On Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28, a lineup of captivating musicians performed at BottleRock Napa Valley. The lineup started with smaller, rising artists and throughout the day rose to more popular artists with longer sets.

Performer Lupe Fiasco started his set at 2:15 p.m. His hip hop-rap songs were vibrant and he frequently interacted with the audience, even making conversation with fans. Fiasco performed less popular songs first, closing his set with well-known songs such as “The Show Goes On.” 

The next performance, drawing audience engagement, was Dayglow. Dayglow is a young band made up of artists including lead singer Sloan Struble, guitarist Colin Crawford, bassist Peyton Harrington, drummer Brady Knippa, and keyboardist Norrie Swofford. 

Dayglow’s performance was upbeat and vibrant, encouraging the audience to dance and sing along to well known songs such as “Can I Call You Tonight” and “Close To You.” The crowd cheered as the band played familiar covers of “Everybody Want to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears and “Funkytown” by Lipps Inc.

As the sun began to set, Leon Bridges started his performance. Bridges’ audience stretched the entirety of the field, anticipating the show. Accompanied by backup singers and dancers, Bridges performed for around one and a half hours, but it didn’t feel nearly that long. Bridges didn’t engage with his audience, but did play some crowd favorites like “River,” “Texas Sun,” and “Beyond.” 

The final and most awaited performance on Saturday was Lizzo. Lizzo was the first female headliner this weekend, performing with confidence that was immediately projected into the audience. Lizzo performed hit songs such as, “Truth Hurts” and “Juice,” accompanied by her backup dancers, The Big Grrrls, a group of women who advocated for body positivity. Throughout her performance she promoted self-love and inclusion, asking the crowd, “When’s the last time you said something nice about yourself?”

Sunday, May 28, featured artists including Sheryl Crow, Lil Nas X, and Honeyboys. Among then was folk band, Caamp, well known for songs such as “Vagabond” and “By and By.” They played twice throughout the day for their laid-back audience. Throughout their performance, the crowd swayed along with slow songs and danced to upbeat ones, carried by banjo player, Evan Westfall.

Later in the evening, rock band The National took the main stage, led by frontman Matt Berninger. Berninger sang theatrically, interacting with the audience by jumping off the stage to perform directly to audience members. He high-fived audience members as he walked down the aisle within the crowd.

To conclude the day, the highly anticipated headliner Red Hot Chilli Peppers began at 8:15, attracting fans of all ages, all equally ecstatic at the chance to catch a legendary band live. Many audience members sported their Red Hot Chilli Peppers merch and some held up signs and inflatable chili peppers. The band made a grand entrance with bassist Michael Balzary (Flea) and guitarist John Frusciante jamming out before drummer Chad Smith and lead singer Anthony Kiedis joined them onstage. They played many songs from their newest album, “Return of the Dream Canteen,” along with their classics such as “Californication” and “By the Way.” After their main set, they returned for an encore, to the crowd’s request, and played hits “Under the Bridge” and “Give it Away,” leaving Bottlerock attendees thrilled with their experience. 

BottleRock 2023 was a massive hit, as it accumulated over 120,000 total attendees throughout the three days. The energy throughout each day was high as the artists kept each set engaging to the audience leaving many thrilled with their BottleRock experience.