The Welsh music festival Green Man replaced its traditional closing ceremony with a secret DJ set after dry conditions forced the cancellation of the event's signature effigy burning.
Key facts
- •The traditional closing ceremony, which involves burning a large effigy of the Green Man, was cancelled due to dry conditions and recent wildfires in south and west Wales.
- •Wolf Alice headlined the final night of the festival, with lead singer Ellie Rowsell performing in a leather outfit.
- •Florence Shaw of Dry Cleaning and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco performed the song 'My Soul/Half Pint' together.
- •The secret closing set featured Madonna remixes and a singalong of 'Don't You Want Me'.
- •The festival site was located in a Welsh valley where 20 wildfires had occurred in the preceding week.
The Green Man festival in Wales proceeded under challenging conditions this year, as recent wildfires in the region forced organizers to cancel the event's traditional closing ceremony. The festival, which featured performances from Wolf Alice, Shame, and Four Tet, saw its usual effigy burning replaced by an acoustic performance and a secret late-night DJ set. Despite the weather and the cancellation of the centerpiece ceremony, the festival maintained its schedule across multiple stages.
Performances and Crowd Energy
The festival featured a diverse lineup of international and local acts. Manchester quartet Westside Cowboy opened the main stage on Friday, while Ghanaian singer Ata Kak and Malian rock band Tamikrest provided high-energy sets. London post-punks Shame incited moshpits, and Dry Cleaning’s Florence Shaw was joined by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy for a collaborative performance. In the Far Out tent, Sprints frontwoman Karla Chubb invited a fan on stage to play guitar while she crowd-surfed.
Headline Acts and Finales
Electronic music was a significant presence, with producer Daniel Avery delivering a set focused on metal-influenced guitars and drum’n’bass, while Four Tet provided a headline performance that transitioned from ambient techno to heavy bass. The festival concluded with a final headline set from Wolf Alice, featuring vocalist Ellie Rowsell. The official closing ceremony, featuring Pictish Trail and aerial acrobats, was followed by an unofficial secret set involving various artists, including Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor and comedian Jack Shep.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by The Guardian Culture.
