Adrianne Lenker, Sierra Ferrell and Guster Join Newport Folk Festival Artist Lineup

In the past week, Newport Folk Festival has begun to share the artist lineup for its 2024 program with three high-profile artist additions. Via posts to the festival’s social media channels, performances from Adrianne Lenker, Sierra Ferrell and Guster were revealed the event, slated to stage at its time-honored venue of Fort Adams State Park on July 26-28. These releases accompany the artists’ chosen recipients of their Newport Gives grants, charitable donations made in the name of every billed artist through a program that has given $414,787 to worthy recipients since its 2018 debut

First, on Feb. 6, Adrianne Lenker’s return to the festival was confirmed for Friday, July 26. The Big Thief vocalist last performed at the festival in 2017 alongside bandmates Buck Meek, Max Oleartchik and James Krivchenia, who alternated between their finely honed alternative grunge sound and more intimate folk-leaning offerings, which now assume the spotlight on Lenker’s upcoming solo album Bright Future, set to release on March 22. For her Newport Gives donation, Lenker selected Brooklyn Music School, which “p​​rovides low-cost, high-quality music and performing arts education to the Brooklyn community.”

Next, storied indie band and jam scene associate Guster was slated to join the Friday lineup on Feb. 8. This performance arrives as Guster celebrates the 25th anniversary of its breakthrough third album Lost and Gone Forever, released in September 1999, immediately preceding the band’s booking alongside the Colorado Symphony at Morrison, Colo.’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Aug. 1. Guster selected Middlebury Community Music Center as its Newport Gives recipient, which provides low-cost music education to the Middlebury, Vt. area and will use donated funds to offset tuition cost for its summer camp, “Adventure into the Arts.”

Finally, on Feb. 12, Sierra Ferrell was booked to return to Newport Folk Festival on Sunday, July 28. The rising singer/songwriter recently performed for the festival’s 2022 presentation, since which she has toured tirelessly, including appearances at esteemed events like Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion, High Water Festival, Freshgrass Festival and the 50th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Ferrell elected to offer her Newport Gives grant to The Rive House, a community music and arts program in her home state of West Virginia.

These announcements follow the festival’s first release on Feb. 2, which revealed that iconic duo Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will close the main stage on Saturday, July 27. Tickets for this year’s Newport Folk Festival are currently sold out, but fans can join the ticket waitlist here. To stay in touch with further updates from the festival, stay tuned to newportfolk.org/lineup.