BottleRock Napa Valley going upscale

The three-day food and music extravaganza kicks off today and features headliners Maroon 5, Tom Petty and the Foo Fighters, plus upgrades one might expect at a four-star hotel.|

NAPA - BottleRock is back, upping its act with real grass under foot, massages for spectators and more luxury suites as the sold-out event, now in its fifth year, continues to redefine the outdoor music festival experience.

The three-day food and music extravaganza kicking off Friday and featuring headliners Maroon 5, Tom Petty and the Foo Fighters includes upgrades one might expect at a four-star hotel, including $50,000 suites offering unobstructed views of the main stage and a spa where the tired and sore masses can get massages or a pedicure.

Perhaps the most noticeable change is the carpet of green grass blanketing the ground in front of the Main Stage. Festival fashionistas can take comfort knowing they can throw down “Moves Like Jagger” - among Maroon 5’s signature hits - without getting covered in grime.

“It’s pretty simple. We’ve got a demographic that really is coming to the Napa Valley to experience the best - the best of food, the best of wine - and having them stand in dirt is not in line with that brand,” said Dave Graham, CEO of Latitude 38 Entertainment, the producer of the event.

BottleRock is in its first year under majority ownership by concert giant Live Nation Entertainment. It is bringing more than 80 acts to four stages, including Fitz and the Tantrums, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, the Roots, the Naked and Famous, Modest Mouse, Saint Motel, Band of Horses and Mavis Staples.

The culinary stage also will shine bright with famous chefs and rock stars teaming up for food-based performances. The culinary stage has steadily grown to occupy more of BottleRock’s DNA since its debut in 2015, the year rapper Snoop Dogg paired with Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto for a demonstration of sushi rolling techniques.

This year, Martha Stewart, José Andrés, Masaharu Morimoto, Ayesha Curry, actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson (“Modern Family”), Adam Richman, radio producer Gary “Baba Booey” Dell’Abate (“The Howard Stern Show”) and Green Day’s Mike Dirnt will participate in the culinary presentations.

The VIP experience has been kicked up a considerable notch, with 32 secured suites offering unobstructed views of the main stage, backstage access, bar service and gourmet food options, including from Napa’s Michelin-starred La Toque Restaurant.

The suites, which can seat up to 20, cost as much as $50,000 a day and were sold -out for the event.

The VIP Plus sky deck, moved across the main stage lawn to the west side of the viewing area, offers lounge seating. Platinum VIP guests have backstage access, artist meet-and-greets and other perks. In keeping with the local connections, DJ Rotten Robbie of Napa will be spinning the music in the Platinum Lounge.

Graham said the experience for general admission ticket holders also has been upgraded, including the new spa. More artificial grass has been put down in the food garden and outside food trucks.

“I would put our GA experience up against any festival’s VIP experience and ours is far better,” said Graham, whose partners include high school classmates Justin Dragoo and Jason Scoggins.

Since acquiring BottleRock four years ago, the group has steadily built the event into a recognized mainstay of the summer festival season. Latitude 38 remains the on-ground promoter of the event.

Graham said the company spent $600,000 just to purchase and install the sod grass for the main stage area.

BottleRock and the fairground authority agreed last year to stage the festival at the 26-acre site through 2026 in an $8 million deal that includes $100,000 for facility upgrades annually, according to Joe Anderson, CEO of the Napa Valley Exposition.

Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s largest concert promoter, in December agreed to acquire a majority interest in BottleRock.

Graham said Live Nation helps BottleRock in a number of ways, bringing in corporate sponsors that include Alaska Airlines and bargaining power that helps book bands. Graham said Live Nation typically books a full season with musical acts and can add BottleRock to the list of tour dates.

But that’s for next year and beyond. Graham said all of the bands appearing at BottleRock this year were booked before Live Nation entered the picture.

Gates for the festival open at 11 a.m. Friday, with Secure the Sun, comprised of young local musicians, opening the event from the main stage.

Organizers expect 120,000 people over the three-day event - roughly the same number as previous years.

Parking for the event is a little different this year, said Napa CHP Sgt. Brad Bradshaw. General admission parking will be available south of the venue along Soscol Avenue, and in surface lots and parking garages downtown.

Bradshaw said in the past, parking along Soscol caused traffic jams leading south out of Napa to access Highway 121 and the greater Bay Area.

He said the addition of downtown parking should alleviate some of the bottlenecks, since many will now head west along First Street to connect with Highway 29, and from there, to their ultimate destinations.

VIP parking is still north of the Expo, while buses from across the Bay Area will continue to ferry festival-goers to and from the event.

Bradshaw predicted traffic would flow relatively smoothly this weekend.

“There’s no one area I’d say you have to avoid,” he said.

BottleRock will kick off less than a week after a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at a rock concert in Manchester, England, killing 22.

Standing outside the 3rd Street entrance of BottleRock Thursday, Napa Police Cpt. Pat Manzer expressed confidence in the security plan for the event. He said that includes staffing hundreds of police and CHP officers, private security and state alcoholic beverage and control personnel.

He said as in years past, bomb-sniffing canines will patrol the festival grounds, along with uniformed and undercover security staff.

Wands and bag-searches at entrances are also part of the security plans.

“People need to be somewhat confident they can come here and have a good time,” Manzer said.

You can reach Staff Writer Derek Moore at 707-521-5336 or derek.moore@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @deadlinederek.

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