Newport Folk Festival 2025 Set for Massachusetts with Historic Legacy

The 2025 Newport Folk Festival, held at Fort Adams State Park, continues its 65-year tradition of showcasing eclectic folk and folk-adjacent artists, including headliners like Public Enemy, Maren Morris, Luke Combs, and Jack Antonoff, with various options for attendees such as bicycle parking and boat listening areas. A new documentary, "Newport & the Great Folk Dream," directed by Robert Gordon, will premiere at the Venice Film Festival, featuring previously unseen archival footage of iconic performances by Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and other folk legends from the pivotal period of 1963-1966, including Dylan's famous 1965 electric set at Newport. This film complements the popular 2024 movie "A Complete Unknown," and benefits from increased public awareness thanks to that film’s success. The documentary draws from the archives of late documentarian Murray Lerner and offers a rich historical context of the festival’s influence on folk and rock music evolution. Attendees and fans who missed tickets can still experience the festival atmosphere via boats anchored outside Fort Adams or by following live updates and festival guides. The Newport Folk Festival remains a vital cultural event blending traditional folk roots with contemporary musical voices, sustaining its legendary status and broad appeal.