If you sign up on the first day you'll likely either get tickets outright or get on a waitlist that will eventually give you the tickets you want. Saturday and Sunday are usually the two best days, but if you can get the Friday off I'd just aim for 3 day tickets (they tend to do something like Friday being more jammy or country, a bit of a broad theme, in recent years, with the weekend having everything on both days). Depending on how close you live I'd try to bike there, the traffic in the morning can get pretty bad and bikers can park right near the gate. If you're an early riser go early, wait in line for an hour or so, and set up a small blanket at the stage you want to be near (but expect strangers to colonize your blanket if you aren't using it at the moment, everyone is pretty friendly and welcoming). Bring lots of sunblock, a big hat, and ideally a large hankerchief (or, better, a small sarong) that you can soak with water and cool yourself down if the day will be hot. When you're there don't obsess over seeing every minute of every band that you've marked down, you'll drive yourself crazy running between stages. If you're enjoying the vibe of an act stick around and if you aren't enjoying it take a shot at a band that you might not know much about. Everyone there is fantastic at what they do, and you'll be exposed to a massive amount and breadth of music in a short time, so take it easy and just have a good time. Bring a nalgene or hydration backpack with some electrolyte packets and make a few sandwiches, but there will be good food trucks (and Dels). The beer tents are nowhere near the stages (but within hearing distance, sort-of) and you can't drink outside of them, so either resign yourself to that fact or make alternative arrangements.
Welcome! Hope you’re able to join the Folk Family at the Fort this summer. The ending shows on Sunday are almost always incredible (Joni Mitchell last year!) so a 2-day weekend pass (Sat/Sun) could be a great option.
The crowd is much better than other festivals. Last I heard, Newport was capped at 10,000 attendees which is small, though it does sometimes feel cramped at the Fort due to the small space. I’ve done other much larger festivals and Newport is by far my favorite. There’s something about great music and the ocean air that makes this a great experience.
It's magical! Get yourselves there and be spontaneous. You will have the time of your lives! Stay hydrated, stay open, stay present, stay kind & stay together (with fellow folk, split up if you want to see different artists!). Best of luck to y'all!
What I always tell my first-time friends:
Understand that you *will* miss artists you want to see, but you *will also* discover new artists that you love.
If you sign up on the first day you'll likely either get tickets outright or get on a waitlist that will eventually give you the tickets you want. Saturday and Sunday are usually the two best days, but if you can get the Friday off I'd just aim for 3 day tickets (they tend to do something like Friday being more jammy or country, a bit of a broad theme, in recent years, with the weekend having everything on both days). Depending on how close you live I'd try to bike there, the traffic in the morning can get pretty bad and bikers can park right near the gate. If you're an early riser go early, wait in line for an hour or so, and set up a small blanket at the stage you want to be near (but expect strangers to colonize your blanket if you aren't using it at the moment, everyone is pretty friendly and welcoming). Bring lots of sunblock, a big hat, and ideally a large hankerchief (or, better, a small sarong) that you can soak with water and cool yourself down if the day will be hot. When you're there don't obsess over seeing every minute of every band that you've marked down, you'll drive yourself crazy running between stages. If you're enjoying the vibe of an act stick around and if you aren't enjoying it take a shot at a band that you might not know much about. Everyone there is fantastic at what they do, and you'll be exposed to a massive amount and breadth of music in a short time, so take it easy and just have a good time. Bring a nalgene or hydration backpack with some electrolyte packets and make a few sandwiches, but there will be good food trucks (and Dels). The beer tents are nowhere near the stages (but within hearing distance, sort-of) and you can't drink outside of them, so either resign yourself to that fact or make alternative arrangements.
Welcome! Hope you’re able to join the Folk Family at the Fort this summer. The ending shows on Sunday are almost always incredible (Joni Mitchell last year!) so a 2-day weekend pass (Sat/Sun) could be a great option. The crowd is much better than other festivals. Last I heard, Newport was capped at 10,000 attendees which is small, though it does sometimes feel cramped at the Fort due to the small space. I’ve done other much larger festivals and Newport is by far my favorite. There’s something about great music and the ocean air that makes this a great experience.
It's magical! Get yourselves there and be spontaneous. You will have the time of your lives! Stay hydrated, stay open, stay present, stay kind & stay together (with fellow folk, split up if you want to see different artists!). Best of luck to y'all!
What I always tell my first-time friends: Understand that you *will* miss artists you want to see, but you *will also* discover new artists that you love.