Highlights from the 2026 Newport Folk Festival
From pop up sets to last minute ticket retrevals, see our staff's takeaways from the Ocean State's most prolific music festival of the year.
Hayley Williams and Friends following a group performance of “Lean On Me” on day one of the festival. Photo by Vnina / courtesy of the Newport Folk Festival
With the forecast calling for an abundance of cloud cover and flood watches over the next few days, we’re looking back on sunnier times. This past weekend marked the sixty-seventh annual Newport Folk Festival at Fort Adams and three of our editors were fortunate enough to snag passes to one of the state’s most coveted events (seriously, we heard day-of single-day passes were still going for a minimum of $800 a pop on resale sites). Here are some of our favorite moments.
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Day One: Get in Line
By Kait Murray
This year, I decided to be brave and change up my travel routine. Instead of driving directly to the Fort Adams parking area, I opted to park on a side street in Jamestown (surprisingly not as risky as it sounds) and take the connecting ferry. I figured the cost was comparable to Fort parking fees and I could avoid the late-night slog of exiting traffic, plus I’d get to enjoy a leisurely boat ride with a lovely view of Narragansett Bay and the Newport Bridge.
While stepping off the ferry, my friend and companion for the day overheard two gems imparted by a father to his impatient toddler: “There will be more lines” “and “Let’s just be in the moment.” Little did I know how true those words would later ring.
My first official (I say this because I did pick some Tiny Habits earworms while setting up camp over in the Fort stage area, followed by Hayley Heynderickx crooning on the Harbor Stage on my way over to the was Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy. Film buffs will recognize the former name as the seemingly austere actor from noteworthy titles like Knives Out, the Shape of Water, Man of Steel and many more. I’ll admit it was a bit surreal to see General Zod headbanging, but once I got past got the initial absurdity, I was nodding right along with him.
Michael Shannon on the Quad stage. Photo by Rem Rettrogers / courtesy of the Newport Folk Festival
From there I found myself in more lines while moving from area to area, perusing the various vendors and stocking up on food truck refreshments (Del’s and Hometown Poke for the win). The waiting afforded me snippets of local success story Deer Tick (though I was kicking myself for not being closer when they hopped into the crowd), Wednesday (my favorite find from past years), Fruit Bats and Courtney Barrett (my two favorite finds from this year).
Deer Tick joins the crowd. Photo by Vnina / courtesy of the Newport Folk Festival
The Lumineers on the Bike stage. Photo by Rettrogers / courtesy of the Newport Folk Festival
But the craziest pull came when my friend and I were in line for a beer. We heard a familiar voice coming from the direction of the Bike Stage right next to the Beer Garden, but we gaslit ourselves. Some actual words we exchanged: “Huh, I don’t remember the festival playing the radio over the speakers in between acts,” and “Oh, I think it’s live. Weird that someone would cover The Lumineers when they’re going to be here this weekend.”
By the time we realized it was actually the Lumineers (Saturday night’s headliner) performing, a massive crowd had already swallowed the perimeter of the stage. I was just able to glimpse the top of their hat-clad heads. But no complaints here! I was happy to just hear the soundtrack of my summer of 2012 live.
We then got to the part in the evening where I face a dilemma every single year: just what is a girl to do when Lucy Dacus, Ms. Lauryn Hill and Hayley Williams all overlap? I made the gut-wrenching decision to post up at the Fort stage for Dacus and Williams to ensure prime viewings of both while my friend ventured over to the Quad Stage for Hill. I was at peace with my choice when Dacus brought out Brandon Flowers (of the Killers fame) for a duet of Jim Croce’s “Time in a Bottle,” and even more so when I later heard Hill was late to her set, which could have meant I might have missed all three if I had attempted to move.
Lucy Dacus and Hayley Williams. Photo by Bosconcertphoto / courtesy of the Newport Folk Festival
(Despite the tardiness, though, I was told Hill put on a magnetic show, as always!).
Ms Laurny Hill. Photo by Rich Fury / courtesy of the Newport Folk Festival
Finally, it was time for my girl Hayley Williams. I was graced with a surprise performance by her during the Bleacher’s set last year, but not even a planned appearance this time around could prepare me for her as a headliner. Not only did she bestow us with three songs from her latest album (“Mirtazapine,” “Kill Me (In the Garden),” and “Good Ol’ Days” featuring Wednesday), but she also played a couple from the album prior that was released in 2020 and never had a chance to tour. The “and friends” part of her set exceeded expectations as well, as she brought out guest after guest after guest. My friend lost their mind when Jenny Lewis took the stage, while I was overjoyed to see the return of The Bleachers’ Jack Antonoff. My absolute favorite performance of the night, however, was Hayley’s harmony with Joy Oladokun. I wasn’t familiar with the latter’s music before then, but their soulful sounds have been on repeat on my Spotify ever since.
I learned my lesson from last year and stayed rooted to my spot two rows back from the front until the very end and was rewarded with a group rendition of “Lean on Me” featuring all of the guests Hayley had previously invited to sing with her. After the final note, my friend and I headed back to our chairs, packed up, and got in the two-hour line for the ferry. Or, as I later learned when I finally got to the front: ferries. Turns out, we were supposed to have gotten in a different line to take the Jamestown ferry; the boat we had been waiting for was going to downtown Newport. Luckily, a couple others had made the same mistake and the four of us bonded while splitting an Uber back to the other island. In the end, I realized dads do truly know best: there’s gonna be a line, and it’s best to just be in the moment.
Hayley Williams and Friends. Photo by Adam Kissick / courtesy of the Newport Folk Festival.
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Day Two: Come Last, Leave Last
By Tess Lyons
As someone who was raised believing that arriving on time was actually arriving late, the idea of showing up to this year’s Newport Folk Festival at any time other than when doors open seemed insane to me. But when I got the call a little before midnight at my boyfriend’s apartment in the far away land of Danvers, Massachusetts from a coworker saying she could no longer make it to Saturday’s performances, leaving an extra ticket to be claimed, I knew I had to go. Not only is Newport Folk Festival one of the most prestigious folk festivals in the country, but my favorite band since I was 13, The Lumineers, were performing.
The Lumineers on the Fort stage. Photo by Adam Kissick / courtesy of the Newport Folk Festival.
I largely credit my boyfriend and I’s almost three-year long relationship lasting like it has to his understanding nature as dating a journalist, one who simply can’t say no to an invite never mind one on this large a scale, means plans are never as solid as they seem. Our weekend was mapped out; drive up the lakes region of New Hampshire and spend the weekend frolicking in Lake Winnipesaukee’s waters and hiking any trail we could find. That, of course, all changed when I received that call and said yes to taking the ticket. Being over three hours away, I knew I’d never make it to the festival for the full day– again, remember, I’m in the far away land that is Danvers, Massachusetts – but when I changed my mindset from driving all the way to Newport to see every act the festival had to offer to driving all the way to Newport to see my favorite band at the festival, it seemed to all be worth it.
The next day I packed up my hiking boots, the ones that never saw the trails and the rest of my overnight bags before kissing my dude on the cheek and driving off. After stopping in Providence to pick up my ticket from my coworker, I booked it to the city by the sea.
I’ve only been to Newport Folk Festival once and it was in 2022. That weekend is unforgettable for multiple reasons. One reason being the extreme heat that plagued the festival grounds; two being the surprise performances by Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell; and the third reason being the nightmare that was the parking situation. Not only was getting out difficult, but getting in was too. As I was driving to Newport this past Saturday, my forehead wrinkled with worry thinking about the mayhem an early start brought me and my car last time. But when I pulled up around 4pm, there wasn’t a car in sight. The lane to drive into Fort Adams State Park was completely empty and despite a few confused looks by volunteers wondering who the late arrival was, I had zero issue getting in and getting a parking spot. The line for a shuttle bus was nonexistent, so it took about five minutes in total from when I drove in to when I was on the bus being driven to the entrance, a first for me. Once inside and overcoming the initial nervousness brought on by showing up solo, I took in the vibe that was a stark difference to my first experience.
When showing up first, everyone’s still trying to find their footing, including you. When showing up possibly last, you just have to follow the rhythm of the day. The sun was lower and weaker, so I didn’t have to worry about getting sunburnt or heat exhausted. The energy was still high, but not overwhelming as there were only a few performances left.
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Photo by Adam Kissick / courtesy of the Newport Folk Festival.
After killing time at the beer garden listening to Gillian Welch and David Rawlings finish their set performing acoustic Grateful Dead songs, I made my way over to the Fort Stage where The Lumineers were set to play in an hour. While some people were maybe losing their energy after spending the whole day, I was fully buzzing with excitement and strength to move through the crowd and get a near front row spot. The Lumineers performed with the whole festival watching. Close to the finale of their set, they announce this will be their last show before taking a time away to work on their next album. In that moment I knew I made the right choice, no matter how last minute it was.
The crowd went silent and emotions skyrocketed when lead singer Wesley Schultz shared personal news that it had been one year since the unexpected passing of his brother, Sam, and chose to finish the show by performing one of their favorite songs, Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind.” Nathaniel Rateliff came out to help close out the show and during the very last line the two, along with the thousands in the crowd, changed the lyric to “Newport State of Mind.”
The Lumineers’ lead singer Wesley Schultz. Photo by Adam Kissick / courtesy of the Newport Folk Festival.
Once they were off the stage, I ran to the front and managed to score a guitar pick. Usually, I’d hightail it to my car, but the thought of hurrying up to wait wasn’t enticing, so I instead sat by the sea wall and waited for the crowds to die down. Fort Adams State Park almost empty felt peaceful after the rockin’ performance. When I did finally decide to leave, it only took about fifteen minutes to leave the park and an hour total to get home, a stark difference from my previous experience. My advice to those who want to attend the historic festival but might only want to see an act or two, don’t be afraid to come late or to leave at an unusual time. Though there’s a schedule, you can still create your own. Now, excuse me, I have to go pack for Lake Winnipesaukee.
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Day Three: Return to Roots
By Lauren Clem
CMAT on the Fort stage. Photo by Adam Kissick / courtesy of the Newport Folk Festival.
Those who made it to day three of Folk Fest were rewarded with a stacked mix of new faces and returning festival favorites. Rhode Island’s own Mark Cutler kicked off the Fort Stage bright and early, followed by energetic sets from SNACKTIME and CMAT. It was a first-time festival appearance for Cutler, who told G. Wayne Miller he was “excited as hell” to be playing the Fort following a storied musical career.
Headliner Nathaniel Rateliff on the Fort stage. Photo by Vnina / courtesy of the Newport Folk Festival.
Surprise guest Dave Matthews. Photo by Bosconcertphoto / courtesy of the Newport Folk Festival.
Nathanierl Rateliff and friends perform “America the Beautiful” on the Fort stage at the close of the festival. Photo by Bosconcertphoto courtesy of the Newport Folk Festival
