Historically speaking, the Newport Folk Festival has been a somewhat purist organization aiming to preserve and market the presence of folk, Americana, and indie music around the world. Hence, they typically only include acts under those genres in their iconic Summer festival. Although, they are straying away from their normal behavior by adding the very talented and mainstream country musician, Luke Combs.
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Don’t get us wrong; Luke Combs is one of the best out there and certainly has a folk flair to some of his music. However, the man is a bona fide country music superstar who sells out stadiums and is a staple selling force in Nashville’s country music industry. So, it is a bit of a shock that the NFF put him in the lineup.
An addition such as this one isn’t the first time the NFF has made a somewhat off-brand lineup selection. In years past, other big-name artists not in the folk, Americana, or indie category include Dolly Parton and Tom Morello. Nonetheless, to followers of the festival, it is a fairly surprising decision. A surprising decision that will surely pay off for both Combs and the festival.
Newport Folk Festival’s Official Selection of Luke Combs
The NFF has slowly been rolling out their lineup for the 2025 festival for roughly the last two months. Some of the names set to join Combs at the festival include Jesse Welles, Mt. Joy, Stephen Wilson Jr., Margo Price, and several others, as well as many more to come.
The NFF announced the news on their Instagram page and gave a brief that reads, “Please welcome Luke Combs to this summer’s lineup!” Combs is set to take the stage in Newport, Rhode Island, on Saturday, July 26. The festival itself will span from July 25 to July 27 and feature some of the most prominent folk, Americana, and indie artists currently in the game, and also, Luke Combs.
Of course, the selection has some people excited and others not so excited. If you associate with the latter, maybe think about what Bob Dylan did at the festival in 1965.
Photo by Amy E. Price/Getty Images
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