A central focus building up to this year’s Green Man Festival was whether a set by controversial Belfast trio Kneecap would even take place.
The Northern Irish group’s frontman Mo Chara is due to appear in court later this week for a terror offence charge for allegedly displaying the flag of proscribed terror group Hezbollah during a gig.
Other festivals have dropped the act, but Kneecap remained on the Green Man bill.
While festival owner Fiona Stewart declined to comment on that decision, citing the ongoing legal proceedings, when Mo Chara hit the stage on a blisteringly hot Thursday night, he was far from bashful.
“We’d like to thank Green Man,” Mo Chara shouted between bouts of their big beat Irish language rap tracks. “A few festivals have fallen under the pressure and taken us off their line-up but not Green Man.”
He continued by saying that he was ready to fight the UK government on “their terms” in court as part of a high-energy set that continually emphasised Kneecap’s longstanding support of the Palestinians.
If Kneecap were the focal point of headlines about the festival prior to its opening, the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza remains the central theme of most performances. Rarely is a set finished without reference to them, alongside calls to support trans rights.
It’s all part of Green Man’s appeal. As the UK’s biggest independent festival, the event feels unique from its contemporaries. Charming quirks abound, from the roving posties delivering letters to fellow campers to a not-so secret queer stage hidden behind a shop front.
Despite being a sold-out event, Green Man never feels hectic and overcrowded. You wonder if its independence has meant organisers are more willing to not oversell tickets, allowing for an overall nicer experience at the expense of profiteering.
Across the weekend’s line-up, more treats were in store. Friday’s headliners Wet Leg were an intravenous injection of pure adrenaline. Their debut single ‘Chaise Longue’ was a surprise hit in 2021 even if they’ve barely just put out their second album ‘Moisturizer’, frontwoman Rhian Teasdale appeared a seasoned pro, striking a toned silhouette and commanding the stage with physical authority and bold vocals.
Stand-out set of this year's weekend went to Irish country-pop star CMAT. Launching through her songs, Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson brought joyful reverie to the picturesque Mountain Stage. Getting the entire crowd to two-step in sync for ‘I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby!’ was just the beginning of the fun as she charmed the crowd with playful banter and earnest appreciation for Wales’ effort to protect its language.
A consummate performer, CMAT’s voice echoed through the Brecon Beacons as she reached the highs of ‘Stay for Something’, leaving all enraptured. It was the perfect state to be left in as Welsh electronic duo Underworld hit the stage.
In one of the most explosive sets of the weekend, Underworld transported the grassy knoll of the Mountain Stage to a 90s rave for the festival’s most euphoric moment, ‘Born Slippy Nuxx’ - best known from the Trainspotting soundtrack.
The festival returned to calmer but still impressive shores on Sunday night for Beth Gibbons’ set. The Portishead frontwoman put together a hypnotic performance of her latest solo album ‘Lives Outgrown’, with her voice’s astonishing range matched by the breadth of her orchestral accompaniment. When she rolled out Portishead classic ‘Glory Box’, there was little doubt as to Gibbons’ legendary status.
Beyond the main acts, other highlights included Green Man fan favourite band Melin Melyn. The hyperactive group’s pantomime hijinks as they sing Welsh-language odes to their fictionalised Mill on the Hill show why they’re such an enduring hit at the festival. Similar thrills came from indie darlings Los Campesinos!, who delivered a jubilant set.
This year’s line-up featured a broad range of international acts - from the delightful gospel croonings of Annie & the Caldwells to DRC afrofuturist group Fulu Miziki. Entrancing sets from German-Turkish group Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek and a charming performance from Indian-American 80-year-old singer Asha Puthli added to the stacked line-up.
Fans of the heavier stuff also got their fill with the stomping klezmer-inflected post-punk group Fat Dog, while Yard Act pulled in one of the biggest and bounciest crowds for their shouty take on the genre.
Elsewhere, rising star Jacob Alon also provided one of the most beautiful sets of the weekend. Battling the heat as it routinely detuned their guitars, their musical virtuosity and haunting voice created a symphonic lullaby in the Walled Garden.
From small touches such as a crab-costumed group wandering the stages to the burning of the monumental Green Man effigy, this year’s edition proved once again why it is one of the UK’s most beloved festivals.
Our advice? Don't miss out in 2026.
