of the best and most entertaining BottleRock moments have actually happened on the Culinary Stage. In 2018 for instance, Snoop Dogg set a Guinness World Record for mixing the largest cocktail, a 550-liter gin and juice (of course). This year’s Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage lineup features musicians, chefs, athletes, and actors, including former Giants pitcher Jake Peavy, football star Marshawn Lynch, and Kristian Nairn, who played Hodor on Game of Thrones. (Courtesy photo)
Dance it Out in a Porta Potty: A porta potty speakeasy is quite possibly the weirdest thing BottleRock has offered up yet, but we can’t pretend we’re not intrigued. Look for the Monkey Shoulder Porta Party (get it?) and behind its door awaits a dance party, DJs, and whiskey cocktails. Hopefully, it’s a lot cleaner than the real porta potties. (Courtesy photo)
More than Wine: It’s no secret that BottleRock is stocked with world-class wine, but it’s the festival’s increased focus on beer and spirits—which are much more refreshing than a cabernet on a hot festival day—that’s got our attention. Skip the standard wine, food, and cocktail vendors and look for tents and beer gardens (signs like "Bourbon & Beer Garden" or "Beer Bend") pouring specialty craft beer from Napa and beyond. Some of the best-known breweries on the West Coast will be there, including Stone, Ballast Point, and Ninkasi, and Sonoma County is well represented with operations like Lagunitas, 101 North Brewing, and Barrel Brothers Brewing. (Courtesy photo)
For spirits, there will be five bourbon producers present at the festival, plus craft cocktails from whiskey-, tequila-, vodka-, and gin makers. Hendrick’s Gin will likely steal the show again with their old-timey, three-story bar, where cocktail-making turns into a live circus act. (Courtesy photo)
#FoodieHeaven: BottleRock undoubtedly has the best food lineup of all the music festivals. Top local eateries include Bouchon, Ad Hoc, and La Calenda from Michelin Star chef Thomas Keller, sushi from Morimoto, and Sonoma’s legendary The Girl & The Fig. (Courtesy photo)
But if there’s one food vendor that you must visit, it’s FK Frozen Custard, who has the most Instagram-worthy way to cool off. The SF-based custard company sells delicious ice cream bars that look like works of art. Our favorites: the Cookie Monster, featuring both a chocolate chip and Oreo cookie attached to it, and the S’mores, which comes accessorized with a full graham cracker and a giant smear of torched marshmallow fluff. They also have offbeat flavors (like matcha) and alcohol-infused flavors, like strawberry port wine. Find them on "Sweet Street" at the festival. (Photo by Diana Halog).
Pre-Game: There’s always a lot of extra fun happening in Napa during BottleRock weekend so you may consider spending some time outside of the festival gates. Vista Collina Resort is hosting a Beats + Blooms event ($55) on Saturday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. BottleRockers are invited to get festival ready with live music, wine, and their choice of a festival flower crown, glitter makeup, or henna tattoos. (Courtesy photo)
All three days, the Mini Malene airstream will be parked at the CIA at Copia pouring rosé from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. There will also be bocce, cornhole, and relaxing gardens to lounge in. (Courtesy photo)
Planning some wine tasting while in Napa Valley? Check out our guide to the best Napa wineries for first-time visitors.
We've also got you covered with a roundup of the hottest wine tasting experiences in Napa Valley and Sonoma County.
You come to BottleRock for the music—this year’s festival features headlining acts Imagine Dragons, Neil Young, and Mumford & Sons—but there’s so much more to see and do over the course of three days than “just” rock out. From pre-festival parties to dancing in a porta potty—yes, you read that right—here are six things you can’t miss at BottleRock this year.
