A new attendee to Newport Folk Festival might show up just for the artists on the poster. A seasoned attendee knows that poster is only the starting point. Over July 24th-26th, 2026 at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island, one of America’s oldest and most beloved music gatherings did what it does best: delivered a weekend where the unplanned moments outshined the scheduled ones and every set felt like it might turn into something nobody saw coming. On top of amazing musical acts, Newport Folk also played host to dozens of local artisans and food vendors showing a commitment to highlighting Rhode Island’s best.
Low 80s, sunny, with an ocean breeze keeping everything comfortable. Boats anchored in the bay around the Fort Stage trying to catch what they could from the water. The old military fort walls framing every set. Newport has a way of making music feel like it belongs to a specific place and time, and 2026 was no exception.
Friday: Hayley Williams, A Lumineers Popup Show, and the Best Closing Set of the Summer
Friday opened with strong early sets from Brother Wallace and Tiny Habits, the latter a Berklee College-bred Boston trio whose folk-pop harmonies made them a natural fit for the festival’s Harbor Stage. The Bike Stage, a smaller, fully solar-powered stage energized in part by festivalgoers pedaling stationary bikes in shifts, offered two of the day’s most memorable early discoveries. Belle Blue, whose sound leans considerably closer to rock and punk than her name might suggest, showed exactly why SPIN Magazine dubbed her a “musical prodigy.” Lily Fitts, who went viral for her cover of Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” and positioned that into an opening slot for him at Hyde Park London, played a set that mixed bigger tracks like “Brown Eyed Baby” and “What They Say” with unreleased material that shows she has plenty more coming.
Wednesday took the main stage and quickly made it clear this would not be a conventional Folk Festival afternoon. Lead singer Karly Hartzman opened with a full scream into the mic and the band never looked back. Anyone expecting the polished acoustic sounds Newport is known for was shown something different, and the crowd was better for it. Courtney Barnett followed on the main stage with something closer to the festival’s sonic wheelhouse, though she still rocked hard, drawing from her new album Creature of Habit alongside catalog favorites.
Lucy Dacus was one of the most anticipated sets of the day, and she delivered. Three songs in, she brought out Hayley Williams to perform “Bullseye” together, a tease that landed all the harder knowing what was coming later that evening. Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy played an acoustic Harbor Stage set that moved between Mt. Joy material and solo work. It was an intimate interlude before the evening’s bigger moments arrived.
Ms. Lauryn Hill packed the Quad Stage well beyond capacity, arriving roughly 40 minutes past her scheduled start time and making every minute of the wait irrelevant. Her pull was evident in the fact that significant portions of the crowd stayed for her set even as Hayley Williams took the Fort Stage for the evening’s headline performance.
Hayley Williams & Friends was maybe the weekend’s biggest set, both in anticipation and artists on stage. Opening with some solo material from her latest album Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, she proceeded to bring out one guest after another. Remi Wolf, Jack Antonoff, Joy Oladokun, Karly Hartzman, Lucy Dacus, Annie DiRusso, Madi Diaz. Each for individual songs before gathering everyone on stage together for a closing cover of Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me” that served as the perfect end to day one.
Saturday: The Lumineers, Boats in the Bay, and Madi Diaz’s Revolving Door of Guests
Saturday began on the Harbor Stage with Trousdale, the trio of childhood best friends whose harmonies remain among the most effortlessly beautiful things you’ll hear at any festival. Georgia Greene in pink, Lauren Jones in blue, Quinn D’Andrea in green. Their signature color coordination has become as much a part of their identity as the music, and their growing momentum behind Growing Pains was on full display as their signature wall of harmony showed everyone they’re catching a group before they start headlining themselves.
Princess June, right from Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, opened the Fort Stage with what can only be described as mystic folk that felt entirely at home against the shadow of the old fort walls. Evan Honer followed with a country-rock set that fit the afternoon well.
Madi Diaz on the Bike Stage turned her set into an unofficial guest showcase, bringing out Joy Oladokun, Lizzy McAlpine, and more after her very first song. She was assembling, as she put it “a power rangers squad of music.” It was a reminder of what makes Newport so unique. The collaborative spirit isn’t an add-on; it’s the whole point. Lizzy McAlpine made her own Fort Stage appearance later in the afternoon and brought out fellow Berklee alums Tiny Habits for “Pushing It Down and Praying,” a viral hit off the deluxe version of her album Older, (Older and Wiser).
Actor and musician John C. Reilly returned to the festival as only he can, introducing The Punch Brothers to considerable crowd delight. Chris Thile is as much showman as mandolin virtuoso, and the band’s bluegrass mastery was fully on display.
Vulfpeck’s Cory Wong and company brought their trademark all-smiles shredding to the late afternoon slot before The Lumineers closed out Saturday as the sun went down over the bay. “Sleep on the Floor,” “Cleopatra,” “Ophelia”. Hit after hit delivered as the water behind the fort turned gold. The boats anchored in the bay had a great concert to listen to in the distance.
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Sunday: CMAT, Tom Morello’s Son, and Dave Matthews Walks Onstage
Sunday opened with Clover County, whose charm and energy made for an immediate impression, followed by Snack Time from Philadelphia, who brought the kind of infectious, danceable fun the afternoon needed. The lead singer worked the stage in a red cowboy hat and star sunglasses, and even brought out Trousdale for a duet that was one of the day’s early highlights.
Strongboi, making their United States debut, brought a female-led sound to the festival’s international presence before CMAT arrived and promptly became the conversation of the day. The Irish band, dressed in matching flannel with the men in skirts and crop tops, delivered a set of such unhinged, joyful energy that it stopped people in their tracks. After the first three songs, they brought out Brandi Carlile, which made the crowd go wild.
Tom Morello brought his son onstage for his set, and it’s clear the guitar talent runs in their genes. The younger Morello’s guitar work drew some genuine reactions from a crowd that clearly wasn’t expecting that level of playing from someone his age. Brandi Carlile’s own headlining-adjacent set delivered old and new material with the kind of warmth and presence that has made her one of the festival circuit’s most beloved performers.
Sunday’s official headliner was Nathaniel Rateliff, who closed the festival with a star-studded set that peaked when Dave Matthews walked out onstage to join him. Everyone expected a big name to join him, but it’s always a treat when it’s a name this big. Dave Matthews wasn’t the only big name to join Rateliff on stage. He also welcomed Mavis Staples, Joan Baez, Tyler Ballgame and more. By the last song, he had more than a dozen people on stage with him.
Announcing Felice County Fair
Also worth discussing is the weekend’s announcement of a new tribute album, Felice County Fair. In the media tent, executive producers Tiller Russell and Brandi Schultz, wife of Lumineers frontman Wesley Schultz and the driving force behind the project, joined Ian and James Felice to announce Felice County Fair, a star-studded tribute album celebrating twenty years of the Felice Brothers. The record features more than two dozen artists who have long counted the band among their primary influences, including Bright Eyes covering “Wonderful Life,” Old Crow Medicine Show taking on “Penn Station,” Dawes performing “Jazz on the Autobahn,” and contributions from The Lumineers, Brandon Flowers, Deer Tick, Nathaniel Rateliff, Bebe Stockwell, and many more. A companion documentary, tracing a year in the band’s life leading to their Newport performance, will begin its festival run in the fall. The Felice Brothers’ own new album follows in February.
Newport Folk Festival 2026 is the kind of weekend that reminds you why live music exists. Three days, one Fort, and more unplanned moments of genuine magic than most festivals manage in a decade. We can’t wait to see what next year brings.
Photography by Nathan Smith and Hannah Sender
Nathan Smith is a Providence-based music photographer and journalist focusing on capturing the special moments and unfiltered magic of live performances. Whether he’s shooting established artists at sold-out TD Garden shows or documenting the rise of emerging local bands, his goal is the same: to pull viewers directly into the heart of the moment.
His writing spotlights rising artists and local scenes, with a focus on telling the stories that often get overlooked. A lifelong music fan and musician himself, Nathan approaches interviews and portraits as conversations rather than transactions, building trust with artists so their genuine personalities can shine through. Whether he’s backstage, in the photo pit, or at home in front of the keyboard, he brings the same curiosity and care to every assignment.
Outside of his press work with Juice Box Press, Nathan works regularly as a photographer with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, as well as numerous bands in the Boston and Providence area. Nathan also plays violin with a local orchestra, follows Celtics basketball almost religiously, and is an avid fantasy reader.