Watch Joni Mitchell’s, Paul Simon’s surprise performances at Newport Folk Festival

While the hot weather had everyone in attendance talking at the Newport Folk Festival, a pair of performances from Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon went beyond the walls of Fort Adams State Park to become this year's viral moments.

There were more than 50 acts scheduled to perform during the three-day festival, but it's often those not listed on the lineup who cause the most significant reaction.

Take, for instance, when Dolly Parton appeared on Saturday of the 2019 festival alongside The Highwomen, the country supergroup Brandi Carlile formed with Maren Morris, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby. That performance also resulted in a feature that appeared on CBS This Morning.

That year also featured a duet between Jim James and Kermit the Frog on the final day to send festival goers home on a Rainbow Connection.

The 2021 festival — signaling a return after COVID-19 restrictions caused the 2020 festival to be canceled and replaced with archive performances played online and on radio stations — closed out with a surprise appearance by Chaka Chan.

With the 2021 festival spread out over five days and a reduced capacity, the 2022 festival was back to full speed and more surprise performances once again.

The first took place on Saturday, when Paul Simon joined Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, who were already performing a tribute to Simon.

Simon's four-song set included "Graceland," "American Tune," "The Boxer" and a solo performance of "The Sound of Silence."

While Simon's appearance generated plenty of buzz as the crowd exited Saturday, Joni Mitchell's close-out performance Sunday delivered the biggest surprise.

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Making her first full-length performance since 2000 and her first appearance in Newport since 1969, Mitchell joined Folk Festival favorite Brandi Carlisle — and a group that included performers Allison Russell, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius, Blake Mills, Taylor Goldsmith, Marcus Mumford and Wynonna Judd — for a set that included "Carey," "Big Yellow Taxi," "Amelia," "Shine," "Come in From the Cold," "Love Potion No. 9" and "The Circle Game."

The performance left many in awe.

"The privilege of a lifetime to see Joni Mitchell perform on the Newport stage for the first time since 1969," Tessa Pulaski tweeted.

"I didn’t stay dry in the eye for very long. This is devastatingly emotional on so many levels. We are lucky to have been on the planet at the same time as Joni Mitchell," NYCTaper added on Twitter.

While the Folk Festival is a wrap for 2022, fan pages already are speculating who could be on the bill next year.

Among the suggestions making the rounds are Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Stevie Nicks, Neil Young, David Byrne and even Paul McCartney.

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon surprise crowd at Newport Folk Festival