Green Man serves up another festival feast at Glanusk

Green Man Festival celebrated two decades at the Glanusk Estate in Crickhowell this weekend with a stellar line-up to please the 25,000 festival-goers.

While 2026 Brit Award winners Wolf Alice closed the festival on the Mountain Stage, making their festival debut, many were left with the ultimate ‘Clashfinder’ headache: go to the Far Out tent for veteran duo Sparks (‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us’) or to the Walled Garden for 1990s influential trip-hop master from Bristol, Tricky (formerly of Massive Attack and known for his Maxinquaye album).

It was the talk of the beer tent – you wait for three must-see acts all day and then they come along at once, like buses.

Doing a little bit of both Sparks and Tricky proved a good choice, offering contrasting experiences. There was joy and dancing with Sparks, then some intense soul-searching with Tricky (who remained elusive thanks to the bare minimum of stage lighting).

Both saw captivated audiences, but nothing in size compared with the crowd who were lapping up Wolf Alice on the Mountain Stage as they stormed through their catalogue of indie anthems and hits.

Earlier, the Walled Garden gave us Motrik, from Portland in the US, with a popular set of Hawkwind-esque rhythms, ‘psychedelic rock’ and fog machines. A far cry from the folksy singer-songwriters in the early days of Green Man.

Of course, there’s still a place for folk and whimsy at Green Man, because it is nothing if not a festival that offers a hugely eclectic mix of music.

This year saw a strong mix of shouty, angry female punk bands, with hugely enjoyable Irish garage punk band SPRINTS on Friday and Welsh divas Panic Shack on Sunday. It was great to hear female voices commanding the mosh pit shenanigans.

The festival kicked off with a thumping set from headliners Mogwai on Thursday evening, before Americans Wilco took us down a mellow alt-country rock path on Friday night, 17 years after they first headlined the festival.

On Saturday night, cult Scottish 1990s heroes the Beta Band were a highlight for some, but not all. Likewise, London-born DJ and producer Four Tet electrified many, with a full-on clubbing experience to all intents and purposes.

As every year, there’s a huge amount of non-musical entertainment, including the Last Laugh comedy tent, where Friday night’s line-up almost eclipsed the music, boasting Josie Long, Bridget Christie, Stewart Lee and Joe Lycett.

You could even have seen Zac Polanski being interviewed in a packed-out tent – hitting his target audience at this festival for sure.

Green Man Festival’s programming, relaxed vibes and stunning location continued to provide another winning combination.

The festival will return again in August next year to the Glanusk Estate, when it will celebrate its 25th anniversary.

It has come a long way since its small beginnings in the Swansea Valley and two years at Baskerville Hall near Hay-on-Wye. Long may it continue to evolve but retain its essential ethos.