One of Wales’ biggest music festivals, Green Man, returned for its twenty first year, lead by a wide variety of musicians, comedians and crafts.

From Thursday, August 17, to Sunday, August 20, thousands of people descended on Crickhowell for one of the UK’s largest independent festivals, featuring over 1,000 artists across 13 stages during 4 jam packed days of music.

The breadth and variety of performances could be seen just from each of the festival’s headline acts on the Mountain Stage each day. Rock band Spiritualised took to the stage on Thursday, followed 24 hours later by 1980s New Wave icons Devo as part of their farewell tour.

On Saturday the dramatic, empowering while immesnely enjoyable pop performance of Self Esteem drew crowds to the stage while Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit closed the 2023 festival.

County Times: Self Esteem on the Mountain Stage at Green Man 2023.

But the large Mountain Stage was far from the only place to find memorable sets, as the violin wielding Sudan Archives and American indie rock band Snail Mail both impressed audiences at the Far-Out Stage.

Clipping, an experimental hip-hop group fronted by ‘Hamilton’ star Daveed Diggs, delivered an unforgettable set at the Walled Garden stage with their brand of bombastic horrorcore, while up and coming band The Last Dinner Party drew one of the biggest crowds ever seen at the Rising Stage, a venue designed for newly discovered talent.

Mercury Prize winners Young Fathers took to the Far-Out stage on Sunday evening for an explosive closing set, an anthemic performance that drew in the large audience and refused to let them go for an ever moving 75 minutes.

County Times: Young Fathers on the Far Out stage to close out Green Man 2023.

Beyond the music, the festival featured an array of attractions for visitors, from talks to wildlife walks and several comedy shows from the likes of Dylan Moran, Sean McLoughlin and Amy Mason.

The festival even featured its own Cinemadome, which held screenings of several new releases and remastered classics, including a fiftieth-anniversary screening of The Wicker Man, which proved to be fitting as the festival wrapped with its own burning pyre.

County Times: The traditional Green Man burn to wrap up the 2023 festival.

Reflecting on the event, Fiona Stewart, owner and MD of Green Man festival said: “Green Man 2023 was magical and a joy to experience. We spend years planning the festival and seeing our efforts validated by the smiles and appreciation from our audience means everything to us.

“Sustainability and inclusivity are part of Green Man, and 2023 was our greenest year yet.

“Being the first music festival in Wales to be awarded the Gold Charter for improving disabled people’s access to music from Attitude is Everything illustrates that everyone gets a warm Welsh welcome at Green Man. Diolch to everyone who made it happen.”