Newport Folk Festival

Newport Folk Festival
My Morning Jacket performing at the festival in 2015
GenreContemporary folk music and other genres
VenueFort Adams State Park
Location(s)Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.
Coordinates41°28′41″N 71°20′08″W / 41.478056°N 71.335556°W / 41.478056; -71.335556
Years active1959–1960, 1963–1969, 1985–present
InauguratedJuly 11, 1959 (1959-07-11)
FoundersGeorge Wein, Pete Seeger, Albert Grossman, Theodore Bikel, Oscar Brand
Most recentJuly 26, 2024 (2024-07-26) – July 28, 2024 (2024-07-28)
Next eventJuly 25, 2025 (2025-07-25) – July 27, 2025 (2025-07-27)
Websitenewportfolk.org
Newport Folk Festival logo

The Newport Folk Festival is an annual American folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the Newport Jazz Festival. The festival was founded by music promoter and Jazz Festival founder George Wein, music manager Albert Grossman, and folk singers Pete Seeger, Theodore Bikel, and Oscar Brand. It was one of the first modern music festivals in America and remains a focal point in the expanding genre of folk music. The festival was held in Newport annually from 1959 to 1969, except in 1961 and 1962, first at Freebody Park and then at Festival Field. In 1985, Wein revived the festival in Newport, where it has been held at Fort Adams State Park ever since.