Who to see, what to drink and how to survive. A Guide to Everything BottleRock Napa with Top Hot Spots for Wine Country Shenanigans…
Get your wine glass, fashion favorites and your picnic bag ready. This Memorial Day LIVE music festival is a favorite among locals and visitors alike.
With a stellar line up for 2017, Bottle Rock Napa is sure to please attendees once again.
What Is It?
WORLD-CLASS MUSIC PLUS THE BEST OF WINE COUNTRY!
#BottleRock Napa is known for: Bands on four music stages plus celebrity, chef and vintner performances on the culinary stage with great sight lines throughout the venue.
Sign me Up!!
2016 Bottle Rock Photo Gallery >>
Tickets also include access to gourmet food from the Napa Valley’s finest chefs and restaurateurs, craft beer, specialty cocktails and dozens of wine cabanas where you can sip, savor and mingle with your favorite vintners making every festival goer feel like a VIP.
Three days of world-class music…
combined with wine country living at its finest!
Who Is Headlining?
FRIDAY Maroon 5
SATURDAY Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
SUNDAY FooFighters
Festival-goers can enjoy…
an array of live music, culinary delights, local wine pours, and fun activities before and in between performances.
With three separate stages and over 100,000 attendees expected each year, it is an Epic Show.
Concert Insights
Music + Food + Napa Valley + Wine + Beer
Enough said?!?
With weather promising warmer days here in Northern California…
it is looking a lot more like #BottleRock’in Time in Napa!
For the past three years it has been hot weather and this year proves to be the same.
The event attracts many San Francisco Bay Area residents each year, who flock to the area for the entire weekend.
Survival Tips for Bottle Rock Napa 2017
Hydration & Sustenance
Humans need water, a simple tip but one that is easy to forget. The temperatures in Northern California can be hot at times. Even without the heat, the body needs to drink water often, especially when active & exposed to the sun.
Make sure to keep drinking water and refill your bottle at the many refilling stations all over the event. Us humans also need to eat. When having fun, tasting wine and dancing your ass off…it can be easy to forget the 3 meal a day rule. Stop by one of the many yummy food vendors at the show.
Sample the foodie delights that Napa and Sonoma Wine Country has to offer from some Top Notch Celebrity Chefs while you enjoy the music.
Don’t Get Lost
As SOON as you enter, grab an event space map…or two.
Knowing where things are located is half the battle. How else can you navigate quickly to the Foofighters stage when you hear they are about to start jamming?
Having a map on you at all times is a lot easier than asking for directions.
The crew at BottleRock is busily installing signage all over the event, if you have lost your map, just follow the signs.
Always Plan Ahead (…like a good Boy Scout)
So little time…so much to do. In only 3 days… BottleRock Napa will host a huge number of…
musicians, chefs, winemakers and local brands.
With multiple stages, food areas and lounges to visit, it is important to read the schedule and the sponsor list to highlight the acts and bites that are most important to you.
Make sure you circle the chefs you want to visit..
the wines that you want to sip…
and the acts you want to see the week before the event.
I like to print out schedules online and then highlight all of my favorites.
Forge New Relationships
If there is one tip that I give out to all wine country visitors, it is to call ahead.
Once you have decided which vendors to visit, let them know you are coming. A winemaker, chef, artist, brand can be prepared for you if you simply contact them before the event. Tweet to them, send an email, make a call, let the winery or business know that you plan to be in town for the BottleRock event and look forward to seeing what they have to offer.
Most brands appreciate being prepared and ready with what they’re fans are looking for.
Imagery is Key
3 days is a long time… but it goes by in a flash! You will be left wanting more and ready for next year as soon as the last note is played on the guitar. Snap photos of the adventure.
Take a few photos each hour. Include the people, wines, musicians, and the landscape in the imagery.
A few days after, it will be enjoyable to re-live the BottleRock Journey through photos.
Don’t forget to post a few to social media with the hashtag #BottleRock … then click on the hashtag to see what all the other visitors are doing as well.
Plan Your Ride – BE RESPONSIBLE!
Chances are high that you may hydrate with more than just water at a Wine Country event.
Have a designated driver in your BottleRock group or have a plan set to uber, taxi or have a friend pick you up.
It is NEVER a good idea to drive after having even one drink.
So please BottleRock safely and get home safely afterwards by arranging for sober transportation.
Most Importantly
ENJOY YOUR BOTTLE ROCK EXPERIENCE!
Which Wine Bottles are being Poured?
When you put on a music festival smack dab in the middle of the legendary Napa Valley, you better be prepared to “bring it” with your wine offerings.
BottleRock will amaze you with the wealth of incredible wines from some of the most heralded producers in the world.
From crisp sauvignon blancs to delicious chardonnays, elegant and luscious pinot noirs to blockbuster cabernets, the Napa Valley has it all, and BottleRock offers the best of the region, with the help of our on-site staff of sommeliers and wine experts.
We promise you won’t go thirsty while listening to your favorite music…Cheers to that.
Big Pours in MY glass, I’ll be using UBER!
Which Food Items will be Served?
Featuring more Michelin stars per capita than any other wine region on the globe, it’s no wonder that many regard Napa Valley as a must visit region for its culinary prowess as well as its wines.
The BottleRock menu of offerings are reflective of the vibrant culinary scene, offering a variety of delicious bites from many of the area’s finest chefs and restaurateurs to pair perfectly with that glass of wine or craft brew.
And don’t forget to check out the Culinary Stage where we offer tasty mashups of your favorite artists and our famous chefs.
Just don’t forget to make sure you get in some music while eating and drinking Napa’s best cuisines.
What about Beer?
As many a vintner has said… “It takes a lot of good beer to make a great wine”!
Craft brews are a big deal North of the San Francisco Bay and BottleRock is no exception.
We’ve gone to great lengths to make sure there are plenty of premium brews to be enjoyed with BottleRock’s tasty food.
Sometimes life just calls for a cold beer and we’ll have them ready for you!
IMPORTANT HASHTAGS ~~
CONNECT WITH #BOTTLEROCK
Getting There
LOCAL BUS SERVICES
Napa’s VINE Transit System offers convenient transportation to and from the festival. View VINE routes and schedule here and stay tuned for more details.
CARPOOL SPECIAL OFFERS!!
BottleRock with your friends. If you arrive at the festival with 4 or more people in your vehicle, you and everyone in your car will be eligible for a VIP upgrade for the day! Winners will be selected at random each day!
BOTTLEROCK LIKES BIKES!! #BottleRock is excited to provide complimentary bicycle parking a short distance from the venue at the corner of First Street and Silverado Trail.
Special Events / Attractions / VIP Perks?
3-day VIP Pass really cranks up the perks. VIP guests will have access to the VIP Village, an oasis featuring premium bars, expanded culinary offerings, a VIP viewing deck, comfy seats, shade, live acoustic performances, DJ sets, upgraded VIP-only restrooms and much more – all located adjacent to the main stage.
VIP ticket holders will also receive up-close prime viewing areas and shade at each stage, an easy access corridor between the main stage and the second stage, a separate fast lane festival entrance and exit, in-and-out privileges and the opportunity to purchase a parking pass exclusive to VIP ticket holders located within a short walk of the VIP entrance.
VIP parking can be purchased by VIP and VIP Plus Skydeck pass holders only. VIP parking must be purchased in advance and is not available for purchase on show days.
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I’m so sad I missed Bottle Rock this year! I really wanted to go, but just couldn’t make it there this time around. When I thought I was going to be able to, I found this great guide on Festival Safety- really worth a look before next year’s festival! http://weinsteinsecurity.com/blog/2016/04/12/festival-season-safety/
How easy is it to get an uber from sonoma?
Thanks for asking – Most areas (other than the really rural areas) it is quite easy to get an uber. Usually within 10-20 minutes max. In town of Sonoma, Healdsbrug and Santa Rosa where there are downtown squares, the wait time is shorter. Thanks for askin – Enjoy your trip — Amy
I booked a hotel a bit away ~ Courtyard Richmond Berkeley. Me and my friend. How can I find folks who are interested in car pooling?? I have a car!!
I would try posting an ad on craigslist or on social media through facebook, instagram or twitter to try and solicit a ride sharing group for BottleRock! Make it a great time!! Cheers to you and yours
Are there in and out privileges?
All 3-Day pass holders and 1-Day VIP, VIP Plus Skydeck and Platinum pass holders can leave and re-enter the festival by scanning their wristbands at the entrance gates. 1-Day GA pass holders cannot leave and re-enter the festival. ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!! Cheers! –Amy
Any tips or guidance on safely catching a 1PM flight out of SFO to MCO one Monday – Memorial Day?
Need to get from Hotel Yountville to SFO with time to return a rental car……
Mondays are usually a traffic mess with holidays being the exception to the rule, being that it is the Bay Area, I would leave more time for traffic and also watch for events at places like the Sonoma Raceway and such that would be in your pathway home. The highways in wine country itself are small. Once you get into SF area, it should be smooth sailing. Also – Lots of fantastic airports right by SFO to stay overnight and sleep with no worries. Shuttles to get you to your plane. Safe travels and enjoy the trip! Cheers! –Amy