Newport Folk Festival began in 1959 with a lineup that included The Kingston Trio, Pete Seeger, Bob Gibson with Joan Baez, Odetta, Earl Scruggs, Jean Ritchie, Leon Bibb, Martha Schlamme, and The Stanley Brothers. Since then, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Peter, Paul and Mary, Gordon Lightfoot, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Arlo Guthrie, Big Brother and The Holding Company, Taj Mahal, Kris Kristofferson, Van Morrison, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Los Lobos, Emmy Lou Harris, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Alison Krauss, Shawn Colvin, Indigo Girls, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Sarah McLachlan, Ani DiFranco, Rickie Lee Jones and so many more. This year’s Newport Folk Festival starts tomor row,Friday, July 28th and goes through Sunday. July 30th. Newport Folk Festival is three days, on four stages with over two dozen performances a day at Newport’s Fort Adams’ State Park.
Tickets are sold out for this year, but the waitlist will be open through Thursday, July 26th at 9 am (now closed). For those of you who have tickets in hand, here is some information to help you have the best time possible. Please note that an update has been made to allow attendees to keep cool due to the heat expected this weekend.
Due to the heat forecasted for this weekend, we will allow folks to bring personal shade structures without the previously stated height restriction. Please use your personal judgement to make sure your tent does not impede on others. Space is first come first serve at the back of the performance areas.
We have also increased the size of the Family Tent, added more shade sails in the Quad, added misting fans, and increased the number of water stations on site. Remember your empty or sealed water bottles and sunscreen.
Update from Newport Folk Festival
Arrive With Just The Right Stuff
Leave your hard-sided coolers at home and just pack a soft cooler. Bring your lowest profile chairs but nothing higher than 34” high and no recliners or chairs with foot rests. Small point and shoot cameras are ok but anything more than that (with long or detachable lenses) are not allowed without proper credentials. Don’t bring any of the following: drones, beach balls, plastic bags, plastic straws, and flag poles (feel free to wear your flags they make great sun coverups).
Bring an empty water bottle so you can stay hydrated all day using the refillable water stations. Bags must be under 20” x 20” x 10”. Blankets should be 6’ x 8’ or smaller. Pack sunscreen, bring your sunglasses and sun hat to keep cool too. I always like to bring some hand sanitizer and tissues. I always pack an extra phone battery charge pack too.
Newport Folk Festival 2023 Line-Up
Friday’s line up includes: Bella White, Caamp, Del Water Gap, Eastern Medicine Singers with Yonatan Gat and Lee Ranaldo, Free Range, Heavy Make Up, Laden Valley, Maggie Rogers, Mdou Moctar, My Morning Jacket, Nickel Creek, Noah Kahan, Peter One, Ron Gallo, Slaughter Beach Dog, The Beths, The Heavy Heavy, Thee Sacred Souls
Saturday’s line up includes: Aimee Mann, Alice Phoebe Lou, Angel Olsen, Bartees Strange, Danielle Ponder, Goose, Indigo de Souza, Jamie Wyatt, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, John Oates featuring Guthrie Trapp, Jon Batiste and Friends, Nanna, Orchestra Gold, The Backseat Lovers, The Hold Steady, The Huntress and Holder of Hands, Turnpike Troubadours, Willi Carlisle
Sunday’s line up includes: Abraham Alexander, Billy Strings, Black Opry Revue, Dan Blakeslee, Dawn Landes and Friends, Folk Family Revue featuring Robert Ellis, Beau Bedford, and Phil Cook, Gregory Alan Isakov, Jupiter & Okwess, Lana Del Rey, Los Lobos & Friends, Madison Cunningham, Mereba, Remi Wolf, Senora May, Sumbuck, The Earls of Leicester, The Harlem Gospel Travelers
And because everyone is human, lineups may change but so far this is the plan.
Music Pairs Well With Food
The food line up at Newport Folk Festival will have everything from falafel wraps and poke bowls to pizza and gelato.
- A MANO PIZZA & GELATO will be serving (no surprises here) pizza and gelato
- BEN & JERRY’S will be scooping their ice cream
- BINGE BBQ will serve their sandwiches. ribs. fries and street corn
- CLYDE’S CUPCAKES will have strawberry shortcake, soda floats, brownies, cupcakes and more sweets
- CROOKED STICK POPS will help you find your cool with their assorted ice pops
- DEL’S LEMONADE a Rhode Island classic will have their refreshing soft frozen lemonade on hand
- DUCK PRESS will have hot pastrami, pork belly, duck confit grilled cheese and fried pickles to satisfy those salty cravings.
- FANCHEEZICAL has your comfort food needs covered with grilled cheese, nachos and other cheesy delights.
- THE FORT ADAMS CONCESSIONS have the traditional options such as hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, sausages, cheese steaks and meatball subs
- FULLY ROOTED will have you feeling good with their fresh pressed fruit and vegetable juices
- HOME TOWN POKE will be serving their fresh Poke Bowls
- JA PATTY will have their flavourful rice bowls and Jamaican hand-pies
- JAJU PEIROGI will be selling their delicious pierogi and kielbasa
- LITTLE FISH TACOS & CEVICHE will have tacos. queso and ceviche on hand to satisfy those cravings.
- MATUNUCK OYSTER BAR has you covered for your seaside dining cravings with oysters, clams, shrimp and lobster rolls
- PICK POCKETS will be on site with their falafel wraps. Greek wraps and “‘Gansett bowls”
- SPROUT & LENTIL will have more delicious vegetarian fare with their veggie burgers and nachos
- THAI JASMINE will satisfy your Pad Thai, cravings and more with lo mein, rice, spring rolls and dumplings
- THE BURGUNDIAN will satisfy your sweet cravings with their Liège waffles
- THE COFFEE GUY will keep you caffeinated offering hot coffee, iced coffee, cold brew and iced chai
- TIMI’S has you covered with Greek food, gyros and for dessert baklava
