GREEN MAN FESTIVAL has officially begun in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, as thousands of festival goers arrive to pitch their tents against the spectacular backdrop of the Black Mountains, ready to dive headfirst into four days of extraordinary music, arts, and science in the heart of the Welsh countryside. Thursday delivered a triumphant opening to this year’s festival with standout performances from acts across the Far Out, Walled Garden, Chai Wallahs, and Round The Twist stages.
Heartworms brought their haunting post-punk allure to a spellbound crowd on Thursday afternoon at Far Out, before W.H. Lung had listeners jumping to their infectious blend of kraut-rock and synth pop. The incredible energy continued into the night, as Irish guitar giants Gurriers ramped up the noise with their fast paced aggressive instrumentals. Electronic architects Factory Floor rounded a phenomenal night of performances at the Far Out stage, bringing techno beats and post-industrial rhythms to audiences in the early hours.
Green Man delivered on its legacy of platforming some of the best names in Welsh music, as Welsh language indie rockers Adwaith had the Far Out stage at the mercy of their spellbinding psychedelic melodies and punchy stage presence. Elsewhere, the Walled Garden stage showcased mesmerising sets from more outstanding Welsh talent including violin and guitar duo Peiriant, rising-star Nancy Williams, fuzz-driven five-piece Midding, queer gothic folk trio Tristwch y Fenywod, and dazzling singer-songwriter Georgia Ruth.
The festival’s Welsh musicians continued to pull it out the bag, as psych-pop legend Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) charmed crowds with a secret set at Round The Twist. Rhys’ surprise performance was definitely one of Thursday’s most compelling highlights, as he treated listeners to tracks from his 2024 record Sadness Sets Me Free, as well as other well-loved songs from across his discography and forthcoming record.
Green Man prides itself on variety, with Thursday opening fan-favourite attractions like Einstein’s Garden, The Cinedrome, and The Courtyard. Einstein’s Garden drew crowds with mind-expanding experiments and talks, set against the debut of the new solar-powered Pandemonium stage and hydrogen-powered Alchemy and Whimsy stages, highlighting the festival’s commitment to green energy. The Cinedrome offered an early cinematic escape with a curated film programme from 10am, while The Courtyard welcomed visitors for a first taste of the festival’s own Green Man IPA and Gulper Lager, setting the tone for a weekend of discovery, creativity, and celebration.
The Round The Twist stage proved to be a popular meeting spot for festival goers wanting to take the festival buzz into the early hours of Friday morning. James Endeacott set the tone for Thursday evening with a commanding and memorable DJ set, whilst DJs from London’s iconic music venue and bar, The Social, along with Ros Atkins’ Rave Machine, brought Green Man’s first day to a close with vibrant, genre-spanning DJ sets that kept the energy high until the very end.
Earlier in the day, Green Man hosted its very own wedding; with festival regulars Emma Butcher and Danny Parker tying the knot in the heart of the festival site. Joined by their children, Erin (6) and Aoife (2), the happy couple celebrated at the iconic Green Man effigy on Friday afternoon.
Speaking about their choice of location, Emma told us….
“Today is our wedding, reception and honeymoon. It’s the perfect place to get married. We wanted to get married at Green Man as we saw another couple’s wedding here last year. We thought it would be a great idea to be married amongst the mountains in such a chilled and relaxing place.”
Coming up at the festival are headline performances from Wet Leg, Underworld, and TV On The Radio, as well as set-to-be unforgettable sets from Wunderhorse, Greentea Peng, CMAT, Perfume Genius and more.
