Festival Guide: Green Man 2017

Name: Green Man Festival

Where: The Brecon Beacons, Wales

When: 17th – 20th August 2017

Headliners: PJ Harvey, Ryan Adams, Future Islands

Also Featuring: Kate Tempest, Sleaford Mods, Michael Kiwanuka, The Shins, Conor Oberst, The Big Moon, The Orielles, Roni Size, Thee Oh Sees

A Brief History: Green Man started back in 2003 as more of an intimate party with friends than a big festival. It was after it relocated to the Glanusk Estate in Crickhowell that festival founder Fiona Stewart and her son Ben were able to expand the festival. Green Man has since exploded, drawing in crowds of up to 20,000 with ten entertainment areas, 1500 performers, 24-hour entertainment, local ale and cider, all-night bonfires and tonnes of locally-sourced food over four days of festival fun. However, Green Man’s growth has done little to alter its unique intimate, family-friendly atmosphere. With no corporate sponsors, no advertising and no VIP area, Green Man’s relaxed, close-knit vibe remains unaltered.

How To Get There: The festival site is located near Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons on the A40. All Cars require a Car Park ticket, tickets cost £15 each (£20 on the door). The closest train station to the festival is Abergavenny.

Gigslutz Top Tip: Musically, Green Man prides itself on paying host to an eclectic range of upcoming artists. So, why not make the most of this and check out a couple of Gigslutz’s favourite ones to watch:
Madonnatron – Following their incredible set for us at The Finsbury in March, these four awesome women create their own unique style of ‘Witch Prog’. Their new single ‘Headless Children’ is truly captivating.
The Orielles – Any regular Gigslutz follower will know how much we adore this lot. We named them as Ones To Watch In 2016, have included them as a ‘Track Of The Week’ more than once, and have been wowed by their live shows on a number of occasions. Prepare to be utterly thrilled by the epic, scuzzy, sweeping soundscapes from this young trio.
Deep Throat Choir – Following the release of their incredible debut album, the all-female collective are returning to the festival this year. We fell in love with their enthralling, euphoric sounds when they played the Green Man Rising stage back in 2015.

(Also, the veggie bacon breakfast rolls are yummy, as is the wide selection of local beer!)

Memorable Moments: Courtney Barnett’s set in the Far Out Tent in 2015 totally blew us away with its rip-roaring energy, as did the stupendous majesty of the incredible Kiran Leonard in the Walled Garden.

What We Said Last Year: Scottish faves Belle & Sebastian showed how it’s done with 20 years’ worth of incredible tracks complete with audience participation, and newcomers HMLTD were utterly compelling with their dark, frenzied energy.

Did You Know? Green Man is about so much more than just fantastic music. There are ten ‘magical’ areas to explore on site, making this festival experience different from any other. Whether you want to catch some thought-provoking spoken word performances in the Babbling Tongues area, soak your tired tootsies in a cooling stream in Fortune Falls, or even carry out some mind-blowing scientific investigations in Einstein’s Garden, there’s something for everyone!

How To Get Tickets: You can either get your ‘normal’ weekend festival ticket, or make the most of the incredible setting with a ‘Settler’s Pass’ – a ticket that entitles you to a whole week of camping! Find out prices and availability here.

Playlist:

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