The main stage at BottleRock Napa Valley in California for Lorde’s headlining set on Friday, May 22, 2026.
Nicolita Bradley/In Time Media
At BottleRock Napa Valley, singer-songwriter Lorde made her headlining set feel like a coming-of-age movie rewritten for adulthood.
The New Zealand artist, who wrote “Royals” more than a decade ago when she was just 15 years old, closed out the main Prudential Stage on Friday, turning the festival grounds into an intimate, emotional experience.
Article continues below this ad
Wearing a simple outfit, just a cropped T-shirt and jeans, Lorde opened the show with “Hammer,” which felt like a hypnotic trance with metallic pulsating synths wrapping around the Napa Valley skies.
The opening track of her 2025 album “Virgin,” “Hammer” captures the pressures of modern adulthood as the beat drives forward a sensation of spiraling, with lyrics about obsession and finding “peace in the madness.” The track felt like a perfect complement to Lorde’s next song, “Royals,” her breakout hit, with thousands of fans screaming lyrics that soundtracked their teenage bedrooms. Her older hits specifically felt like a reunion with yourself, songs that you thought you’d outgrown but still deliver.
Lorde is no stranger to the Bay Area, embracing smaller venues over stadiums. During her stop in the area last year, she could have easily filled a venue like Chase Center or Oakland Arena but she specifically requested the more intimate UC Berkeley Greek Theatre because it was nostalgic for her.
In a curious turn of events, her biggest song was actually once banned in the Bay Area. In 2014, two years after the release of “Royals,” it was reportedly pulled from some San Francisco radio stations as the Giants faced the Kansas City Royals in the World Series. As a response, Kansas City stations declared they’d play the song on the hour, every hour.
Article continues below this ad
Lorde, 29, performs at BottleRock Napa Valley in California on Friday, May 22, 2026.
Nicolita Bradley/In Time Media
Throughout the show, Lorde danced around the stage with her strange but iconic mannerisms, surrendering to the music and letting it take over in real time. She swayed around, occasionally breaking into a skip, using her movement to release tension as the strobe lights and her band built an electric, charged atmosphere around her.
Audience members followed suit, especially during “Team,” her 2013 hit, which felt surreal to hear live years later, erupting into a massive, unified sing-along as the crowd jumped in unison.
The reaction may have been sparked by a request the artist made at the start of the set, when she urged the crowd to make sure they were dancing
Article continues below this ad
“This is the first night of this festival. I know you’re not too hungover to dance,” Lorde told the crowd before the sun set. “I will be requiring some jumping in the air. I hope that’s okay.”
And just to make sure she had our attention, Lorde took off her jeans during “Current Affairs” and performed the rest of the night in blue boxer briefs.
The energy wasn’t always purely electric, but when the singer slowed the set down, it never lost momentum. Instead, it shifted into something more raw and intimate, creating an emotional, deeply felt experience for the crowd.
Article continues below this ad
During “Supercut,” for example, her 2017 hit layered with bright, propulsive beats and an undercurrent of sadness, the artist lay down on the stage floor, staring directly into the camera as she delivered the tense, deeply personal track.
Lorde also showcased her range in these quieter moments, sitting at the piano for “Liability” and pouring her heart into the lyrics.
Lorde proved that she can do whatever she wants by effortlessly jumping around in the setlist from nostalgic hits from her debut studio album “Pure Heroine” to her fresher, free-spirited songs such as “What Was That.” The artist also revealed that this would be her last time playing her “Ultrasound World Tour” setlist.
She called it a “bittersweet moment” as her team builds a brand-new show for the rest of the summer. That means when Lorde is scheduled to headline in just two weeks at Governor’s Ball, a New York music festival, the audience will be in for a full surprise.
Article continues below this ad
“This is one of our first festivals that we will play all season, and it is also the very last time that we will ever do this show,” Lorde told the Napa crowd.
Stay informed, and entertained.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy.
The artist came with gratitude for the festival’s location, complimenting how “beautiful” the scene looked from the giant stage during her performance. At one point, she even took a moment to take in the crisp, Napa Valley air.
“The change in the air really has a special feeling,” she said during the show.
Article continues below this ad
BottleRock continues through Sunday, with more headliners to come such as Sombr, Backstreet Boys and Foo Fighters.