“If you can’t do it here, how are you gonna do it out there?”
That’s what a friend said to me when I told him my vibes were off at Newport Folk Festival this year. It was mostly bringing my own baggage into Fort Adams, maybe a little the sense that this cherished institution’s rising profile has started to eclipse some of the magic that caused that rise. Everyone’s had a bad mood ruin a good party, though, so it’s hard for me to pin my unsteadiness on anything external.
But that friend spoke true. Whatever emotional burden I was carrying, Newport Folk is where you let it all go. It’s a place to be surrounded by the love of music and community, where hope and joy are found in countless tiny moments. Before his festival-closing set on Sunday, Nathaniel Rateliff led the crowd in a deep breath, and that exhale felt like coming home. Hopefully, some of that Narragansett Bay air stays in the lungs when you return to the world.
It was a weekend of picture-perfect weather (three days of 78°F and clear skies), there was a stacked lineup of unique gets (Ms. Lauryn Hill, Brandon Flowers) and collaborative one-offs (Hayley Williams, Deer Tick, and Nathaniel Rateliff all had “& Friends” billing), and memorable performances made 2026 feel just a little bit more bearable (Devon Gilfillian’s Sea to Shining Sea, Tom Morello). Really, what was there to complain about?
It may have taken me awhile to find my footing on Fort Adams this year, but Newport Folk has always been a centering force for those in need of balance. Folk, as always, finds a way.
Here are some of the ways Folk found its way this year, for the artists on stage as well as this humble attendee. Scroll to the end for an extensive photo gallery of the best Newport Folk Festival 2026 performances.
Dawes
Fittingly, the turning point for me came courtesy of Dawes, a project deeply intertwined with Newport Folk’s recent history. Billed as Dawes Duo, Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith first appeared Saturday during Medium Build’s Quad Stage set to sing “Million Dollar Bill.” Hearing a beautiful, surprising rendition of one of your favorite songs is always a welcome reminder of what’s good, and I could feel my internal tides begin to shift. (Didn’t hurt discovering the magnetic energy of Medium Build on his own.)
Later, Dawes Duo closed out the Harbor Stage; I thought it’d be a nice little set to listen to while grabbing a final bite before leaving the grounds. But it ended up connecting me to what I’d been missing until that point: presence. In their simplified and raw forms, songs like “Comes in Wave” and “A Little Bit of Everything” (another acutely personal favorite) drowned out the noise and brought the ground under my feet. Closer “All You Favorite Bands” featured a freshly written guest verse from John C. Reilly about being part of the Newport Folk Family (and staying on the good side of Newport Festivals Producer Jay Sweet), emphasizing that this was not a weekend to be taken for granted — and from that point forward, I wouldn’t.
Hayley Williams & Friends
Hayley Williams & Friends, photo by Ben Kaye
A classic tale of “you just have to experience it for yourself,” Hayley Williams was a surprise guest during Jack Antonoff’s 2025 set, and since then, has extolled the festival to the point one can imagine she asked to headline this year. She followed Antonoff’s suit by putting together a guest-heavy set — including Antonoff, in a full circle moment. Where Antonoff’s show found big names joining for classic covers, however, Williams welcomed out mostly smaller acts to sing largely their own material: This is Lorelei did “I’m All Fucked Up,” Joy Oladokun dueted on “I’D MISS THE BIRDS,” and Jenny Lewis appeared for “Silver Lining.” (I said mostly smaller…)
Highlights saw Remi Wolf premiering her absolutely killer new song “Twiggy Little Butt” (something Williams did with “Mirtazapine” last year — a song she murdered with Wednesday’s Karly Hartzman this time around), and Williams giving a number of Petals for Armor tracks their live debut, including a captivating “Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris” with Lucy Dacus and Kelsey Lu. It ended with an all-hands rendition of “Lean on Me” featuring all these guests and more (including Medium Build’s dog). Watching a seemingly incongruous performer demonstrate they “get it” with a set connecting so many sides of music gives eternal reassurance that the Newport magic is hard to snuff out.
Find Hayley Williams Tickets Here
Ms. Lauryn Hill
Performing opposite Williams, Ms. Lauryn Hill’s performance was by all accounts magnificent, marred only by her well-documented habit for considering set times a suggestion. Her 35-minute-late start frustrated many, and made for a challenging festival exit, as the normally staggered closing performances now ended closely together.
Although that kind of delay is a rough look at a tight ship like Newport Folk, the worst part was honestly having to miss so much of the set in favor of Williams. I bounced back to catch a little more “Fu-Gee-La,” but I wanted more. Hip-hop has brought a fresh perspective to Newport Folk over the last few years, and beyond letting vibes get the better of me for much of the weekend, missing this year’s only hip-hop performances is one of my bigger regrets. Still, I’m glad others got to experience it, and can relate to those who discovered that even if it can take awhile, Newport Folk often proves worth the wait.
Nathaniel Rateliff & Friends
Nathaniel Rateliff, Dave Matthews, Mavis Staples, and Joan Baez, photo by Ben Kaye
As Newport Folk Festival Steward, Nathaniel Rateliff has been tasked the last two years with nurturing the Folk ethos and offering fellowship to rising artists. Giving the first portion of his (unusually long) headlining slot on Sunday to fellow Farm Aid Board member Dave Matthews was an unexpected exemplification of this mission. Matthews makes a lot of sense at Newport, but had never played, and was very visibly, self-admittedly, and quite frankly adorably nervous about the solo set. He kept making “exploding head” motions as the reality of what he was doing repeatedly hit him.
However, by the ending one-two-three of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “I Shall be Released,” and “America the Beautiful,” Matthews was all smiles, gazing admiringly at his fellow performers as he sang with them (including Brandi Carlile, Joan Baez, and Courtney Marie Andrews). Baez even invited him to dance during Rateliff’s debut of “It Surprises Me,” beckoning him out of his shell. It was like seeing someone enfolded by the Folk Family in real time. His body language relaxed; the head explosions were less about anxiety and more about wonder.
There was plenty else special about Rateliff’s set: “It Had to Be You” with John C. Reilly, a fiery cover of Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” with Brandon Flowers in tribute to Amy and Levon Helm and the Midnight Ramble, the recontextualization of “America the Beautiful” in 2026. But it’ll be watching Matthews make that familiar Folk journey that I’ll remember most fondly.
Brandon Flowers
Another big booking, Brandon Flowers came on a tad late (not as late as Hill) and seemed a bit nervous (not as nervous as Matthews). With his country album on the horizon, Flowers’ presence on the bill wasn’t purely surprising, but there was still quite some curiosity about what he’d bring to the Quad Stage. Turns out he, too, understood the assignment, as between deep cuts (“Diggin’ Up the Heart,” “Still Want You”) and live debuts (“Paradise,” “Plans”) he pulled out stripped-down versions of fan favorites (“When We Were Young”) and setting-appropriate covers (Robert Earl Keen’s “The Road Goes on Forever”).
Find Brandon Flowers Tickets Here
Thanks to my girlfriend for videoing his performance of “When My Time Comes” with Dawes, which I missed while at Rateliff’s set but would’ve been a weekend highlight had I caught it live. Flowers’ voice is perfect for that track, and he and Dawes both looked to get a thrill out of the collab. The whole set came with the jubilant energy of someone bashfully wanting to fit a scene in which they may seem discordant — and finding that here, they can.
CMAT
CMAT, photo by Ben Kaye
CMAT’s stadium-sized energy catapulted her to the top of many Folk Fest ’26 lists, making her a weekend winner by a mile. With her band in matching olive-black plaid dresses (“Skirt Cobain,” she dubbed her guitarist), a fearless stage presence, and a unique country-indie-pop blend that delivers bops for days, CMAT put on a capital S Show. It opened huge with “The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station,” and even included a Brandi Carlile cameo on “I’d Want U.” CMAT somewhat unnecessarily couched her performance before closing with “Stay for Something,” saying that while she doesn’t sound folk, she’s undoubtedly been inspired by it. No one gave a hoot that her pedal steel was surrounded by pop hooks; if you’re willing to meet Newport where it’s at, it will always welcome you where you are.
Calling her one to watch feels like a disservice to her star power; if you haven’t caught glimpse of her yet, it can only be because she’s already blown past you. Catch her next time she comes ’round.
Tom Morello
It’s not every day and certainly not every Folk Fest that you get a set featuring Rage Against the Machine medleys; Audioslave songs (“Like a Stone”); and covers of Ozzy Osbourne (“Mr. Crowley”), Bruce Springsteen (“The Ghost of Tom Joad”), John Lennon (“Power to the People”), and Woody Guthrie (“This Land Is Your Land”). Tom Morello is no Newport Folk stranger, though, and he knew exactly what he was doing. “This is a special day and a special place, so we’re gonna do something special,” he said (approximately) towards his set’s end. “We found a song that Bob Dylan left off his very first record, and we’re gonna play it for you right now.” This turned out to be “Killing in the Name Of,” at which the packed crowd laughed before screaming along to, “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!” Despite more direct language than usual, that’s a sentiment Newport Folk can well get behind.
As much a joy as it was watching the eager audience buy so fully into such a loud Newport Folk set, the real delight was Morello’s son, Roman. It’s no secret at this point that the 15-year-old can rip a guitar, but Morello isn’t joking when he says his kid gives him a run for his money. Roman has clearly learned from dear old dad, aping his guitar-slashing and jerk-stomping movements in true offspring fashion, and it won’t be a shock if he one day surpasses him in pure shredding talent. Watching a legendary musician introduce a younger artist-to-watch and having that riser be the only thing everyone talks about after such an undeniable set? That’s a quintessential Newport trajectory, a final reminder that this festival can cut through the noise to deliver something real and — if you let it — lasting.
This review is dedicated to the memory of Glen Hansard, a beloved Folk Family member who died tragically on July 29th, 2026. Through his giving spirit and incomparable songwriting, Hansard was a grounding presence for many. May his songs continue to provide a foundational peace for all who seek it.
