“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?
Newport Folk Finds Its Way
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.
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 “Milion 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
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.
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.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
