Newport Folk Festival 2025: Discovery, Unity, and Reflection
The 2025 Newport Folk Festival, held at Fort Adams State Park, was a masterclass in balancing tradition with transformation. Across three days, fans were treated to the festival’s eclectic lineup of indie rock, pop, country, folk, and soul. The festival delivered a mosaic of musical brilliance, political expression, and communal spirit. Newport Folk is not just a concert, but a living, breathing celebration. It is one of the few festivals which can sell out within minutes despite the lineup being undisclosed at the time of sale. This year’s cast was a thrilling blend of legends, newcomers, and genre-defying artists.
Although a mid-afternoon severe thunderstorm forced the organizers to pause the festival and had attendees shelter in place for close to an hour the music shined the entire day. Earlier in the day S.G. Goodman and Kevin Morby delivered Southern‑gothic hymns and introspective folk‑rock gems. Morby even brought out Waxahatchee (Katie Crutchfield) for a stirring sit-in of “Bittersweet, TN”.
After the storms passed, MJ Lenderman returned for a very well received blistering short set opening with “Manning Fireworks,” and concluding with the one-two punch of “SUV,” and “Knockin’.” Goose also played an abbreviated set highlighted by “Rockdale,” “Hungerstrike,” and a surprise sit-in by Kenny Loggins on “Danger Zone.”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs performed a stripped down acoustic, string backed set which was followed by Jack Antonoff & Bleachers headlining performance; a thrilling, guest‑heavy special edition of The Ally Coalition Talent Show. After a rousing performance of “Rollercoaster” Weyes Blood joined for a cover of “Dream a Little Dream of Me.” Waxahatchee tackled Roy Orbison’s “You Got It,” Maren Morris powered through “Don’t Go Dark,” Rufus Wainwright sang “45” with Bleachers and delivered a stirring version of Dylan’s “Not Dark Yet,” and Jeff Tweedy covered Lana Del Rey’s “Margaret” and Wilco’s “Kamera.” The list of guests concluded with Hayley Williams of Paramore debuting her new solo track “Mirtazapine,” followed by a joyous cover of Modern English’s “Melt With You.” The set closed with Bleachers performing The Waterboys’ “The Whole of the Moon” and “Modern Girl.”
Saturday brought clearer skies and more surprises. Ken Pomeroy’s 11 AM set at the smaller Harbor stage was packed to capacity. Her emotional, country‑Americana, Native storytelling and hauntingly intimate sound set the tone for a full day of music. Waxahatchee delivered a heartfelt set and invited MJ Lenderman for “Right Back to It,” “Burns Out at Midnight,” “Six O’Clock News,” “Tigers Blood,’ and “Much Ado About Nothing”. Remi Wolf & Friends brought wild covers, guest vocals from Jeff Tweedy, Maren Morris, John C. Reilly, and Fleetwood Mac’s classic “Dreams”.
Saturday’s most talked about set was by Jesse Wells making his Newport debut on the Fort Stage. The Arkansas native, delivered one of the weekend’s most compelling performances. His protest songs, that mixed satire and social commentary tackled issues from health care to war, felt immediate and surged with urgency. The festival’s most overtly political set was performed by Public Enemy. Public Enemy’s message remains as powerful and relevant today as it ever was. Chuck D and Flava Flav, both in their sixties, prove you don’t need youth to bring fire to the stage. The performance concluded with “Fight The Power” and Flava Flav stage diving into the audience.
Saturday wrapped up on a more laid-back note. Luke Combs opened his set with a stripped-down acoustic performance tailor made for Newport. The set leaned into deeply personal material, including “Whoever You Turn Out to Be.” While singing Combs became visibly overwhelmed. He paused mid-song, wiped away tears, and addressed the audience: “Sorry. That got me a little bit.” The crowd responded with supportive cheers. The band concluded with a mini electric set concluding with Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.”
Sunday brought a wave of rising talent, giving the audience a glimpse of artists to watch. Dehd, Tom Odell, Stephen Wilson Jr., and Richy Mitch & the Coal Miners brought solid, well‑received indie, songwriting, and folk‑rock sets. Margo Price’s set began with a somewhat subdued energy. Things picked up noticeably when Jesse Wells joined her for a powerful rendition of “Don’t Wake Me Up.” The set concluded with covers of Waylon Jennings “Kiss You Goodbye” and Kris Kristofferson “Don’t Let The Bastards Get You Down.” Lucius, the dual harmony powerhouse, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, traversed songs from their 2025 self‑titled album and classics like “Jesus, Etc.” (with Jeff Tweedy) and “Everybody Hurts” (with Nathaniel Rateliff). S.G. Goodman’s featured turn on “Impressions” added earthy soul to Lucius’s polished vocals. The undeniable highlight was the magical reunion moment when Mavis Staples joined on “Go Home.” The trio holding hands and belting out that chorus felt like a reunion of past and present Newport spirits.
The most anticipated set of the weekend “Songs For The People” closed out the festival. A possible setlist of songs was released on Spotify. Anticipation ran high as everyone buzzed about which favorites and surprises might be included live. The stage was crowded with performers who had appeared throughout the weekend. Starting off calm, the performance gradually ramped up to an urgent finale. Bonny Light Horseman sang Simon and Garfunkel’s “America,” and Alynda Segarra (Hurray for the Riff Raff) performed Tracy Chapman’s “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution.” Nathaniel Rateliff took vocals on Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy took on “Friendship” while Lucius performed Brian Wilson’s “God Only Knows.” The energy ramped up with Jesse Wells, Lukas Nelson, and Stephen Wilson Jr. on “Revolution,” concluding with Wells smashing his guitar. The set concluded with “Rockin’ In The Free World” and “My Generation,” followed by the traditional cover of “Goodnight Irene.”
Across three days, Newport Folk Festival 2025 reaffirmed its reputation for deeply curated lineups, intimate moments, headline‑level surprises, and a communal spirit rooted in resilience. The magic of Fort Adams, its water, breeze, and open‑hearted energy shone through. It was a weekend that balanced power and tenderness, protest and performance, surprise moments and time‑honored traditions. Newport remains, even in its 66th edition, a place where music lives in the land between generations.
