Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.
Memorial Day weekend is often considered the unofficial start of summer. But for those of us who have just finished Week 8 of Stanford’s quarter system, the long weekend has a way of reminding us that our summer has not quite arrived yet. Nonetheless, for three sunny days in Napa, BottleRock — which brands itself as “the first taste of summer” — came close.
From Friday to Sunday, the weekend of music, wine and culinary delights offered something that feels increasingly rare in the world of music festivals: ease. Even while staring down Weeks 9 and 10, BottleRock felt like a brief exhale before the final sprint of my final quarter on the Farm.
Unlike large flagship festivals that can feel like a race from stage to stage, the smaller footprint of BottleRock made the weekend more relaxed and easier to navigate. Faced with a relatively shorter artist list, I felt less desperate to sprint across fields — there was more room to simply exist in the experience. Some fans spread blankets and towels casually throughout grassy areas; others clung right up against the barricade. The crowd reflected that diversity of energy. BottleRock drew babies in strollers, teenagers, college students, parents and attendees who were almost certainly grandparents.
The lineup was similarly eclectic, with a mix of newer artists (e.g., Sombr and Teddy Swims), legacy acts (e.g., Foo Fighters, Backstreet Boys and Ludacris) and musicians whose careers spanned decades (e.g., Kool & the Gang). As a result, BottleRock felt refreshingly welcoming to all ages.
Part of what distinguishes BottleRock from other festivals I have attended is its close relationship with food. True to the Napa setting, music shared space with culinary experiences. The festival’s Williams Sonoma culinary stage featured celebrity chefs like Curtis Stone and José Andrés, adding a dimension that felt unique.
That said, high festival prices remained alive and well. A latte cost $15, while a cupcake stood at around $7.25. Meals averaged about $25 throughout the weekend. As a Kansas Citian, I saw a BBQ stand advertising “Kansas City True” and felt obligated to try it, though I must admit it ended up being my least favorite meal of the weekend. Saturday’s loaded tots proved more satisfying, but Sunday’s garlic noodles with ground beef easily claimed the top spot.
Musically, the weekend carried its own highs and lows. I started my Friday mid-afternoon with Jon Bellion’s set. The performance felt strangely off in energy, to say the least. Though Bellion’s genre-blending set was ambitious, his profanity-laced crowd work brought more frustration than introspection to the stage, a disconnect from BottleRock’s overall atmosphere. Above all, what surprised me most was how little he sang from “The Human Condition,” arguably his most successful album.
Later that evening, Lorde delivered a solid first headliner performance, though her set, too, left me feeling slightly conflicted. Lorde’s songwriting was deeply emotional and introspective. Many around me spoke highly of her live shows beforehand. Yet her set also felt more emotionally distant than what I would expect from an artist who wrote songs as raw as “Liability” and “Royals.” Perhaps expectations had simply been too high, but I found myself wanting more from the experience.
Saturday, however, belonged to AJR. It was by far my favorite set of the weekend, with the band perfectly capturing the kind of energy BottleRock’s lively branding promises. Their performance felt playful, nostalgic and unexpectedly emotional. Songs like “Weak” and “Way Less Sad” took me back to my high school years. Those throwbacks resurfaced alongside moments of realization that several tracks I had long known (“World’s Smallest Violin,” “Bang!”) were, in fact, theirs. The set balanced humor and crowd engagement in a way that made it feel both polished and genuinely fun.
Another band, Almost Monday, delivered an enjoyable performance that fit naturally into the weekend’s sunny, laid-back mood. Later, Zedd brought the high-energy EDM spectacle one might expect from a festival. Still, it was difficult for me not to compare BottleRock to his unbelievable and magical set at Coachella 2025, which is understandably difficult to top.
Sunday best reflected the festival’s intergenerational spirit. Kool & the Gang brought decades of familiarity and feel-good energy, while Sombr continued proving why he has quickly become an artist to watch. Fresh off of Coachella and preparing for his first headlining tour, the young singer-songwriter delivered a strong set over the weekend, balancing the confidence of a rising artist with the polish of someone already growing into larger stages.
Closing out the weekend, Ludacris offered one of the festival’s most energetic performances. Performing opposite the Backstreet Boys on BottleRock’s other main stage, he leaned fully into the stage design, complete with fire and smoke effects that elevated the experience beyond the version of his set I saw at Outside Lands last summer.
Perhaps most underrated of all, BottleRock ended each night by 10 p.m. While that may sound early, it made commuting back and forth from San Francisco surprisingly manageable. BottleRock may not have fully delivered summer for someone still firmly in the Stanford grind season. But for Memorial Day weekend in Napa, it offered something close enough: good music, kind and respectful crowds and — most importantly — a reminder that life exists outside of the classroom.