THIS year marks the 15th year of Green Man Festival which takes place once again at the Glanusk Estate between Crickhowell and Llangynidr.

Wales’ biggest music festival, which attracts crowds of more than 15,000 over four nights, began life in the Swansea Valley in 2003 before moving to Baskerville Hall near Hay-on-Wye for two years. It took up residence at the Glanusk Estate in 2006 and has been hosted there ever since.

The folk-indie music festival is once again sold out thanks in part to a headline-grabbing line-up, including legendary UK indie act PJ Harvey. The enigmatic two-time Mercury prize winner and female singer-songwriter and guitarist par excellence closes the festival on Sunday night.

New indie/synthpop darlings from Baltimore, Future Islands (a favourite of Jools Holland’s Later Live series) will headline on Friday and North American alt-country star Ryan Adams is the Saturday night headline act.

Indie fans will also be treated to a headline set from 90s shoe-gazing favourites Ride as the festival kicks off on Thursday, August 17.

Aside from the headline acts festival-goers who come from all over the UK and beyond are treated to an eclectic mix of music on four stages, not including acts who play the ‘walled garden’, the ‘settlement’ camping fields and the Chai Wallah’s dance tent. The bands range from singer-songwriter folk acts to reggae to rock, electronica and everything in between.

Over the years the festival has gained a reputation for bringing some huge names in the music business to a few muddy fields in the Usk Valley. In the past the crowds have seen performances from Van Morrison, Jarvis Cocker, Mumford and Sons, Patti Smith, Billy Bragg and the Super Furry Animals to name a few memorable acts over the last 15 years.

The festival is more than just about the music with areas for the ‘little folk’, a cinema tent, a ‘talking shop’ tent (with Billy Bragg and Irvine Welsh), comedy tent, well-ness area complete with outdoor hot tubs, fairground ferris wheel and Einstein’s Garden science-inspired area.

The festival’s Green Man Cafe is now a firm favourite with festival-goers and proceeds go to the Green Man Trust – in 2016 it made £13,200 for local causes. The money from 2015 and 2016 has been used to support the Crickhowell Scout Group, Cwmdu Eisteddfod, Cwmdu Show, Cwmdu Village Hall, Cwmdu Environment Group, Tretower Village Hall and Gwernyfed Rugby Club.15 HIGHLIGHTS FOR 15TH ANNIVERSARYArtistsPJ Harvey – Yeovil’s leftfield songstressRide – 90s indie darlings, Oxford’s second most famous band after RadioheadFuture Islands – Baltimore synthpop favouritesRough Trade tent – get your band T-shirts and vinyl, stick around for the acoustic sessionsDJ set from dance music legend Roni Size after darkChai Wallah’s – dance the night away, live acts play everything from reggae to R n BActivitiesTalks, films and more – in the Babbling Tongues area; look out for Billy Bragg and Irvine WelshEinstein’s Garden – something for all ages and an eclectic mix of live comedy, music, theatre, walks, talks and interactive installationsStalls – everything from vintage clothing, hats, wooden sculptures and vinyl to candle-powered toy boatsFerris Wheel, helter-skelter and Little Folk area – get faces painted and keep the kids happy with rides and activitiesBurning of the Green Man and fireworks – traditional Sunday evening show-closerGo for yoga, pilates and hot tubs in the ‘nature nuture’ area Food and drinkCourtyard Bar – real ale heaven, try the wares of more than 100 independent brewers Visit the Pie Minister – Bristol’s favourite pie and mash purveyor, always a queue but worth the waitChurros and chocolate – essential late-night snack, one of many options for hungry festival folk