Hayley Williams, the frontwoman of Paramore, delivered a memorable performance at the 2026 Newport Folk Festival on Friday (July 24) in Newport, Rhode Island. Billed as "Hayley Williams & Friends," the set featured an impressive lineup of surprise guests, including Jenny Lewis, Jack Antonoff, and Lucy Dacus.

During her 16-song set at Fort Adams State Park, Williams performed Rilo Kiley's "Silver Lining" with Lewis and Bleachers' "I Wanna Get Better" with Antonoff. The performance of "I Wanna Get Better" was particularly noteworthy, as Williams and Antonoff shared a heartfelt hug before launching into the song. Williams also invited Lucy Dacus to join her for the live debut of "Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris," a track from her 2020 album, _Petals for Armor_.

Other notable guests included Karly Hartzman, This Is Lorelei, Joy Oladokun, Liam Benzvi, Annie DiRusso, Kelsey Lu, Remi Wolf, Phoenix Rousiamanis, and Madi Diaz. The performance concluded with a communal rendition of Bill Withers' "Lean on Me," featuring many of the day's performers.

The Newport Folk Festival continued through the weekend with performances from The Lumineers, Nathaniel Rateliff, Brandi Carlile, Brandon Flowers, and Tom Morello. Billboard and NME both praised Williams' ability to blend joy and emotion in her performance, highlighting the collaborative spirit of the festival.

Elvis Duran