Beyond the mountain stage: there’s more for creatives at Green Man 2026 than just music

The perfect festival for people who make things, Green Man’s science talks, comedy stage and cinema tent deserve as much attention as the main headliners.

If you work as a creative and haven’t been to Green Man Festival, you might want to pay attention. It’s too late to get tickets for this weekend’s festival which, like Glastonbury, tends to sell out in about an hour, before a single act has been announced. But a quick peruse of 2026’s lineup should convey that this event is about more than just bands in a field.

I wrote an article last year about Why Green Man Festival made me think about creativity in a whole new way, and that’s no exaggeration. Experiencing a talk by photographer Martin Parr (sadly one of the last before his untimely death), thought-provoking comedy by Stewart Lee and Kiri Pritchard-McLean, literary discussions, scientific demonstrations, arthouse films, wellness activities… this was a lot more intellectually and emotionally fulfilling that just standing in front of load of bands swigging cider all day.

Happily this year’s lineup provides just as much nourishment for the mind and soul. If you do have a ticket, here are few highlights I reckon you should check out. If not, read on to find out the kind of thing you could be experiencing in 2027.

Comedy with a brain

I’ve got to be honest, comedy at festivals has always been pretty hit and miss for me. Often the tent is absolutely rammed and you can’t even get near enough to listen, let alone see the act (Joel Dommet at Reading 2023, for instance, seemed to draw even more people than Billie Eilish). Alternatively, the tent is so empty (I’m thinking Nish Kumar, Glastonbury 2025) that even the best routines feel like they’re dying in empty space.

In my experience, though, Green Man gets it exactly right. The tent last year was usually about 80-90 per cent full, which meant you could always get in, but the energy never dipped. Fingers crossed it’ll be the same this time, because it’s a superb lineup, with 39 acts including Joe Lycett, Bridget Christie, Jack Shep—fresh from a stint on SNL UK—along with a return for Stewart Lee, whom The Times called “the world’s greatest living standup”.

Feeding the mind

While comedy is said to be the greatest medicine, I’m looking forward to feeding my mind too. Green Man was the first UK festival to run a dedicated science area, and it remains one of the biggest attractions for me today. Watching researchers explain their work doesn’t sound like something that would be fun at a festival, but turns out it absolutely is.

I’m particularly looking forward to Dr Phoebe Reynolds’ session on “AI and Neuroscience”. According to the description, this will certainly not be some dry talk. “Using Green Man itself as a living experiment, you’ll play games, make predictions, and win prizes to discover how your brain wires networks to shape what sticks, and how those same principles are now inspiring the future of AI,” it promises. Can’t wait to join in the fun.

The big screen

More honesty: I’m not as young as I used to be, and these day I do tend to end up flagging at festivals around mid-afternoon. It’s tempting to go and have a lie down in the tent, but if the hot weather continues this weekend, that’s a no-go. Thankfully there’s also Green Man’s Cinedrome, where you can kick back for a bit and watch a series of excellent movies whenever you need a sit-down in an airy space.

My top recommendation is Effi O Blaenau (2026), a Welsh language drama that is definitely my film of the year so far, and possibly of the decade, although it’s a harrowing watch in places. (Don’t watch the trailer online though, as it tells you the entire story!). If you’re looking more for laid-back fun, the fantasy classic Labryinth (1986) is always a delight, while The Ballad of Wallis Island (2025) is a charming British comedy-drama I’d recommend too.

As well as feature-length screenings, the cinema will host a series of short films from BAFTA Wales, plus a panel discussion with the filmmakers behind them, hosted by Rebecca Hardy, director of BAFTA Cymru. I’m fascinated in how small teams can get ambitious ideas onto screen with limited budgets, and I’m very much looking forward to hearing what they have to say.

There’s music too!

It’ll be difficult to fit all of this in, of course, with so much brilliant music on the bill. Ride-or-dies for me will be punk upstarts Sprints and Mannequin Pussy, alt rock Americans Wednesday, the veteran art-pop of Sparks, and world-conquering rock band Wolf Alice. Others will no doubt be equally excited by Mogwai, Four Tet, Cat Power, Wilco and others too numerous to mention.

Whatever I do and don’t get to see (so many options, so little time), it’s going to be a blast. And I haven’t even mentioned the author talks, the cabaret, the parades, the street performers, the craft workshops, the stuff for kids and teens… All this in a beautiful landscape, in a friendly, family atmosphere, makes this one of my very favourite UK festivals. If you have a ticket, please come say hi. And if you have a chance to come next year, I’d highly recommend you take it.