News

All the world’s a stage” may be an oft-quoted Shakespearean metaphor, but it couldn’t be more fitting for the arrival of FESTIVAL NAPA VALLEY, NorCal wine country’s popular showcase of internationally recognized and emerging talent across classical, jazz, opera, contemporary, and dance, along with unrivaled food, wine, and hospitality experiences throughout its 16-day schedule. The 2025 Summer Season features more than 200 artists, including mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, celebrated French conductor Stéphane Denève, ballet dancer Tiler Peck, the renowned Pacific Symphony, and the North American debut of the Versailles Royal Opera. 

Crowning the opening weekend of Festival Napa Valley’s Summer Season, the Arts for All Gala is one of the nation's premier fundraisers for education and the arts. Proceeds fund programs that empower youth through music education and wellness, as well as free and affordable concerts, and scholarships. Ahead of the Gala on July 13, Freeman’s I Hindman CEO, Alyssa Quinlan, sat down with President and CEO of Festival Napa Valley, Rick Walker, to discuss how music, wine, and philanthropy come together in this unique experience in the heart of the Napa Valley each summer.

Olsen will be one of six speakers at the inaugural Music and Wellness Symposium on July 6 at CIA at Copia during Festival Napa Valley 2025 summer season. Symposium participants will speak on topics ranging from how music impacts the brain and can help dementia patients to strategies for integrating music into daily health and wellness. 

Festival Napa Valley, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America at Copia, will present “The Beauty of Napa Valley: Photography of Bob McClenahan” from June 18 through Sept. 1. The exhibition features 16 framed photographs selected from a portfolio McClenahan assembled shortly before his passing in March. Admission is free. All works are available for acquisition, with 100% of proceeds supporting a college scholarship fund for McClenahan’s two teenage sons.

More than just a program for music lovers, Festival Napa Valley - presented by the nonprofit Napa Valley Festival Association—always offers a showcase of talent, and this year is no exception. The 2025 summer season will feature international and emerging artists, including Jon Batiste, Joyce DiDonato, and Tiler Peck, with the North American debut of the Versailles Royal Opera and a special appearance by the Pacific Symphony.

Festival Napa Valley, in collaboration with the Culinary Institute of America at Copia, presents “The Beauty of Napa Valley: Photography of Bob McClenahan,” on view June 18 through September 1, 2025, at CIA at Copia in downtown Napa. The show honors the photographer’s legacy with a selection of images drawn from a portfolio McClenahan assembled shortly before his untimely passing from cancer in March 2025.

The artistic temperature is heating up as Festival Napa Valley trumpets its 19th season of sybaritic summer delights. This 14-day celebration (July 5–20) is a feast for the senses as more than 200 musicians from around the world — joining forces with top toques and storied vintners — alight at a variety of venues, five-star resorts, and exquisite vineyard estates that dot this verdant valley.

Taste of Napa, the signature tasting event presented by Festival Napa Valley, is set to take place on Saturday, July 12, from 12pm to 3pm at The Meritage Resort in Napa. Sponsored by J.P. Morgan, this year's grand tasting will feature more than 90 wineries, restaurants, and culinary artisans, music by LMR Jazz Orchestra and DJ Lady Ryan, interactive games and more. 

Music and the arts, visual and performing, collide with food and wine for the best days of summer at Festival Napa Valley July 5–20. The 19th annual event features everything from the Bouchaine Young Artist Series to a dance performance by Tiler Peck to a walk-around “Taste of Napa” wine and food experience to a star-studded Arts for All Gala on July 13 headlined by Jon Batiste.