No annual American music festival is as effectively and consistently curated for the benefit of artist discovery as the Newport Folk Festival.
Organizers of this high-profile gathering in Rhode Island have successfully created a culture that encourages artists to get to know each other, to share their music with one another and it invites attendees to watch and learn about a long list of musicians they might otherwise never get the chance to observe in such a comfortable setting.
Like they do each summer, music lovers traveled from far and wide to historic Fort Adams State Park, where from July 24 to 26 they moved from stage to stage to take in a wildly impressive lineup of headliners whose sounds decidedly transcended what many would consider to be folk, but whose messages built on a decades-old foundation of social activism.
The Fort decoratively pays tribute to the many late musicians who’ve played the stages in the past. (Photo by Casey Ryan Vock)
This year’s Newport Folk Festival — the 67th all time — brought huge names, a dizzying array of on-stage collaborations and guest appearances, special announcements and fantastic sunny weather to boot.
There was perhaps no name more head-turning than hip-hop star Ms. Lauryn Hill, part of a tremendous Friday at the Fort. The likes of Courtney Marie Andrews, Hudson Freeman, and Tiny Habits took to the Harbor, Quad and Fort stages, respectively, in the early afternoon, and later Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy brought their REM project to the Quad for what turned out to be one of the most nostalgic performances of the early goings.
Hot Tuna — the legendary tandem of Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady — packed the Harbor set. Meanwhile, Fruit Bats and later Deer Tick (along with a bevy of guests), Lucy Dacus, and Wednesday performed some of the day’s most talked about sets. To close it out, Hayley Williams welcomed what seemed like a different guest for each tune, including Jack Antonoff, Jenny Lewis, Dacus, and more for her evening set on the Fort stage.
Fruit Bats, led by Eric Johnson, delivered one of Friday’s most talked about sets. (Photo by Casey Ryan Vock)
Notable musicians or actors strolled about the grounds all weekend. They sucked down oysters in the bustling Anchor Tent, hung out stage side, or they moseyed out to take in sets alongside — in some cases — unknowing ticketholders, the estimated 30,000 who attended over the course of Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Actor and comedian John C. Reilly, a regular face in the Newport side-stage crowd, was of course on hand again and would eventually show up at the mic a couple of times.
But behind all the shining stars and underneath what is every year a mad dash to obtain a three-day weekend pass to this tastemaker event is a variety of charitable causes. Produced by the Newport Festivals Foundation, a 501(c)(3), the operation has a mission to create “moments of hope through the power of music and community.”
The festival draws on the support of attendees but artists, too, with a concerted effort to use raised funds for children’s music education, instrument donations, to support the Newport Public Schools and more. The Artists Gives program allows headliners to select a music-education not-for-profit to receive a grant from the Foundation.
With another lineup featuring globally successful musicians, and some showing up unannounced, the Festival and the Foundation unquestionably furthered their mission and most certainly reinforced the collective belief that “we’re stronger when we sing together.”
Sun shined down on Fort Adams all weekend long for this year’s Newport Folk Festival. (Photo by Casey Ryan Vock)
That mantra was on display for all to read entering the property, including to start a busy Saturday and Sunday that featured more unforgettable performances.
Saturday saw Leif Vollebekk, Evan Honer, and Madi Diaz deliver remarkable sets, undoubtedly growing their followings. A DMV local, classical guitarist Yasmin Williams teamed up with the great William Tyler on the Harbor stage, and This Is Lorelei lived up to what is a fast-growing reputation as a must-see indie rock act. Medium Build, Lizzy McAlpine, and the Barr Brothers proved themselves to be a wonderful addition to this year’s lineup, all from different stages.
The day built up to terrific series of sets by the Dawes Duo of brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith on the Harbor stage, Vulfpeck at the Quad, and The Lumineers capping it off at the Fort Stage.
Highlighting early Sunday was up-and-comers Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band, Dove Ellis, and Clover County. One of the weekend’s breakout performances saw Irish pop sensation CMAT astonish a massive Fort stage audience in the afternoon.
Across the park, within the concrete walls, Case Oats — a project featuring songwriter Casey Walker and drummer/guitarist Spencer Tweedy — played to a packed Bike Stage, again powered by a series of stationary bicycles and hosted by Illiterate Light’s Jeff Gorman and Jake Cochran.
A late addition, Father John Misty charmed the Fort stage from a simple chair with guitar in hand and later from the piano. And Brandon Flowers performed a unique set of songs unlike anything to be expected from the leader of The Killers.
Tom Morello, the unmistakable lead guitarist from Rage Against the Machine, delivered one of the most memorable sets in modern Newport history. With his talented 15-year-old son, Roman, matching his every riff, Morello and his band showcased a medley of Rage classics, ultimately coaxing the audience to a booming “anti-fascist earthquake” of sound.
After years of wanting to attend, Annapolis-based musician and songwriter Skribe made his way to the Fort for this year’s Newport Folk Festival. (Photo by Casey Ryan Vock)
The weekend also brought notable sit-ins left and right. Some of the sets were rotating casts of musicians, like Williams’ on Friday night, but also the Sea to Shining Sea set hosted by Devon Gilfillian and Gillian Welch’s and David Rawlings’ Grateful Dead Acoustic Reckoning, both on Saturday.
One of Sunday’s performers, Snacktime out of Philadelphia, saw members of its sprawling funk-soul outfit drop in on something like ten different sets of music over the course of the festival.
The weekend also brought the buzz of a new documentary film project featuring a band that’s become a Newport staple and has inspired many who’ve gone on to headline the event.
On the final day, Grandstand Media co-founder Meghan Helsel led a presentation with Tiller Rusell and Brandy Schultz, the two executive producers of the forthcoming A Film About The Felice Brothers. The film features the likes of numerous Newport regulars including the Lumineers, Brandon Flowers, Deer Tick, Nathaniel Rateliff, and Bebe Stockwell, all of whom consider the Catskills-based Felice Brothers to be vital influences on their own music.
Press members gathered Sunday afternoon in the media tent, where alongside Russell and Schultz were Ian and James Felice. The producers shared their inspiration and hopes for the project before Helsel led a Q-and-A session with the press — a unique treat for the outlets on site and a powerful illustration of Newport as an artistic platform.
Grandstand Media co-founder Meghan Helsel addresses the media alongside co-executive producers Tiller Russell (left) and Brandy Schultz (right). To Tiller’s left is James Felice. (Photo by Casey Ryan Vock)
One of the film’s featured musicians, Rateliff, would go on to close out the final night of the 2026 edition of Newport Folk. Rumors swirled of a possible high-profile guest for the set billed as “Nathaniel Rateliff & Friends,” and eventually — much to the delight of those on hand — the gossip turned out to be fact.
For the last set of the festival, Rateliff stunned most everyone at the Fort by welcoming none other than Dave Matthews to the stage. First performing solo, then inviting Brandi Carlile to help him and later joining Rateliff, Matthews’ appearance enhanced a monumental weekend of music and a glorious continuation of the Newport Folk tradition.
Hayley Williams & Friends Setlist – Friday July 24
Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party
Kill Me
Mirtazapine (w/ Karly Hartzman)
I’m All Fucked Up (This is Lorelei cover w/ This is Lorelei)
I’d Miss The Birds (Joy Oladokun cover w/ Joy Oladokun)
Thin Air (Liam Benzvi cover w/ Liam Benzvi)
Disappearing Man (w/ Annie DiRusso)
Silver Lining (Rilo Kiley cover w/ Jenny Lewis)
Leave It Alone (w/ Kelsey Lu)
Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris (w/ Lucy Dacus and Kelsey Lu)
Twiggy (Remi Wolf cover w/ Remi Wolf)
True Believer (w/ Phoenix Rousiamanis)
Find Me Here (w/ Madi Diaz and Kelsey Lu)
I Wanna Get Better (Bleachers cover w/ Jack Antonoff)
Good Ol’ Days (w/ Jack Antonoff)
Lean On Me (Bill Withers cover w/ Medium Build, Lucy Dacus, Karly Hartzman, more)
The Lumineers Setlist Saturday July 25
Flowers in Your Hair
Gloria
April
Where We Are
Sleep on the Floor
Angela
Asshole
Dead Sea
Salt and the Sea
Ophelia
Big Parada
Democracy (Leonard Cohen cover)
Cleopatra
Stubborn Love
New York State of Mind (Billy Joel cover / Nathaniel Rateliff and Jeff Dazey)
Dave Matthews Solo Surprise Setlist July 26
Save Me
So Damn Lucky
Don’t Drink the Water
Rye Whiskey (Tex Ritter cover)
Gravedigger
Bartender
Papertown (w/ Brandi Carlile)
Nathaniel Rateliff & Friends Setlist July 26
Flowers (with Dave Matthews)
Standing in the Rain Boys
Heart After the Wild
It Surprises Me
The Weight on You
Endless Horizon
Carry It All (w/ Gillian Welch and David Rawlings)
You’ve Got a Friend (Carol King Cover w/ Courtney Marie Andrews)
It Had to Be You (Isham Jones Orchestra cover w/ John C. Reilly)
Beautiful Strangers (Kevin Morby cover w/ Mavis Staples)
Atlantic City (Bruce Springsteen cover w/ Brandon Flowers)
They Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (The Band cover w/ Dave Matthews)
I Shall Be Released (Bob Dylan cover w/ Brandi Carlile, Joan Baez, more)
America the Beautiful (w/ Joan Baez, Brandi Carlile, more)
Below are digital images of the 2026 Newport Folk Festival held at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, R.I. from July 24 to 26, 2026. All photos copyright and courtesy of Casey Ryan Vock.
Nathaniel Rateliff
Dave Matthews
Mavis Staples and Joan Baez on stage during Matthews’ performance.
Matthews with Brandi Carlile
Newport Festivals Foundations Executive Director Jay Sweet
Tom Morello
Tom Morello w/ son Roman
Father John Misty
CMAT
Snacktime
Case Oats
Nate Smith with the Fearless Flyers
Tim Barnardes
Dove Ellis
The Lumineers
Vulfpeck
Dawes Duo
The Barr Brothers
Lizzy McAlpine
Medium Build
Chris Thile leading Punch Brothers
This is Lorelei
Yasmin Williams & William Tyler
Leif Vollebekk
