This weekend kicks off the 13th ever edition of the awesomely unique BottleRock Napa Valley 2026. You already know what headliners you are going to see though there are definitely some tough choices — Lorde and Teddy Swims on Friday; Foo Fighters and LCD Soundsystem on Saturday; and Backstreet Boys and SOMBR on Sunday. But we’ve circled a couple of the less known or our favorite undercard acts that you should definitely check out this weekend. Check out our recommendations below!
FRIDAY, MAY 22
THE BETHS — 1:30 PM at Prudential Stage
If you’ve been sleeping on The Beths, BottleRock Napa 2026 is your wake up call. The Auckland four-piece fronted by Elizabeth Stokes makes some of the sharpest, jangliest power-pop indie rock going right now — razor tight harmonies, big hooks, and lyrics that hit harder the more you listen. Future Me Hates Me, Jump Rope Gazers, and Expert in a Dying Field are all stacked with bangers, and their live show is a tight, joyful thing. Get there early and stake out a spot at Prudential.
TASH SULTANA — 3:45 PM at T-Mobile Stage
One of the most singular live performers you can catch at any festival this year. The Australian multi-instrumentalist builds entire songs in real time — guitar, bass, drums, vocals, trumpet, looper pedals everywhere — and somehow it all stays grooving and locked in. “Jungle” is the song that put Tash on the map, but the catalog runs deep and the live show is the only way to really get it. T-Mobile Stage at 3:45 — don’t miss it.
SATURDAY, MAY 23
CHARLOTTE LAWRENCE — 3:45 PM at Northbay Health Stage
LA-bred pop singer-songwriter Charlotte Lawrence has been quietly building one of the more interesting catalogs in alt-pop. “Joke’s On You” landed on the Birds of Prey soundtrack a few years back and her collabs with Sasha Alex Sloan, Whethan, and others have shown off a sharp ear for melody and a voice that’s smoky and unmistakable. Mid-afternoon at Northbay Health is the perfect slot to catch her.
RILO KILEY — 6:45 PM at T-Mobile Stage
OK, calling Rilo Kiley an “undercard” act feels criminal — but they’re not closing the night, so onto the list they go. The Jenny Lewis-fronted indie rock legends are out playing live again, which still feels a little unreal if you spent any meaningful time with The Execution of All Things or More Adventurous. One of my absolute favorite bands, I got to see their first reunion show in San Luis Obispo last year as well as their first festival set at Just Like Heaven 2025. “Portions for Foxes,” “Silver Lining,” “A Better Son/Daughter” — this is golden era 2000s indie rock from a band that helped define it. Don’t skip this one.
SUNDAY, MAY 24
LARKIN POE — 1:30 PM at Prudential Stage
Sister duo Rebecca and Megan Lovell make some of the most ass-kicking roots-blues-rock in the country and they have been racking up Grammy nominations to prove it. Megan’s lap steel work is unreal, Rebecca’s voice cuts straight through, and the live band is locked in. The perfect way to ease into a Sunday at BottleRock — a glass of wine and Larkin Poe ripping at Prudential.
MT. JOY — 4:30 PM at Prudential Stage
Mt. Joy has quietly become one of the most reliable indie folk-rock live acts going. Frontman Matt Quinn’s voice is one of those instruments you don’t realize you’ve been waiting to hear until it lands, and the band’s catalog — “Astrovan,” “Silver Lining,” “Sheep,” “Strangers” — is built for big festival singalongs. A late-afternoon Sunday slot at Prudential is exactly where you want them.
MATT MAESON — 7:00 PM at Northbay Health Stage
Matt Maeson is the kind of brooding alt singer-songwriter you want soundtracking the last bit of light on Sunday before the Backstreet Boys close it all out. “Cringe” and “Hallucinogenics” are the entry points but the deeper cuts are where he really gets his hooks in — raw, weathered, gospel-tinged stuff. Catch him at Northbay Health at 7 PM and let it hit you.
