Green Man 2026 came to a rousing conclusion in the Black Mountains, following four days of music, arts, science and entertainment at the Glan Usk Estate near Crickhowell.
Photography: Kirsty Mclachlan and Nici Eberl
Wolf Alice made their first appearance at the festival a memorable one, closing the Mountain Stage with a headline set spanning their career. From the raw beats of ‘Bloom Baby Bloom’ to the warm familiarity of ‘The Sofa’, the band had the Sunday-night crowd firmly in its grasp. There were special guests too, as Anna Calvi and Dove Ellis joined the band for their collaborative single ‘Sunday Light’, followed by a striking cover of Mazzy Star’s ‘Fade Into You’. The electrifying set brought the weekend’s music to a suitably triumphant close.
The traditional finale, however, looked a little different this year. Green Man usually ends with the ceremonial burning of its giant Green Man effigy, but the decision was taken not to set it alight because of concerns that sparks could reignite the wildfires that have affected our area in recent weeks. Instead Pictish Trail performed a memorable set accompanied by a colourful light show to close the Festival. It was a responsible and thoughtful change to a much-loved tradition, recognising that the festival takes place within a living landscape and alongside communities that have experienced an anxious few weeks.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Samantha Morton appeared twice: first at the Talking Shop, discussing the music that has accompanied her life and career, and later as a guest during Richard Russell’s Everything Is Recorded set on the Mountain Stage.
Welsh talent also featured prominently. Actor and director Craig Roberts joined festivalgoers for a screening of Submarine, the acclaimed coming-of-age film in which he starred, while Welsh producer and filmmaker Lowri Roberts appeared in conversation with Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams. Anna Calvi delivered another of the day’s highlights, while Mercury Prize-nominated Dove Ellis made his Green Man debut.
Cat Power celebrated the 20th anniversary of The Greatest, Sparks brought their distinctive mixture of theatricality and art-pop to Far Out, and New York duo Fcukers transformed the tent into a packed Sunday dancefloor. Surprise appearances continued at Round the Twist, where Alexis Taylor joined Fcukers and Way Dynamic teamed up with SNL UK star Jack Shep for unexpected back-to-back DJ sets.
They rounded off a weekend that had already welcomed an extraordinarily varied line-up, including Four Tet, Mogwai, Wilco, Dry Cleaning, Cate Le Bon, Celeste, Daniel Avery, Shame, Wednesday and Westside Cowboy.
For those of us living nearby, Green Man is much more than a major date on the music calendar. The independently run Powys festival attracts visitors from around the world to Bannau Brycheiniog, generates an estimated £28 million for the Welsh economy and provides an important showcase for independent Welsh food and drink producers.
Its charitable arm, the Green Man Trust, has also supported more than 13,000 people and donated £228,500 to community projects, including schemes helping people here in Powys.
Green Man will return from 19–22 August 2027, when it will celebrate its 25th anniversary. Tickets go on sale on Saturday 26 September 2026 — and, after the 2026 festival sold out in just 60 minutes without a line-up being announced, anyone hoping to attend may need to be quick.
