It’s that time of year again when music fans descend on the Glanusk Estate near Crickhowell for Green Man Festival and once again this stalwart of the UK festival season is sold out, writes Nancy Cavill.

Tickets for this year’s 21st year actually sold out in September last year in record time – just four hours after being released. 

Take from that the festival certainly organisers know their market – as ever, this year the line-up features an eclectic mix of music, comedy, arts performances, literary talks and fun for the kids (which keeps the parents happy too).

The gender-balanced headline acts this year are Spiritualized, First Aid Kit, Self Esteem and Devo. Of these Swedish sister duo First Aid Kit probably have the broadest appeal and widest name recognition (with three Brit Award nominations). Self Esteem’s Rebecca Lucy Taylor will bring her art-pop aesthetic back to Green Man after an acclaimed performance in 2021. Devo offers this year’s festival-goers their fix of danceable spoken-word electronica and Spiritualized is one for fans of psychedelia and anthemic ‘space rock’.

Away from the main headline acts there is so much to choose from. Some dedicated live music fans arrive with a ‘shopping list’ of acts to see – others float from the Mountain Stage to the Far Out tent and the Walled Garden with a few pit stops at the comedy / literature tent and possibly the Courtyard Bar in between. Maybe they’ll also take in this year’s Green Man sculpture – it changes every year – and stop by the fire pit, staying on for the end-of-festival fireworks. Some festival-goers will no doubt find time to visit the ‘Nature Nurture’ area for a yoga or mediation session. Others will dance late at Chai Waller’s or in the Walled Garden disco.

On my list this year will be shoegaze pioneers Slowdive (again), Spiritualized, First Aid Kit, Beth Orton (atmospheric and contemporary folky tunes), punky Australians Amyl and the Sniffers (for contrast), Horace Andy (Jamaican roots icon and Massive Attack collaborator) and Dur-Dur Band (for some Somalian funk, soul and disco). But I’m open to ideas and no doubt will uncover some more gems, which is always the joy of Green Man.

The festival’s Welshness – undoubtedly the amazingly scenic site is one of the reasons people keep coming back – will be on show again this year. And not just in the Black Mountains backdrop to the festival site and the beers in the Courtyard Bar.

Thursday night is Welsh bands night in the Walled Garden showcasing home-grown talent like The Bug Club, from Caldicot in Monmouthshire, Sister Wives (a Welsh-Sheffield quartet), Rogue Jones (from Cardiff), The Gentle Good (also from Cardiff) and Aisha Vaughan (Swansea-raised). Welsh-speaking Hyll (from Cardiff) will be on the Green Man Rising stage on Sunday.

Finally, a shout-out must also go to Abergavenny’s Dance Blast members who will perform a dance and circus spectacular on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. No doubt there will be a band of local proud parents in attendance.