Green Man Festival 2023
Written by Gavin on 1st March 2023
Wales’ largest music, science and arts festival, Green Man, today announces the first wave of acts to be playing its 2023 event, in the epic surroundings of the Black Mountains deep in the heart of the Brecon Beacons from the 17th – 20th of August.
Headlining this year’s edition are beloved Swedish indie folk sister duo First Aid Kit, legendary space rock band Spiritualized and new wave pioneers Devo. Tickets for this year’s festival sold out in just four hours back in September following a fantastic 20th anniversary celebration in the Welsh Mountains just weeks before.
The line-up is brimming with some of the finest talent from the UK and Ireland, including Irish folk four-piece Lankum, apocalyptic space funk trio The Comet Is Coming, London-based rockers Warmduscher, leftfield electronic duo Jockstrap, Brighton post-punk five-piece Squid, Nigerian-born, London-based futurist Obongjayar as well as Green Man favourites and Welsh natives Melyn Melin who will be playing the festival for the third year in a row.
Fellow Welsh acts also confirmed for the 2023 event include The Gentle Good, H Hawkline and The Bug Club. Dylan Morgan, member of Welsh Music Prize winning act Boy Azooga, will also be bringing his new project DD Darillo to Green Man for the first time in 2023, alongside SISTER WIVES who will also be bringing their own brand of psychedelic folklore to the Black Mountains event too.
The magic of Green Man lies not just in its scenery and music. Made up of 10 individual areas, the festival also offers a diverse range of events to accompany its incredible line-up, boasting art installations spread throughout the tranquil valley, a beer and cider tent to enjoy a crisp Welsh pint, an Ancient Egypt-themed area of discovery and exploration for the little folk, a relaxation and workshop space for the teenagers, plus science engagement area Einstein’s Garden. Further line ups of music, science, film, comedy & literature will be revealed in the coming months.
Festival goers who have purchased a Settler’s Pass, a special ticket which includes discounts on local heritage sites, galleries, castles and more, will arrive on Monday 14th August for a week in the Welsh valleys as part of their Green Man 2023 experience.
Following their sold-out 2022 UK tour and their recent BRIT Awards nomination for International Group of the Year, First Aid Kit will return to the Brecon Beacons for the first time in almost a decade, this time to headline the Mountain Stage. The globally acclaimed duo will play a career-spanning set, including tracks from their glorious new album Palomino.
The J Spaceman-fronted outfit Spiritualized are set to headline Green Man for the second time after their unforgettable 2008 set. From their seminal 1997 record Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space to last year’s revered Everything Was Beautiful, the band have been endlessly influential, and their timeless blend of neo-psychedelia, gospel, shoegaze and more is sure to make for a mesmerising beginning to the weekend.
Now entering their sixth decade together, the legendary Devo will be playing Green Man for the first time ever. One of the most innovative bands in new wave, the Ohio-based collective have continued to develop creatively and influence contemporary rock since the ‘70s with their satirical social commentary and off-kilter, kitschy take on rock and synth-pop.
Also set to make their Green Man debuts are Melbourne-based, ’70s rock-inspired punk four-piece Amyl & The Sniffers, known for their unruly performances, and the Mercury Prize-winning trio Young Fathers, who will be playing tracks from their widely acclaimed new record Heavy Heavy.
Renowned British producer and DJ Daniel Avery will keep the energy moving into the early hours following his acclaimed 2022 album Ultra Truth, which solidified his position as one of the most important names in techno. Shoegaze icons Slowdive are sure to captivate with their atmospheric live set, Confidence Man will go down a storm with their outrageously fun show following a year of packed festival sets, and modern post-punk heroes The Walkmen return to the Welsh mountains for the first time since 2012 for their only UK show of 2023.
Elsewhere, Snail Mail, Sudan Archives, PVA, The Delgados, Bob Vylan, Special Interest and Sorry amongst many others are sure to prove as highlights from across the rest of the weekend, with plenty more names across all stages to be announced over the coming months.
The full first line-up announcement is as follows:
First Aid Kit | Devo | Amyl & The Sniffers |
Slowdive | The Walkmen | Young Fathers |
Confidence Man | Spiritualized | Goat |
The Comet Is Coming | Lankum | Snail Mail | Squid |
Warmduscher | The Delgados | Horace Andy | Daniel Avery |
Sudan Archives | Jockstrap | Obongjayar | Courtney Marie Andrews |
Dur-Dur Band | Alabaster Deplume | Beth Orton | Les Savy Fav |
Clipping. | Bob Vylan | Billy Nomates | Sorry | Special Interest |
Gilla Band | Josephine Foster | Gina Birch | James Holden |
Marie Davidson (DJ) | The Wedding Present | Buck Meek |
Sarah Jarosz | Spencer Cullum | Anna B Savage | Girl Ray |
PVA | Crows | Julie | Rozi Plain | Cory Hanson |
H Hawkline | The Bug Club | Julie Byrne | Etran D’el Air |
Salami Rose Joe Louis | James Ellis Ford | Arushi Jain | Yasmin Williams |
Kanda Bongo Man | Thus Love | Water From Your Eyes | Say She She |
deathcrash | Megabog | Gently Tender | Σtella | Fat Dog | Hagop Tchaparian |
Drahla | Gareth Bonello | Etta Marcus | Melin Melyn |
Sister Wives | Juni Habel | Clara Mann | Butch Kassidy |
Cumgirl8 | DD Darillo | Deptford Northern Soul Club | Island of Love |
Lady Maisery | The Last Dinner Party | Lilo | Morgon Noise | Popperz |
Postmen DJs | Sans Soucis | Spielmann | Uh | University | Yabba |
Green Man 2023 runs from Thursday August 17th to 20th. Tickets are sold out.