Newport Folk Festival Delivers Heartwarming Moments, Surprise Performances & a Weekend Full of Standout Live Music [Photos]

During a perfect summer weekend in Rhode Island, Newport Folk Festival delivered three days of good vibes, incredible performances, and amazing live music! This was my first time ever attending Newport Folk Festival, and while I had grown up in New England hearing about this legendary fest, I had never gotten to experience it for myself. I went in with high hopes and expectations, and I’m very happy to say I was not let down in the least!

When you hear a festival be titled a “Folk Festival,” one might think that this means all the artists will be folk singers. Though that is true for many artists at Newport, the festival also brings in non-folk-centred musicians to really push the boundaries and expand the genre. This was extremely apparent with Irish pop singer CMAT and her performance Sunday on the main stage. CMAT and her band blew me out of the water with their outfits, dancing and amazing stage presence!

After a few songs, CMAT even spoke to the crowd about how she was not a folk singer, but growing up in Ireland she was always surrounded by folk music, and it has consistently been a huge part of her life. A few other “non folky” acts that graced the stages over the weekend included teenage rocker Belle Blue, alternative rock band Wednesday, and Grammy-winning guitarist and singer-songwriter Tom Morello!

Another thing that makes Newport Folk Festival so special is all the collaborations and surprise performances that happen. Two of my favourite surprise performances happened on Friday when The Lumineers did a pop-up set on the Bike stage. The Lumineers, who were headlining day 2 of the festival, popped up on Friday, playing seven songs on the small bike stage that is quite literally powered by solar panels and six people riding bicycles! Then, just a little bit later, Lucy Dacus was performing her set and brought out Hayley Williams, who was headlining that night, to join her in a duet of Lucy’s song “Bullseye.” This was such a beautiful moment to witness between two incredible artists!

The opening and closing nights of the festival had the most on-stage collaborations, starting with Hayley Williams and friends. For her headlining set on Friday, Hayley brought out twelve different guests to sing with her! Notable guests included Jack Antonoff, Remi Wolf, Madi Diaz, Lucy Dacus, and Joy Oladokun. Then for the finale, Hayley brought all the guests back onto the stage and together they all sang a cover of Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me,” a moment that everyone who was lucky enough to be there will never forget.

Some other highlight moments from day one included local Boston group Tiny Habits, playing a beautiful set on the Fort stage, where I was entranced by the way their voices all blended together. Irish folk band Amble brought their charm to the Harbour Stage, and Australian singer/songwriter Courtney Barnett, who blew me away with her guitar solos on the main stage. Then Ms.Lauryn Hill was the second-to-last act of the night, even though she came out 25 minutes late for her set. Nonetheless, she delivered a rousing performance, finishing with some of her hit throwbacks, “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “Ready or Not.”

Saturday opened up with a performance from Trousdale, a pop/folk girl band formed in California, where each member wears either pink, green or blue, connecting themselves to the famous Powerpuff characters! It then continued with an awesome main stage performance from Evan Honer, where he performed his hit song “Nowhere Fast.” Along with a highly anticipated performance from Lizzie McAlpine, also on the main stage, where she performed, for the first time, her new single “The Light in the Painting.”

Saturday night’s headliner, The Lumineers, performed an emotional and beautiful set where lead singer Wesley Schultz discussed how much the festival means to him. He stated The Lumineers were now going to take a much-needed multi-year break after touring for the past two years, so this would be their last performance for a while. Schultz also announced that he was dedicating the performance to his brother, who unexpectedly passed away in 2025. He then went into the crowd to sing the band’s hit song “Ophelia” and brought out Nathaniel Rateliff to perform a cover of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” but changed the lyrics to “Newport” state of mind.

The final day of Newport Folk Festival finished strong with Philly group SNACKTIME bringing so much energy and fun to the Fort stage! Tom Morello later performed on the Quad stage and brought out his son Roman to rip it on the electric guitar! Then it was time for Brandi Carlile, who played some of her old hits and songs off her most recent album Returning to Myself.

To close out the fest on Sunday, Nathaniel Rateliff was the headliner, and he brought out a star-studded lineup of friends to sing with him! His lineup included Dave Matthews, Mavis Staples, Brandi Carlile, and Joan Baez, and it was an incredible two-hour set! Rateliff was named the first appointee to Newport Folk Festival’s stewardship program this year and will serve a three-year term where he will dedicate his time to artist advocacy, curation, fellowship and mentorship.

All in all, this year’s 2026 Newport Folk Festival was one for the books! This festival continually sells out within seconds every year, and after attending for the first time, I can definitely see why. Joy, kindness and energy filled the air and permeated the weekend. It felt like we were all on a little island, separated from the rest of the world, and all that mattered was connection and community. The feelings and emotions I felt this past weekend will be something I hold onto in my heart for years to come, and I’m already looking forward to the 2027 Newport Folk Fest!