Hayley Williams closed out her Newport Folk Festival set with a string of surprise guest appearances that underscored the collaborative spirit of the event. The Paramore frontwoman brought out Wednesday's Karly Hartzman, singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis, Jack Antonoff, Lucy Dacus, This Is Lorelei, Kelsey Lu, and Joy Oladokun across her performance.
Williams headlined the festival in Rhode Island as part of her ongoing solo career trajectory, which has seen her establish herself as a formidable artist beyond her work with Paramore. The guest list reflects her deep connections within the indie and alternative music communities. Antonoff, the producer and musician behind Bleachers, has become one of contemporary music's most sought-after collaborators. Lucy Dacus, a member of boygenius alongside Phoebe Bridgers and Adrianne Lenker, brought her distinctive songwriting voice to the stage. Jenny Lewis, a veteran of the indie scene with a catalog spanning decades, added gravitas to the lineup.
Hartzman, who fronts the Brooklyn-based psych-rock outfit Wednesday, represents a newer generation of ambitious artists reshaping guitar-driven music. Kelsey Lu, a classically trained cellist and producer, and Joy Oladokun, a folk-influenced singer-songwriter, rounded out an eclectic ensemble that celebrated cross-genre pollination.
The Newport Folk Festival appearance marks another high-profile moment for Williams as she continues to build momentum on her solo path. Her decision to bring multiple collaborators onstage rather than performing alone speaks to how contemporary folk and indie music increasingly values collective moments and shared creative energy. The festival, historically a platform for folk artists and socially conscious musicians, provided the ideal setting for this kind of spontaneous musical gathering. Williams' curation of guests demonstrated taste and generosity, creating a moment that likely resonated with the festival's audience and reinforced her standing as a connecting figure within modern music's overlapping communities.