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South Wales Pop Dynamo MACY Turns Awkward Small Talk Into an Irresistible Anthem on “Please Keep Talking”

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MACY is back with “Please Keep Talking,” a new single that does something genuinely fun with a universal experience. The South Wales pop artist takes the cringe-worthy reality of being stuck in an awkward conversation and spins it into a tongue-in-cheek pop anthem with real bite. It’s sharp, self-aware, and immediately likeable.

The track was written alongside Owain Felstead and producer Zak Lloyd at Birchwood Recording Studio in Newport. Lloyd brings serious credentials to the session, with work connected to the Taylor Swift Reputation Tour alongside credits with Calum Scott, Charli XCX, Wonko, and Keane, and television placements on America’s Got Talent and The Voice. That level of production polish is audible throughout, giving MACY’s vibrant vocals an arena-ready backdrop that never loses its playfulness.

Coming from Blaenau Gwent, an area where pathways into the music industry are limited, MACY has built her momentum the hard way, writing and recording largely from her bedroom and earning every platform she’s landed on. BBC Radio Wales A-List placements and a debut on BBC Radio 1’s Breakfast Show signal that the wider industry is paying attention.

Her live résumé backs it up. MACY has performed at the BAFTA Cymru Awards, played the Principality Stadium to 50,000 people, appeared at Focus Wales, 110 Above Festival, Swansea Fringe, and the international M For Montreal Festival. She’s also curated her own Cardiff mini-festival, PLANET POP, and performed live alongside Emeli Sandé on the Scott Quinnell Christmas Show.

“Please Keep Talking” is out now, and it’s the kind of track that sticks from the first listen.

Skate-Punk Outfit TeethOut and KINLEY Just Transformed Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You” Into Something Completely Their Own

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TeethOut have revisited their cover of Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You,” and this time they brought the right collaborator. The skate-punk outfit has released a reworked version of the track featuring PEI indie-pop artist KINLEY, upgrading a cover that originally appeared on their 2025 EP ‘Here We Go’ into something that finally matches the vision they had from the start. Listen here.

The original version was already a bold move, taking one of the most atmospheric songs of the ’90s and rebuilding it as a fast, melodic pop-punk anthem. It worked. But TeethOut knew something was missing, and once KINLEY entered the conversation, the answer became clear.

“We always loved how big and anthemic it felt,” the band says. “But it still felt like it was missing something. Once we started talking about bringing KINLEY in, it became obvious what that missing piece was.”

The result doesn’t dial anything back. TeethOut’s punchy riffs, driving tempos, and sing-along choruses lock in with KINLEY’s melodic instincts and pop sensibility, producing a version that hits hard and lands emotionally. Two distinct musical worlds, one track that earns every second of its runtime.

“This version finally sounds like what we heard in our heads from the start,” the band adds. “It’s loud, melodic, and emotional in a way that feels complete now.”

The reworked “Fade Into You” featuring KINLEY is out now on all streaming platforms and Bandcamp.

Ben Folds Takes the “With a Piano” Solo Tour Across the U.S. This Spring and Summer

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Ben Folds and a piano. That’s the whole setup, and it’s more than enough. The “Ben Folds with a Piano” solo tour rolls through the U.S. this spring and summer, hitting an impressive mix of performing arts centres, theatres, and intimate venues across two distinct stretches in May and June. Few artists can command a room with nothing but keys and a voice the way Folds does, and this tour is built around exactly that.

The run follows the July 2025 release of ‘Ben Folds Live with the National Symphony Orchestra,’ a record that captured what Folds does best at full orchestral scale. The solo tour strips it back down, and that contrast makes these shows feel all the more essential.

Several dates feature special collaborative billing. The Orlando stop at the Walt Disney Theater pairs Folds with The Orlando Symphony, the Salt Lake City date brings in The Utah Symphony, and the New Jersey shows at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and State Theatre New Jersey feature The New Jersey Symphony. The Los Angeles date at The Ford adds comedian Alex Edelman to the bill, making it one of the more unexpected pairings of the summer.

The first U.S. segment is already underway, with the second leg launching June 5 at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. That stretch runs through Vermont, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, and Ohio before closing June 17 at The Agora Ballroom in Cleveland.

Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster and Ben Folds’ official website.

“Ben Folds with a Piano” 2026 Tour Dates:

April 29 — Orlando, FL @ Walt Disney Theater at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts (with The Orlando Symphony)

May 1 — Greenville, SC @ Peace Concert Hall

May 2 — Rocky Mount, VA @ The Harvester Performance Center

May 3 — Richmond, VA @ Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Energy Center

May 5 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Ford (with Alex Edelman)

May 7 — Norwalk, CT @ District Music Hall

May 8 — Brookville, NY @ Tilles Center for the Performing Arts

May 9 — Peekskill, NY @ Paramount Hudson Valley

May 12 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Abravanel Hall (with The Utah Symphony)

May 14 — Santa Fe, NM @ The Lensic Performing Arts Center

May 16 — El Cajon, CA @ The Magnolia

May 17 — Corona, CA @ Dos Lagos Amphitheater

June 5 — Great Barrington, MA @ Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

June 6 — Rutland, VT @ Paramount Theatre

June 7 — Keene, NH @ The Colonial Theatre

June 9 — Munhall, PA @ Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall

June 10 — Huntington, WV @ Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center

June 11 — Reading, PA @ Santander Performing Arts Center

June 13 — Newark, NJ @ New Jersey Performing Arts Center (with The New Jersey Symphony)

June 14 — New Brunswick, NJ @ State Theatre New Jersey (with The New Jersey Symphony)

June 16 — Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre

June 17 — Cleveland, OH @ The Agora Ballroom

Vans Warped Tour Is Back With Five 2026 Stops and Jimmy Eat World Leading the Charge

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Vans Warped Tour has five editions mapped out for 2026, and the lineup is already shaping up into something worth getting loud about. Jimmy Eat World headlines all five stops, a strong anchor for a festival that defined alternative rock summers for a generation. Washington D.C., Long Beach, Montreal, Mexico City, and Orlando are all on the calendar, covering ground the festival hasn’t touched in years.

The confirmed artist roster is growing fast. Dance Gavin Dance, New Found Glory, Glassjaw, and Papa Roach are in. So are Atreyu, Third Eye Blind, The Story So Far, The Early November, Bryce Vine, Girlfriends, Holy Wars, Winona Fighter, and Anthony Green. More names are coming, with organizers releasing additions steadily and a full lineup reveal for each stop expected soon.

Warped Tour launched in 1995 and spent over two decades launching careers and delivering some of the most chaotic, communal live music experiences the rock world has ever seen. After its final full-scale run in 2018 and a 30th anniversary edition in 2025 featuring Avril Lavigne, A Day To Remember, Ice Nine Kills, and All Time Low, the 2026 edition pushes the festival into new territory with its first-ever Montreal and Mexico City stops.

The lineup will keep building. This is just the beginning, and it’s already a compelling reason to start planning your summer.

Tickets and full lineup details are available at the official Vans Warped Tour website.

Vans Warped Tour 2026 Lineup By Stop (So Far):

Washington, D.C. (June 13-14): Jimmy Eat World, Dance Gavin Dance, New Found Glory, Glassjaw, The Early November, Bryce Vine, The Story So Far, Big Ass Truck, Holy Wars, Girlfriends, Third Eye Blind

Long Beach, CA (July 25-26): Jimmy Eat World, Dance Gavin Dance, Glassjaw, Papa Roach, Winona Fighter, The Early November, The Story So Far, Big Ass Truck, Holy Wars, Girlfriends

Montreal, QC (August 21-22): Jimmy Eat World, Atreyu, Big Ass Truck

Mexico City, Mexico (September 12-13): Jimmy Eat World, New Found Glory, Glassjaw, Papa Roach, Atreyu, Winona Fighter, The Story So Far, Girlfriends

Orlando, FL (November 14-15): Jimmy Eat World, Dance Gavin Dance, New Found Glory, Glassjaw, The Early November, Bryce Vine, Big Ass Truck, Holy Wars, Girlfriends, Third Eye Blind, Anthony Green

Ruth Slenczynska, the Last Living Link to Rachmaninoff, Has Left Us at 101

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Ruth Slenczynska was born in 1925 and died on April 22, 2026, and in between those two dates she lived what might be the most astonishing life in the history of classical piano. She made her concert debut at four years old. She performed with a full orchestra in Paris at seven. By ten, she was earning more than the President of the United States. A Pathé newsreel filmed when she was five noted that the toddler had already “surprised musical critics by her playing of Beethoven.” She was not just a prodigy. She was, by any measure, one of the most remarkable musicians who ever lived.

She was also, by her own account, a child who suffered enormously to get there. Her father Josef made her practise nine hours a day, every single day, and his methods went well beyond discipline into something far darker. She wrote about it all in her 1957 memoir, Forbidden Childhood, with a candour that was almost shocking for its era. At fifteen, she walked away from everything, enrolled at Berkeley, and tried to become someone other than the girl her father had built. That she came back to music at all, on her own terms, with warmth and joy intact, is the real miracle of her story.

The connection to Rachmaninoff alone would have secured her place in music history. She first met him at nine years old, stepping in to replace him at a concert after he was sidelined by an elbow injury. He pointed a long finger down at the small girl at his door and said, “You mean that plays the piano?” She played for him, transposed instantly when he asked, and a friendship was born that lasted the rest of his life. He gifted her a Fabergé egg necklace that she wore for the remaining ninety-plus years of her life. She was, at the time of her death, his last surviving pupil, a living thread connecting the twenty-first century to the golden age of pianism.

She performed for five US Presidents, played a four-hand Mozart duet with Harry Truman at the White House, and was present at Kennedy’s inauguration. She studied alongside Samuel Barber and heard his Adagio for Strings in a classroom before it even had a title. She toured with the Boston Pops, taught at Southern Illinois University, wrote textbooks that are still in print, and uploaded Beethoven sonatas to YouTube during the 2020 lockdown to celebrate the composer’s 250th anniversary because that is simply who she was: someone who believed music was for sharing, always.

In 2022, at the age of 97, she went back into the studio and recorded My Life in Music for Decca Classics, her first album in nearly sixty years. Her former pupil Shelly Moorman-Stahlman recalled that even in her final days she was “particularly energetic and mentally clear” and had played the piano just days before she passed. Before recording her favourite Chopin prelude for that album, she turned quietly and said she would like that particular take played when she ascended into heaven. We hope they’re playing it now.

Bob Dylan Just Added 12 More Dates to the “Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour” and the Summer Run Is Massive

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Bob Dylan has expanded the “Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour” with 12 newly announced dates sweeping through the Northeastern and Southeastern United States this summer. The additions stretch the already considerable run deeper into July and through the first of August, hitting Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston, Queens, Atlanta, Nashville, and more. This tour keeps growing, and Dylan keeps showing up.

The newly added leg opens July 10 at PNC Pavilion at Riverbend in Cincinnati and moves through some of the country’s most storied outdoor venues. Forest Hills Stadium in Queens on July 21 is a landmark stop, and the closing pair of Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park in Atlanta on July 31 and Ascend Federal Credit Union Amphitheater in Nashville on August 1 gives the expansion a strong finish.

The full tour is already one of the year’s most expansive runs, covering the Pacific Northwest, California, the Southwest, the Midwest, and now a deep push through New England and the South. Dylan has been relentless on the road behind ‘Rough and Rowdy Ways,’ and the setlists have consistently rewarded the faithful.

Tickets for the newly announced dates are available now through Dylan’s official website. If your city is on the list, don’t wait.

Bob Dylan “Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour” 2026 Dates:

April 25 — Jackson, MS @ Thalia Mara Hall

April 27 — Baton Rouge, LA @ Raising Cane’s River Center

April 28 — Shreveport, LA @ Shreveport Municipal Auditorium

April 29 — Tyler, TX @ Cowan Center

May 1 — Abilene, TX @ Abilene Auditorium

June 4 — Troutdale, OR @ McMenamins Edgefield

June 6 — Woodinville, WA @ Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery

June 7 — Woodinville, WA @ Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery

June 9 — Eugene, OR @ Cuthbert Amphitheater

June 12 — Lincoln, CA @ The Venue at Thunder Valley

June 13 — Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre

June 14 — Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre

June 17 — Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl

June 18 — Highland, CA @ Yaamava’ Theater

June 20 — Palm Desert, CA @ Acrisure Arena

June 21 — San Diego, CA @ The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park

June 23 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre

June 24 — Tucson, AZ @ Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater

June 26 — Albuquerque, NM @ Sandia Amphitheater

June 29 — Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater

June 30 — New Braunfels, TX @ Whitewater Amphitheater

July 2 — Thackerville, OK @ WinStar World Casino and Resort

July 3 — Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP

July 4 — Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre

July 6 — Shakopee, MN @ Mystic Lake Amphitheater

July 8 — Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion

July 10 — Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbend

July 12 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE

July 14 — Philadelphia, PA @ Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts

July 16 — Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion

July 18 — Gilford, NH @ BankNH Pavilion

July 19 — Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater

July 21 — Queens, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium

July 23 — Richmond, VA @ Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront

July 24 — Vienna, VA @ Filene Center at Wolf Trap

July 25 — Vienna, VA @ Filene Center at Wolf Trap

July 28 — Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater

July 29 — Wilmington, NC @ Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park

July 31 — Atlanta, GA @ Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park

August 1 — Nashville, TN @ Ascend Federal Credit Union Amphitheater

Buckcherry’s “Let It Roar Tour” Is Rolling Across the U.S. Behind Their Hard-Hitting ‘Roar Like Thunder’

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Buckcherry are mid-stride on the “Let It Roar Tour,” a first-leg U.S. run supporting their latest record, ‘Roar Like Thunder.’ Josh Todd and company launched the tour May 2 at M3 Fest in Columbia, Maryland, and they’ve been delivering the kind of raw, high-voltage rock shows this band has built its reputation on for nearly three decades.

‘Roar Like Thunder’ is out now, and the title track has a video to match its energy. Buckcherry have always known how to translate studio momentum into something that hits harder live, and this tour is no exception.

The routing covers serious ground, with festival slots at Welcome to Rockville in Daytona Beach and Sonic Temple in Columbus anchoring the run alongside club and theatre stops in Asheville, Lexington, Pittsburgh, Springfield, and Nashville. The Ryman Auditorium date on May 29 stands out as a genuine highlight on an already strong itinerary.

The first leg wraps May 31 in Oklahoma City at the Diamond Ballroom, with more dates to come as the multi-part tour continues to take shape. This is a band that thrives on the road, and ‘Roar Like Thunder’ gives them plenty of fuel to work with.

Tickets are on sale now at buckcherry.com.

“Let It Roar Tour” Dates:

May 5 — Savannah, GA @ Victory North

May 7 — Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome to Rockville

May 8 — Columbia, SC @ Ground Zero

May 9 — Myrtle Beach, SC @ Suck Bang Blow

May 11 — Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel

May 12 — Gainesville, GA @ The Hall At Bourbon Brothers

May 14 — Salem, VA @ Salem Civic Center

May 15 — Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple

May 16 — Lexington, KY @ Manchester Music Hall

May 18 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Jergel’s

May 19 — Allentown, PA @ Archer

May 21 — Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom

May 22 — Portland, ME @ Aura

May 23 — Springfield, MA @ Symphony Hall

May 26 — Fort Wayne, IN @ Piere’s

May 27 — Lansing, MI @ Grewall Hall

May 29 — Nashville, TN @ Ryman

May 30 — Little Rock, AR @ The Hall

May 31 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom

Godsmack Are Taking “The Rise of Rock” World Tour Across North America This Summer

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Godsmack have a massive summer mapped out, and “The Rise of Rock” world tour delivers exactly what the name promises. The hard rock heavyweights launch a sprawling North American run starting May 7 at Welcome to Rockville in Daytona Beach, working through amphitheatres, festivals, and casinos coast to coast before wrapping September 26 at the Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater in Nampa for KQXR XFest. This is a full-scale, no-excuses rock tour.

Stone Temple Pilots and Dorothy are along for the ride on the majority of dates, making this one of the stronger hard rock packages of the year. Three acts, one bill, zero filler. That’s a lineup that justifies the drive no matter which city you’re in.

Godsmack’s last studio album, ‘Lighting Up The Sky,’ arrived in 2023, and they’ve kept momentum going since with a cover of Black Sabbath’s “Sweet Leaf.” Live, they’ve always been a different beast entirely, a physically commanding, sonically dense rock show that reminds you why this band has stayed relevant for nearly three decades.

The North American run covers serious ground, hitting Charlotte, Kansas City, Tinley Park, Houston, Toronto, and deep into the West Coast stretch with stops in Las Vegas, Mountain View, Chula Vista, and Bend. Whether you’re catching them at an amphitheatre or a casino date, the show doesn’t change. Godsmack bring it every night.

Tickets are on sale now.

“The Rise of Rock” Tour Dates:

May 7 — Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome to Rockville

May 9 — Camden, NJ @ MMRBQ

May 10 — Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live

May 12 — Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater

May 14 — Charlotte, NC @ Truliant Amphitheater

May 16 — Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek

May 17 — Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple

May 19 — Franklin, TN @ FirstBank Amphitheater

May 21 — Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

May 23 — Huntsville, AL @ Orion Amphitheater

May 24 — Orange Beach, AL @ The Wharf Amphitheater

May 27 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

May 29 — Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater

May 30 — Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

June 12 — Kansas City, MO @ Morton Amphitheater

June 14 — St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater

June 16 — Grand Rapids, MI @ Acrisure Amphitheater

June 18 — Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center

June 20 — Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre

June 21 — Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre

June 23 — Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake

June 24 — Toronto, ON @ RBC Amphitheatre

June 27 — Wantagh, NY @ Northwell at Jones Beach Theater

June 28 — Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center

June 30 — Syracuse, NY @ Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview

July 2 — Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center

July 3 — Bangor, ME @ Maine Savings Amphitheater

September 6 — El Paso, TX @ Speaking Rock Casino

September 7 — Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater

September 9 — Denver, CO @ JUNKYARD

September 11 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino

September 12 — Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre

September 15 — Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

September 17 — Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center

September 19 — Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre

September 20 — Corning, CA @ Rolling Hills Casino and Resort

September 22 — Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater

September 24 — Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre

September 26 — Nampa, ID @ Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater (KQXR XFest)

Jordan Fisher, Nikki M. James, and Andy Karl Are Shaking Up ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ Off-Broadway

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The Off-Broadway revival of “Little Shop of Horrors” has a new leading trio, and it’s a strong one. Jordan Fisher takes over as Seymour, Nikki M. James steps in as Audrey, and Andy Karl joins the company as the gloriously unhinged Dr. Orin Scrivello, D.D.S. The production continues its run at the Westside Theatre in New York, and this cast shake-up gives audiences every reason to go back.

Fisher and James are already in place, with Karl having joined the company March 10. Their predecessors, Joshua Bassett and Joy Woods, wrapped their respective runs after earning genuine praise for their portrayals of Seymour and Audrey.

Producer Tom Kirdahy spoke warmly about the outgoing cast: “Joshua and Joy have brought such sincerity, joy, and soul to Seymour and Audrey. Their performances have been a true gift to this production, and we are deeply grateful for the magic they’ve shared with our company and audiences.”

This revival has made a habit of landing remarkable performers in its lead roles. Past Seymours and Audreys include Jonathan Groff, Jeremy Jordan, Darren Criss, Evan Rachel Wood, Constance Wu, Sarah Hyland, and Corbin Bleu, among others. Jinkx Monsoon also made history during the run as the first drag queen to portray Audrey in a major production of the musical.

Directed by Michael Mayer with choreography by Ellenore Scott, the production is tight, wickedly funny, and built around some of musical theatre’s most enduring songs. With Fisher, James, and Karl now leading the company, “Little Shop of Horrors” remains one of the sharpest tickets Off-Broadway has going. Grab yours at littleshopnyc.com.

Hayley Williams and Friends Are Headed to Newport Folk Festival for a July Takeover

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Hayley Williams is the first confirmed performer for the 2026 Newport Folk Festival, and the announcement already has people talking. Williams will take the stage Friday, July 24, in a set billed as “Hayley Williams & Friends,” a format that practically guarantees something special. Newport Folk has a long history of turning collaborative sets into genuinely unforgettable moments, and this one carries serious potential.

This won’t be Williams’ first time at Newport. She appeared at the 2025 festival as a surprise guest, joining Jack Antonoff onstage during his headlining set. Returning in 2026 with her own dedicated slot is a significant step up, and the “& Friends” billing leaves plenty of room for the unexpected.

The Newport appearance follows a busy stretch for Williams. Her spring and summer tour supporting her 2025 solo album ‘Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party’ keeps her active leading into the festival, with a Kilby Block Party headlining slot in Salt Lake City at the Utah State Fairpark also on the schedule.

The 2026 Newport Folk Festival lineup is just getting started. More announcements are coming, but Williams landing the first confirmed slot signals that this year’s edition means business. July 24 is already one to circle.

Hayley Williams and Friends are headed to Newport Folk Festival this July, and tickets are available now at newportfolk.org.