By Valerie Milano
Napa Valley, CA (The Hollywood Times) 5/24/26 – BottleRock Napa Valley kept the energy flowing strong on Day 2 of the 2026 festival, even if our crew admittedly got a much later start after a long Friday night at the fairgrounds. We finally made it through the gates around 2:15 p.m. and headed straight to the T-Mobile Stage to catch Flipturn, who turned out to be the perfect way to ease into another marathon day of music. Their breezy indie-rock sound paired beautifully with the Napa sunshine and instantly reset the mood for the day ahead. Unfortunately, we missed Paris Jackson earlier in the afternoon, which was definitely disappointing, but BottleRock scheduling always forces a few painful choices.
One of the day’s most anticipated sets was undoubtedly Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Joan kicked things off strong with several of the band’s signature hits, instantly sending waves of rock nostalgia through the crowd. At 67 years old, Joan still commands the stage with serious attitude and energy, and honestly, her toned arms looked incredible. Clearly, she does more than just play guitar to stay in that kind of shape. Early in the set today, longtime collaborator Kenny Laguna shared a humorous and heartfelt story from the stage, recalling, “In the beginning we had a lot of hits and a lot of friends… then we had a couple records that didn’t do so well, and suddenly we had no friends. So, we wrote a song about this phenomenon. It’s called ‘Fake Friends.’” The crowd loved the moment, especially as the band launched into one of their most recognizable anthems from the 1981, I Love Rock ’n’ Roll album. While the set started with tremendous energy, it did feel like some momentum faded as things progressed and portions became a bit stiffer than expected. Even so, the performance still delivered plenty of classic rock spirit and several memorable moments for longtime fans.
Over at the NorthernBay Health Stage, Charlotte Lawrence showcased a voice far bigger than the size of the crowd she drew at 3:45 p.m. We only caught a few songs before rushing off again, but her vocals were undeniably impressive. Honestly, it was surprising more festivalgoers were not there for her set. She delivered one of those performances that makes you stop for a moment and wonder why an artist isn’t even bigger yet.
Later in the afternoon, we finally checked out the much-talked-about Almost Monday on that same stage. Their upbeat energy and infectious indie-pop sound made for one of the more fun surprise sets of the day. It was one of those happy BottleRock discoveries that festivals are made for. Unfortunately, squeezing that into the schedule meant completely missing Busta Rhymes, which felt like the tradeoff of the day in an already packed lineup.
As evening approached, we laid down a blanket at the Prudential Stage for LCD Soundsystem hoping to settle in for a while, but the set never quite connected for us personally. The sound felt overwhelmingly loud at times, and despite the crowd enthusiasm, it just did not fully click from where we were sitting.
Then came the moment that truly defined Day 2.
Foo Fighters absolutely tore through BottleRock with the kind of powerhouse set only they can deliver. Dave Grohl was in full rock-God mode, completely feeding off the crowd’s energy while delivering hit after hit with relentless intensity. At one point during “The Protector,” Grohl laughed and admitted, “I was jamming so hard on that one I broke a string,” forcing his rhythm guitarist to temporarily take over until another guitar was brought out. Moments like that are exactly why live music matters; raw, unfiltered, spontaneous, and completely electric.
By the end of the night, it was clear the Foo Fighters had delivered the standout set of the day, even in a lineup stacked with legendary names.
Day 2 of BottleRock 2026 officially goes down in the books; loud, chaotic, exhausting, and unforgettable in all the best ways.
