By Paul Robicheau

From Tom Morello’s searing set to CMAT’s breakout turn and Dave Matthews’ final-set detour, the Newport Folk Festival kept its focus on music that opened outward rather than looking back.

Brandi Carlile and Dave Matthews at Newport Folk 2026. Photo: Paul Robicheau

The magical legacy of the Newport Folk remains rooted in musical discoveries and collaborations. Fans lucky enough to land tickets to the annual soiree at seaside Fort Adams State Park this past weekend realized they could be just as impressed by some new artist (CMAT and Kirby, to name a couple) as a veteran they’d come to see—was Lauryn Hill worth the wait? However, the fact that in recent years icons such as Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, and Dolly Parton made surprise cameos at Newport Folk can lead to misplaced expectations over who’ll turn up, rather than to an appreciation of the captivating collaborations that actually happen.

Michael Shannon and Jason Narcucy at Newport Folk 2026. Photo: Paul Robicheau

So no, Bruce Springsteen didn’t join recent tourmate Tom Morello (or join the Sunday finale), but that guitarist from Rage Against the Machine still unleashed the fest’s most incendiary set. Michael Stipe didn’t drop in with actor Michael Shannon and indie-rocker Jason Narducy’s R.E.M. cover band as he has at times, but they nailed early ’80s nuggets in bracing form without him. And Billy Strings didn’t “hit the coast” between area dates as suggested in a tour post, at least not at Newport. Yet there was ample bluegrass, from Newport 1965 alumnus Peter Rowan to the Chris Thile-sparked Punch Brothers’ maritime art-song frivolity to old-timey stalwarts Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, who gave a resonant acoustic reckoning to Grateful Dead tunes, opening with an uplifting “Bertha.”

Kirby at Newport Folk 2026. Photo: Paul Robicheau

In turn, any second guessing over what surprise guest may star in Sunday’s last set was quickly dispelled when steward Nathaniel Rateliff introduced Dave Matthews before a note was played. Yes, rather than strolling out near the end of that usual turnstile of guests, Matthews began the 80-minute finale with six solo songs, as if making up for the years he hadn’t made it to Newport Folk. “I snuck in sideways,” the singer/guitarist quipped. “You didn’t see me coming – ha, ha!”

Matthews sounded great, though he followed “So Damn Lucky” with an awkward comparison of a medical emergency in the main-stage crowd to Moses’ parting of the Red Sea (he later apologized), then shifted to darker fare with “Don’t Drink the Water,” a song about genocide that he extended to Gaza and the West Bank. He also duetted with Brandi Carlile on “Papertown” (from a documentary about a closed Carolina mill) and Rateliff before ceding to the host, who favored newer material reflecting marriage and fatherhood. It was not the most smartly constructed start for a climactic set (and it lacked a theme like some past Newport closeouts).

CMAT at Newport Folk 2026. Photo: Paul Robicheau

Newport royalty Mavis Staples and Joan Baez noticeably sat side-stage and watched the proceedings. Baez finally stepped out to dance (soon joined by Matthews) as Rateliff fronted a fine house band centered by ex-Jeff Beck bassist Tal Wilkenfeld. Staples eventually rose to sing her Grammy-winning take on Kevin Morby’s “Beautiful Strangers,” whose lyric “If I die too young, let all that I’ve done be remembered” seemed ironically apropos for the soul legend at 87.

For a tongue-in-cheek break, John C. Reilly crooned “It Had to Be You” with Rateliff, and the back half of the finale grew stronger, even if it simply featured artists from across the weekend. Courtney Marie Andrews and Rateliff sang “You’ve Got a Friend” to a thankfully upbeat groove and his take on Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” with Brandon Flowers brought further oomph. However, the Band’s overdone classic “The Weight” (in support of Amy Helm’s battle to keep control of her late father Levon’s barn concerts) could have used a punchier singer than Matthews, even if Staples wasn’t up for it. He also took the first verse of “I Shall Be Released” in an odd falsetto before other artists from the weekend joined in, with Baez nicely floating a wordless melody at the end. The 85-year-old matriarch’s idea to reclaim “America the Beautiful” also made for a fitting communal closer.

Yet festival-goers seeking the biggest bang in collaborations probably fared best with Friday’s opening lineup. Local heroes Deer Tick brought out such friends as the Felice Brothers and Dawes before running to the front of the soundboard to join surprise guests Trampled by Turtles in an acoustic bash through “Let’s All Go to the Bar” and “Ashamed” that had fans at the midsize Quad stage roaring along. Lucy Dacus hosted guests Hayley Williams and Madi Diaz before a particularly sweet curveball of a duet with Brandon Flowers on Jim Croce’s “Time in a Bottle.” And Williams filled Friday’s closing “and Friends” slot with a cavalcade of cameos including Karly Hartzman (whose country-to-grunge group Wednesday incited a mosh pit earlier that afternoon), Joy Oladokun, Jenny Lewis (for her band Rilo Kiley’s “Silver Lining”), Remi Wolf, and finally, Jack Antonoff, who faced off for a tender duet on his band Bleachers’ “I Wanna Get Better.”

Kathleen Edwards at Newport Folk 2026. Photo: Paul Robicheau

Equally surprising were first-time Newport appearances for other respected, veteran artists. Canadian roots-rocker Kathleen Edwards sealed her comeback from a musical hiatus with a confident, graceful turn on the small but packed Harbor Stage, where the acoustic duo Hot Tuna also casually ruled. Singer/guitarist Jorma Kaukonen dug into “Hesitation Blues” with seasoned dexterity, matched by long-ago Jefferson Airplane mate Jack Casady’s stealthy bass fingerings. And Cat Power (Chan Marshall) returned to Newport for the first time since The Greatest, celebrating its 20th anniversary with a run through of that album. The singer, known for past stage struggles, rode a rumbling stomp in “Could We,” delicately parsed “Where is My Love?” and lent vocoder ambiance to “The Moon,” visibly charmed by children who were allowed to stand up front along the Quad rail.

Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna at Newport Folk 2026. Photo: Paul Robicheau

Lauryn Hill, another veteran with a checkered history, unfortunately lived up to her reputation for tardiness. She left Friday’s final Quad crowd (plus Carlile and Dacus) waiting for over a half an hour while a DJ tried to keep fans engaged with Bob Marley tracks and calls for raising fingers in the air (he didn’t specify which ones) to diminishing response. Hill’s band came out with acoustic guitars, which led to further tweaking and waiting. And when the hip-hop/R&B star finally assumed her swivel throne (and was satisfied that she was suitably wired for her own sound), she eventually found her stride in fine voice, rising to fiery levels as she rapped “Doo Wop (That Thing)” with horns from the funky band Snacktime.

Brother Wallace at Newport Folk 2026. Photo: Paul Robicheau

At the other end of the schedule, Newport newcomers consistently shined, from Brother Wallace’s jubilant gospel-soul testimony and Boston-bred trio Tiny Habits’ winsome harmonies on Friday to Saturday’s early bonanza of young acts. Singular singer Kirby, who has co-written songs with Paul McCartney and Beyonce, led the pack with charisma (winding into a convincing wiggle through OutKast’s “Hey Ya”) and a high-scaling voice to match, particularly on standout ballad “Loved by You.” Evan Honer delivered country-tinged rock spunk, closing with his witty “idk shit about Cars.” Water From Your Eyes’ experimental guitarist Nate Amos proved his equal footing as an indie-rock singer and songwriter in leading This is Lorelei.

Chris Thile of Punch Brothers at Newport Folk 2026, Photo: Paul Robicheau

Likewise, Sunday’s late morning served worthy if low-key starts, with disparate poetry in the honky-tonk musings of Ryan Davis’ Roadhouse Band (if down a second guitarist) and the improv-rooted cultural commentary of Brittany Davis, while Rhode Island troubadour Mark Cutler (formerly of the Schmers and Raindogs) opened the main Fort Stage with smart songcraft, notably in “Come Out to the Woods.” The emotional intensity of indie-folk rocker Dove Ellis proved even more compelling as he completed the festival’s daily dose of Irish heritage, preceded by the Olllum (post-rock fronted by two pipers) and engaging folk trio Amble, who paid tribute to lead singer Robbie Cunningham’s hero John Prine with a cover of “Angel from Montgomery.”

One member of the Olllum, American bassist Joe Dart, remained extra-busy over the weekend. He and guitarist Cory Wong performed with both their playful funk-pop fusion outfit Vulfpeck (which also headlines the Newport Jazz Festival this Friday) and the Fearless Flyers, busting out their acoustic fretboards in that group with Snarky Puppy guitarist Mark Lettieri and drummer Nate Smith. Vulfpeck stood out as a particularly frisky force, with robust singer Antwaun Stanley plus Louis Cato sitting in on drums, building steam to their signature hit “Back Pocket.”

Sunday’s mid-afternoon, however, belonged to surging Irish country-pop singer Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, better known as CMAT. She took over the main stage and rarely let up, dancing, twirling, and dropping to her knees while ever aware of eye contact (she even had eyes printed on her sunglasses). She line-danced with her gender-blurring bandmates and later pranced into the heart of the crowd.

It was a tough act to follow for Father John Misty, who stepped into a main-stage slot for Tedeschi Trucks Band, which cancelled due to Susan Tedeschi’s need for an appendectomy. After he began with pleading favorite “I Love You, Honeybear” on solo acoustic guitar, Misty man Josh Tillman joked, “That was the last chance to dance.” And he wasn’t kidding, sitting down at the piano to unspool a few wordy, melancholy new songs that were challenging to absorb when standing in the sun.

Tom Morello at Newport Folk 2026. Photo: Paul Robicheau

Compared to most festivals, Newport offers a close footprint, inside and outside of the walls of Fort Adams, which makes the proceedings relatively easy to traverse. Still, it’s still impossible to catch everything. Sunday ended with a string of largely overlapping sets, a rare conundrum that affected Edwards, Morello, Carlile, Rowan, Flowers, and Rateliff’s finale. Saturday was better spaced, with a more standard closing by the Lumineers, who most people had missed when they performed songs from the Cure to Dylan in a surprise Friday pop-up on the tiny pedal-powered Bike stage in the Quad.

The 83-year-old Rowan was the sleeper in that Sunday crowd, playing bluegrass with a cross-generational group of Sam Grisman, Sierra Hull, Larry Campbell, and Teresa Williams (and later joined by Welch and Rawlings), covering tunes from Bill Monroe to the Dead. Flowers actually surprised in his solo band turn, including a few Killers songs (a stripped-down “When We Were Young”) as well as “When My Time Comes” with Dawes brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith. Carlile followed her familiar hits and songs from her new album Returning to Myself by donning a Les Paul electric for a hard-rocking cover of Alanis Morissette’s “Uninvited.”

But when it came to bringing the rock to Newport Folk, no one matched Morello, who also passed the torch by including 15-year-old son Roman (on a second guitar stamped with the words “Arm the Homeless”) in his band. Morello sang “The Ghost of Tom Joad” without Springsteen (dedicating it to his late activist mother), let Roman solo on Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mr. Crowley,” and led the crowd through all the verses of “This Land is Your Land.” And, of course, he delivered the riffage to several Rage Against the Machine songs, capped by “Killing in the Name,” the crowd chanting “Fuck you, I won’t do what you told me!” and father and son in perfect sync during its whistling solo, even raising one hand at the same breaks.

“I’m redefining folk music before your very eyes,” Morello told the packed GA crowd at the chairs-removed Quad tent, and Newport Folk was fine with that.

Paul Robicheau served more than 20 years as contributing editor for music at the Improper Bostonian, in addition to writing and photography for The Boston Globe, Rolling Stone, and many other publications. He was also the founding arts editor of Boston Metro.