Festival season is in full swing! What’s next? The multi-generational festival La Onda, which features música mexicana heavyhitters like Marco Antonio Solís and Pepe Aguilar, and skyrocketing artists like Xavi and Oscar Maydon. The two-day festival will take place at the Napa Valley Expo on May 31 and June 1.
This weekend, fans will get to enjoy La Onda’s second consecutive year of delicious food and drinks soundtracked by different types of music. The artists play on two stages: La Onda Stage and the Verizon Stage, which features the Verizon Viewing Deck, a premium viewing deck for Verizon users to take photos, recharge their devices, and even a massage station.
The festival also highlights a wide range of entertainment like lucha libre, a spa, and wine cabanas. What makes this festival different others is that it’s in Napa Valley, a region known for its wine thanks to its hillside vineyards like Mi Sueño Winery, a Mexican-owned family business. Knowing that, maybe a wine glass could be part of your weekend’s itinerary.
For those who don’t know much about the new festival, La Onda is a sister festival to BottleRock, Napa Valley’s massive festival that’s been around since 2013. In 2024, they inaugurated La Onda — a music space specifically for Latine music — welcoming multi-genre acts like Maná, Fueza Regida, Alejandro Fernández, and Junior H. Café Tacvba, Los Ángeles Azules, and Mon Laferte were also part of the first year’s roster. Now, the festival’s back for a second round.
What are we looking forward to this year? Though this year is heavier on música mexicana, the festival is highlighting both the older and newer generations of the regional Mexican genre. For example, the nostalgic generation can look forward to the sounds of Solís, Aguilar, and Banda MS, while the newer generation can anticipate the music by La Receta, Clave Especial, and ERRE. More standout acts include indie tropical artist Reyna Tropical and upcoming artist Ysrael Barajas.
To get you better acquainted with La Onda’s lineup, even if you’re not attending this year, here are six acts worth knowing from here on out.
La Receta – “Querido Rey (feat. La Joaqui)"
La Receta garnered an audience thanks to their out-of-the-box covers. In the past, they’ve remade popular songs like Danna’s “Malas Decisiones,” Feid’s “Ferxxo 100,” and Rels B’s “cómo dormiste?” into corridos aesthetics. The singles were such a hit that they even released an album called Corridos Aesthetic in 2023. Fast forward to now, they’ve also released original songs, such as “Querido Rey” with Argentine singer La Joaqui, where they showcase another facet: cumbia. So if you’re looking for a combination of norteño covers, corridos, and cumbia, check out La Receta’s set taking place at the Verizon Stage on Saturday (May 31) at 2:10 p.m.
Clave Especial – “DOBLE C”
The Salinas, CA, born group Clave Especial is ready to take on festivals. Known for their popular hard-hitting corrido hits like “NO SON DORITOS” with Luis R Conriquez, “COMO CAPO” with Fuerza Regida, and “NO PASA NADA” also with Fuerza Regida, the rising band has garnered over 15 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Their latest album release, MIJA NO TE ASUSTES (released on Feb. 20), features the aforementioned artists and Los Dareyes De La Sierra, Calle 24, and Edgardo Nuñez. With this in mind, keep this group on your radar if you’re looking to hear more of the new waves of the corridos tumbados side of música mexicana. Clave Especial will perform at the Verizon Stage on Sunday (June 1) at 3:40 p.m.
Reyna Tropical – “Conocerla”
If you’re looking for rhythmic tropical and electronic sounds, we suggest you add Reyna Tropical to your festival schedule. Fabi Reyna’s Reyna Tropical project, which was formerly a duo with the late Nectali “Sumohair” Díaz, is in full force with their long-awaited LP Malegría, released last year. She later released a remix EP called Malegría en la Oscuridad, featuring remixes by Sofia Kourtesis, Lido Pimienta, and Simón Mejía. Overall, Malegría features electronic, Afro-Colombian percussion, and hypnotic electronic guitar melodies with recordings of Díaz, keeping her former members’ memory alive. Interested in dancing to rhythmic percussion this weekend? Reyna Tropical will perform at the La Onda Stage on Sunday (June 1) at 5:30 p.m.
Adriana Ríos – “Asi Hablamos en Tijuana”
Tijuana-born singer-songwriter Adriana Ríos is also performing at La Onda this weekend. “We are exactly 1 month away from @laondafest and I can’t be more excited 🤩,” she wrote in Spanish on May 1. “My first festival that I’m super happy to share with you all.” The fierce singer is known for her regional Mexican songs like “Pago Por Ver,” her cover of “Me Cuesta Tanto Olvidarte,” and “A Mi Me Respetas,” her collaboration with Ana Bárbara. She also recently shared the stage with Grupo Firme, performing “No Llega el Olvido,” a hit written by Espinoza Paz. Point blank: If you’re looking to sing your heart out with sentimental and empowering mariachi ballads and beyond, this is the artist for you. Ríos will perform at the Verizon Stage on Sunday (June 1) at 11:40 a.m.
Ysrael Barajas – “Trippy Love (feat. Oscar Ortiz)"
Rising música mexicana Ysrael Barajas is putting his corridos and overall rhythmic música mexicana on the map. Known for his genre-bending songs like “GPI,” “Rococo” with Angel Almaguer, and “Plática Con Cupido,” the young singer is showcasing he can’t be pigeonholed to one single genre. Instead, he’s highlighting all that he can do. For example, last year, he released his album La Casa Siempre Gana, featuring corridos, electronic, and norteño music, giving listeners a taste of what he’s capable of. With that being said, curious to see what the new wave of música mexicana is all about? Check out Barajas, who’s performing at the La Onda Stage on Sunday (June 1) at 11:30 a.m.
ERRE – “Si no soy yo, ¿quién?”
Not everything in the new música mexicana wave is corridos tumbados. ERRE is a rising artist known for his sad sierreño sounds. His music usually spans subjects like love, family, loss, and more. With his soft croons and sentimental acoustic guitar chords, the Arizona-raised singer is not scared to put his heart on his sleeve. Instead, he injects his tracks with raw emotions to engage his listener. So if you’re at La Onda and want to get into your feelings this weekend, we recommend this artist to you. ERRE will perform at the Verizon Stage on Sunday (June 1) at 2:10 p.m.
Travel and accommodations are being provided to the author by Verizon for the purpose of writing this story.
