Hayley Williams Brings Jenny Lewis, Jack Antonoff & More Surprise Guests to Newport Folk Fest

Friday (July 24) at the 2026 Newport Folk Festival brought an unforgettable collaborative experience, as Paramore powerhouse Hayley Williams welcomed an impressive roster of special guests to Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island, for her highly anticipated “Hayley Williams & Friends” headlining set.

Spanning an impressive 16-song performance—which kicked off with “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party,” the title track from her 2025 release, and culminated in a sweeping group rendition of Bill Withers’ timeless anthem “Lean on Me”—Williams treated fans to several magical pairings. She teamed up with Jack Antonoff for an emotional delivery of Bleachers’ breakout 2014 single “I Wanna Get Better,” and later welcomed him back to strap on a guitar for Ego Death cut “Good Ol’ Days.” Before launching into their duet, the longtime friends embraced warmly, later blending their voices in seamless harmony.

In another monumental moment, Williams delivered a live debut of “Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris,” sharing the microphone with Lucy Dacus. Dacus, celebrated as one-third of the acclaimed indie trio Boygenius alongside Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers, originally contributed stunning backing vocals to the atmospheric 2020 Petals for Armor track.

Adding to the evening’s unscripted magic, Rilo Kiley icon Jenny Lewis joined Williams on stage for a captivating rendition of “Silver Lining” from the band’s acclaimed 2007 record Under the Blacklight. Williams stepped in effortlessly for the third verse, delivering the poignant lines: “And the grass it was a-ticking / And the sun was on the rise / I never felt so wicked / As when I willed our love to die / And I was your silver lining, as the story goes / I was your silver lining, but now I’m gold.”

The star-studded evening also featured appearances by Karly Hartzman, This Is Lorelei, Joy Oladokun, Liam Benzvi, Annie DiRusso, Kelsey Lu, Remi Wolf, Phoenix Rousiamanis, and Madi Diaz. Following the unforgettable showcase, festival organizers shared a comprehensive photo gallery celebrating the collaborative milestone on Instagram.

The festival’s Friday festivities also boasted a remarkable headlining performance from the legendary Ms. Lauryn Hill.

The historic Newport Folk Festival continues its weekend run through Saturday and Sunday, featuring star-studded performances from The Lumineers, Nathaniel Rateliff, Brandi Carlile, Brandon Flowers, Tom Morello, and many more.

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