BottleRock announces massive new Latin music Festival La Onda in Napa
Organizers behind the popular BottleRock Napa Valley festival on Tuesday announced plans to present a massive Latin music festival in 2024 at the same location a week after BottleRock wraps.
The inaugural Festival La Onda By BottleRock is set to take place June 1-2 at the downtown Napa Valley Expo. It’s envisioned as an annual event taking place one week after and on the same site as BottleRock.
La Onda — which translates to “The Wave” but is also used in reference to a vibe or for something that is cool or hip — reportedly will be the only major multi-day festival to focus exclusively on Latin music in Northern California. It follows in the footsteps of such successful Latin music events as Besame Mucho in Los Angles and Sueños in Chicago.
“There are some great Latin music festivals out there, but none in Northern California,” says Dave Graham, one of the partners of Latitude 38 Entertainment, the organization behind both events. “We’re fortunate to have a diverse population, but our Latin communities and those who love Latin music have not had a festival to call their own. We’re excited to be able to provide that with La Onda.”
La Onda is yet another sign of the intense interest and popularity of Latin music — both in the United States and elsewhere. Artists such as Bad Bunny, J Balvin and Karol G rank among the most successful artists on the planet.
That’s certainly true in the live arena where Latin acts routinely draw packed houses to such major sporting facilities as the SAP Center in San Jose. Notably, Bad Bunny was the top-grossing touring act in the world, raking in more than $435 million and outdistancing such pop/rock powerhouses as Elton John, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Coldplay and the Rolling Stones. He was also the most-streamed artist on Spotify in 2022.
La Onda’s inaugural lineup will be announced at 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 4. Promoters are promising to deliver “the hottest Latin musical acts spanning several genres, including regional Mexican, Latin pop, Spanish rock, reggaetón, banda, mariachi, rap, norteño, cumbia, bolero and more.”
Beyond the musical talent, La Onda will strive to offer the kind of premium concert-going and festival experience for which BottleRock has become known. Fans can expect “DJ sets and cultural celebrations, local and regional Latin cuisine and specialty beverages, elevated, shaded lounges and viewing options, immersive activations including a relaxing spa, dance club and silent disco, along with legendary Napa Valley hospitality,” according to a news release.
“We’re very proud of the super premium customer experience BottleRock is known for, and will absolutely deliver that level of experience at Festival La Onda as well,” says Justin Dragoo, a partner at Latitude 38 Entertainment. “Offering La Onda the weekend after BottleRock allows us to take advantage of much of the infrastructure that makes BottleRock among the most unique and enjoyable festivals in the world.”
Notably, La Onda will utilize the same stages and other equipment used each year for BottleRock, which will result in a huge savings of time, effort and money. (Although La Onda is not expected to have as many stages as BottleRock.)
In all, the new festival will be able to take advantage of much of the infrastructure — from public bathrooms to power supplies to backstage amenities. It’s the same type of synergy that comes from hosting the country music-specific Stagecoach festival right after, and on the same site as, Coachella in Southern California.
Tickets are set to go sale at 10 a.m. Dec. 8 at LaOndaFest.com. More ticketing details will be announced Monday.
On the festival front, Besame Mucho — held at the legendary and cavernous Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles — sold out in just over an hour in both 2022 and 2023, the later of which takes place on Sunday with such acts as Mana, Los Bukis and Gloria Trevi. Closer to home, the Sabor + Ritmo Latin Music festival drew a strong crowd to the Silverado Resort in Napa earlier this year.
BottleRock got its start in 2013 and, over the years, has hosted such acts as Metallica, Eric Church, the Dandy Warhols, Florence + the Machine, Stevie Wonder, Duran Duran, No Doubt, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Earth, Wind & Fire. The festival routinely sells out in advance and is known to draw some 120,000 fans over the course of three days.