Newport Folk Festival 2024: Conan and Friends wrap up 65th annual event – Day 3 recap and photos

The 2024 Newport Folk Festival is in the books, and oh, what a time it was.

The 65th anniversary of the historic festival closed out on Sunday, July 28, with an all-star set led by musician, podcaster, and former late-night host Conan O’Brien. Sprinkling in a bit of comedy as a light rain fell in the fort, O’Brien welcomed special guests, including Jack White, Mavis Staples, Nick Lowe, Brittany Howard, and Langhorne Slim, backed by Griffin and Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes and late-night band leader Jimmy Vivino. Throw in Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and you’ve got the perfect closing set.

The sheer variety of artists at the festival, from the desert rock of Tinariwen to the funky sounds of De La Sol to the Celtic punk of Dropkick Murphys demonstrates how fearless the promoters are in putting together the event. Even the finale, a music/comedy act with Conan and friends would be considered a bold move at many festivals.

But it all works, and there’s lots of folk in between for you purists. Legendary artists like Taj Mahal, contemporary singer-songwriters like Jobi Riccio, and bands like New Dangerfield and Mighly Poplar connect directly to the folk tradition. Really, it’s remarkable what they do.

WUN was there covering the festival all weekend. Check out a few photos of Day 3 from Lifestyle Editor Ken Abrams below.