BottleRock Napa Valley 2021 to require COVID-19 vaccination or negative test

Organizers of the BottleRock Napa Valley music festival announced Friday they will require all guests to prove they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or have received a recent negative coronavirus test, to attend this year’s festival in Napa.

The festival is slated for Sept. 3-5 at the Napa Valley Expo.

Documentation, which may include a photo of a vaccination card or test results carried on your phone, will be checked daily, according to the organizers.

COVID tests must have been taken within 72 hours of each day you are attending. Ticket holders who are tested Sept. 2 or later will have negative results honored on all three festival days.

Masks are currently recommended for the shows, but not required, the festival’s website said.

To accommodate the recommended two-week wait period, ticket-holders will have to be fully vaccinated by Aug. 20. That means it’s already too late for the Moderna vaccine if you haven’t yet gotten a single shot. Guests would have to receive the first of two Pfizer shots no later than Aug. 6, or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson by Aug. 20, to clear the requirement.

A festival representative suggested vaccines such as AstraZeneca, which has been authorized for use in Canada, will be permitted.

The rules apply to children. Those under the age of 12, who are not yet eligible for coronavirus vaccinations, must provide proof of a negative test.

“Please remember that these new requirements are in place to ensure we are all working in the safest environment possible,” the festival’s communications team said in a statement to media.

Event organizers do not expect the updated policy to have any effect on the BottleRock music lineup. Headliners include Megan Thee Stallion, Guns N’ Roses and Foo Fighters.

There is no word on whether ticketholders will be eligible for refunds if they don’t want to go because of the entry requirements.

The festival is expected to run at full capacity, which in previous years has meant about 40,000 spectators per day.

Staff Writer Dan Taylor contributed to this report. You can reach Staff Writer Phil Barber at 707-521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @Skinny_Post.

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