Green Man Festival broke its own record when tickets for 2025 sold out in just under 60 minutes. So how does the independent event avoid the shadows of the big commercialised festivals.
It is said throughout Wales that the Bannau Brycheiniog is a land of myth and legend, its soil rich with folklore. From stories such as ‘The Lady of the Lake’ to the ‘Sleeping Warriors of Dinas Rock’ where it is said King Arthur and his men were laid to rest, many tales like these are embedded in the Welsh landscapes formerly known as the Brecon Beacons.
And it is in this very place that another mystical phenomenon occurs. Every year during a week in mid-August, singing can be heard rolling over the hills of South Wales, a cacophony of laughter and dancing — and there are verses in the Valleys.
Not long after the Winter equinox, a post on social media said: “The mountains are stirring to life.” So it is official: the Green Man is awakening.
Now entering its 23rd year, the award-winning and highly-revered festival currently stands as the biggest festival in Wales, behind the massive undertaking that is the National Eisteddfod, of course.
And it is no wonder why as it remains precious to music-loving festival goers from all over the UK, but especially as a proud medallion for the people of Wales.
What some might describe as humble beginnings — a single 300-person event in the grounds of a gothic revived castle turned hotel in the Swansea Valley — has since then transformed itself into a week-long 25,000-capacity triumph on the grounds of Glanusk Park in Crickhowell.
Since its establishment in 2003, the independent music, science, and arts festival has gradually cemented itself as a significant cultural event, nestled not only in the heart of the Welsh countryside but also in the hearts of its people.
Green Man, while showcasing live acts from around the world and across the genre spectrum — from Laura Marling’s folk to Fontaine D.C.’s post-punk indie rock to Self Esteem’s experimental pop — the festival works hard to position a range of Welsh artists and Welsh language acts across its five stages.
Such artists’ include Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog and Carmarthenshire-born Gille.
However, Green Man isn’t just a musical endeavour but an exemplar of cultural celebration and appreciation.
The 10 selective areas that makeup Green Man’s DNA include interactive artworks, talks on literature, comedy shows, and craft-honing workshops. One is Einstein’s Garden, an area dedicated to science engagement and education, the first of its kind within the UK festival circuit.
Additionally, Green Man’s entanglement with its local community, environment, and culture is a significant feat for a festival of its size and success. Whereas some commercialised UK festivals come and go, often leaving the terrain a wash with litter and waste, the independent works hard to protect and support the area(s) it owes its appeal to, which is a large part of its success amongst Welsh festival lovers.
This is largely due to the Green Man Trust, the festival’s charitable effort that contributes to and benefits the community in many ways. The trust donated £23,125 to an array of community projects in Powys just last year.
Additionally, Green Man’s commitment to a greener festival culture is one to be admired. Last year, all of GM’s energy supply came from solar, hydrogen, and even hydrotreated vegetable oil.
This is on top of the festival’s strict recycling rules (in alignment with Welsh law), the incorporation of local food produce and breweries, and a recent move to compost loos to combat the water waste used by traditional portaloos.
Furthermore with Fiona Stewart as managing director and notedly the only female owner of an independent festival in the UK – Green Man is commended for its inclusive and welcoming atmosphere on stage and behind the scenes. Even more so, in 2021 Cosmopolitan magazine stated that Green Man was “the most LGBTQ+-friendly festival in the UK”.
With the ethics behind GM in mind, it’s clear that the festival’s ethos is one of joy, positivity, and communion with others and nature. This ethos again aligns itself with Wales as a nation and the warmth and friendliness that its people exude.
My own Welsh pride aside, what makes Green Man so successful is the heart of the community it belongs to. And with profound efforts to uplift that said community, it is clear that Green Man knows this too.
Although smaller in size compared to other UK festivals, Green Man is one of few festivals whose tickets consistently sell out every year without a lineup announcement, one of which being the festival giant Glastonbury to no one’s surprise.
Muscling up to mainstream music events like Glasto, Boomtown, and Reading Festival in terms of popularity is an achievement considering Green Man’s typical taste fits into a niche pocket of the alternative and independent music scenes.
Disappointed one may be at missing out on the chance to witness Green Man in 2025, there are other options still available. Fortunately applications for the festival’s volunteering schemes are set to open early this year, allowing those unlucky with tickets an opportunity to work at the festival while providing enough free time to experience all that Green Man has to offer.
Swansea-born artist Femmebug (Caitie Inson, 24) fills me in on her experience volunteering in previous years.
“I’d never volunteered at a festival before and the experience felt so supportive, the volunteers’ camp created a really lovely atmosphere from a crew bar with a campfire. They let you pick your shifts and I got to see every act I wanted to. People would regularly check on you on your shifts and it felt like such a nice community spirit.”
Speaking more on GM’s place within the Welsh music scene, Inson said: “I do think the number of Welsh acts booked has dropped a little in recent years, and would love to see some more of them. That being said, if you’re involved in the scene at all, you’ll spend the weekend bumping into people you’ve met at gigs, heard on BBC introducing, or know through friends of friends – making it feel like an overall celebration of the vibrant scene.”
Caitie also appreciates Green Man’s ability to cover all bases: “From new music to classic acts, from folk in the forest to dance music at night, family activities and a secret cabaret tent, there’s never a dull moment.”
But an overall highlight for Caitie was Green Man’s grand au revoir (or ‘hwyl fawr’ for Welsh speakers). The tremendous closing ceremony sees festival-goers tie wishful messages to the green sculpture at the centre of the site, before it is set ablaze with fireworks.
“The burning of the green man at the end is such a beautiful moment and brings everyone together in a really gorgeous way,” the indie singer-songwriter told us.
In Celtic myth, the Green Man – a face covered in foliage, a manifestation of the forest – symbolises the rebirth and growth of Spring. Although not currently held amid the season, the annual Green Man Festival, taking visual inspiration from such folklore, works hard to live up to the origins of its name.
With an emphasis on the musical sentiments typically affiliated with storytelling and celebrating the natural world, plus an earnest and ethical approach to protecting the environment – Green Man as a festival encourages a sense of optimism that ripples throughout its community.
While comparably so, a small community in a small country, Green Man’s part in something progressive, inspiring, and rooted in longevity is not to be undermined. And, like many folklores before us, the story of Green Man is one worth telling.
Green Man 2025 takes place August 14th to 17th in Crickhowell, Wales.
All images courtesy of Green Man Festival.