This year Wales’ biggest music festival, Green Man, will be celebrating its 20th anniversary at the Glanusk Estate near Crickhowell and you can bet the crowds will be in party mode writes NANCY CAVILL.

The festival sold out in two days flat in September 2021 and some will have been dreaming of the green, green grass of Green Man since their last visit pre-pandemic in 2019, with no festival in 2020 and 2021’s understandably lower-key event.

This year music fans will find the grass bleached and dry, but Green Man itself looks set to be in fine form.

The musical feast is headlined by four main acts - Metronomy, Kraftwerk, Beach House and Michael Kiwanuka. Of these, Kraftwerk is arguably the biggest name with their influential ‘robot’ electronic brand of music that has been so influential over the decades. Some older festival-goers – yes, the festival attracts a whole range of ages – will no doubt remember their iconic 1980s single The Model. In 50 years as a band it’s Kraftwerk’s first Green Man appearance.

Mercury Prize winner Michael Kiwanuka is always a huge draw and has had rave reviews for his previous Green Man performances. He was booked to headline in 2020, so it’s fantastic that organisers were able to snaffle him for the 20th birthday festival.

The joy of Green Man goes far beyond the headline acts, though, and its appeal is the sheer variety of musical experiences on offer.

There are half a dozen Welsh bands to check out including Alice Low, from Cardiff, making her Green Man debut and also Monmouthshire native Ailsa Tully. On Sunday, Carwyn Ellis and Brazilian musicians Rio 18 perform with the National Orchestra of Wales. Welsh language meets ‘bossa nova’ plus orchestra is surely an intriguing must-see.

Catch music from around the globe with the 10-piece fun-sounding Minyo Crusaders (Japanese folk meets Latin and African grooves) and Senegalese outfit Orchestra Baobab with their Afro-Cuban sound. Get your dancing shoes on.

Back on firm indie territory, there’s a plethora of bands to choose from – your only problem will be scheduling. Jessie Buckley and Bernard Butler are sure to attract a huge crowd (they’ve just been shortlisted for a Mercury Prize). Also on the to-watch list are Low, Viagra Boys, Alex G and Ty Segall. Arooj Aftab, the Grammy-nominated Brooklyn-based Pakistani composer and singer, will also be a draw.

With all this music spanning so many genres, how will you even have time to check out the many other areas of the festival? Some manage it – those who don’t get distracted by the ever-popular Welsh real ale bonanza in the courtyard bar. Don’t skip the comedy and literature talks – Jess Phillips talking about her book about life as an MP will be on my to-watch list – and maybe try chilling in the relaxation zone and, of course, for parents taking the kids to the ‘little folk’ area is obligatory.

Roll on GM 2022, let the birthday celebrations begin.