News

From San Francisco to Monterey, Oakland to Napa, the Bay Area loves an outdoor music-food-drink situation. Live jazz, pop, reggae, punk, and classical music are warm-weather traditions that never gets old—especially when the musical acts are H-O-T.

As Festival Napa Valley enters its 20th anniversary season, it has transformed from a local summer gathering into a premier global cultural destination. This year’s festivities, running from July 4-19, take on a deeper historical meaning, as they happen alongside the 250th anniversary of America and the 50th anniversary of the “Judgment of Paris,” the 1976 tasting that revolutionized the world’s perception of American wine.

The season will feature artists including Renée Fleming, Wynton Marsalis, Time for Three, Ray Chen, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, alongside the world premiere of The Judgment of Paris, a new opera by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer inspired by Napa Valley’s rise in the global wine industry.

More than 200 artists will appear in music and dance performances, world premieres, and special events that reflect the Festival’s signature pairing of exceptional artistry with Napa Valley’s renowned food, wine, and hospitality. The season also introduces the Allegro Pass, designed to welcome the next generation of festivalgoers and expand access to the Festival experience.

Each year, more and more music festivals are joining the lineup, expanding and diversifying the event circuit in the United States. To find the best, our panel of music festival aficionados nominated essential festivals from coast to coast, where music fans can enjoy several artists (and even genres) in one place. Then, readers voted to crown the winners. 

Festival Napa Valley celebrates its 20th anniversary July 4–19, 2026, featuring the world premiere of composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer’s new opera, “The Judgment of Paris.” This opera is commissioned by the festival and includes conductor Kent Nagano and director Jean-Romain Vesperini, alongside a stellar cast.

Festival Napa Valley is celebrating 20 years of music, joy, and generosity with jazz legend Wynton Marsalis. The acclaimed trumpeter, composer and American cultural ambassador will headline the Arts for All Gala on Sunday, July 12, at Oakville's Nickel & Nickel, according to a news release. 

Festival Napa Valley marks its 20th anniversary with a landmark Arts for All Gala, starring renowned jazz legend Wynton Marsalis on Sunday, July 12, in a celebration of music, philanthropy, and community impact.

This winter, Festival Napa Valley and the Cameo Cinema have teamed up to organize three film and live performance events. Fans of both genres can attend the upcoming Music Makes the Movie events on Jan. 25 and Feb. 9.