Noah Kahan Headlines Rolling Stone's First-Ever Stateside Festival

Noah Kahan headlined Rolling Stone’s inaugural Stateside music festival in Kingston, New York over the weekend, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter. The event marked the first time the iconic music magazine has used its own branding for a festival in the United States.

The festival, which leaned toward folk, Americana, rock, and country, featured a sold-out crowd. The event was a notable underplay for Kahan, who is set to play four sold-out nights at Boston’s Fenway Park this week. He was preceded on the main stage by singer-songwriter Gigi Perez, whose set was cut short due to a thunderstorm that halted the festival for about 90 minutes. Kahan still managed to play a full 75-minute Fourth of July set that included his hits “Stick Season,” “Dial Drunk” and “Great Divide.”

Who else performed at the festival?

The lineup for Stateside featured a range of artists fitting the festival's Americana vibe. Sets were delivered by Sydney Rose, Arcy Drive, Bo Staloch, and Bebe Stockwell. Also on the bill were H Ingram, Derby, Michaela Anne, Calder Allen, and Devon Gilfillian.

Why did Rolling Stone launch this festival?

For Rolling Stone, the Stateside festival represents a move to establish more revenue streams beyond its traditional print and digital income. While this is the first festival to carry the magazine's name, the company has already delved into live events, having purchased the Life is Beautiful music festival in Las Vegas back in 2022.

The festival caps a particularly active period for Kahan, who was also the cover star for Rolling Stone's June issue. He released his fourth album, The Great Divide, in April and a Netflix documentary, Noah Kahan: Out of Body, earlier this year. His single “The Great Divide” is currently on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.