Every year without fail, Green Man provides one of the highlights in the UK’s festival season calendar. Consistently selling out on its day of sale, and before any names have been announced, it’s also one of the most in-demand weekends next to Glastonbury. With Glastonbury’s absence this year, they’ve levelled up their listings, bringing an array of arena-sized headliners, the best in new music, and a few Manchester-based acts too. All things considered, the one word to describe Green Man 2026 would be unmissable.
While most weekend festivals truly kick off on the Friday, Green Man haven’t held back on their Thursday line-up. After a huge tour including a stop at Manchester’s O2 Apollo in spring, Glasgow’s finest post-rockers Mogwai are due to open the festival with a headline set, alongside exciting names including Lime Garden, Art School Girlfriend and the one and only Charlotte Church. It’s the perfect taster of a diverse line-up combining established acts and the latest discoveries, and more than worth arriving onsite early for.
As good as the Thursday at Green Man looks to be, that doesn’t take away from the other days in any way. Wilco are due to headline on Friday, with an undercard featuring Baxter Dury, shame and Dry Cleaning. Getdown Services, the post-punk duo known to perform solely in their underwear, are due to bring a burst of energy that will surely linger for the rest of the festival, and the experimental sounds of Marie Davidson are sure to open the audience’s ahead of the rest of the weekend.
Green Man’s Friday listings also feature many artists with ties to Manchester: our city’s finest new exports, Westside Cowboy, are due to perform following a slot supporting Geese across the UK, while Leeds-based dance-punk group Adult DVD will appear after their set at the BBC Introducing night of last year’s BBC Radio 6 Music Festival. Smerz are one of the most unmissable names across the whole weekend, and will perform following their two recent spellbinding shows in Manchester, while My New Band Believe are guaranteed to be a big draw as Cameron Picton of black midi brings his solo material to Wales after a performance at Salford’s beloved venue The White Hotel.
Saturday sees electronic pioneer Four Tet headline, alongside other names including Cate le Bon, Sorry, Daniel Avery and Jessica Winter. The day’s line-up is also similar to Friday’s, in that it brings a few acts with ties to Manchester: Another Country $$$$ are due to take their twist on experimental dance music from Manchester to Bannau Brycheiniog, while the Fat White Family-led Insecure Men will appear following a set at YES in spring. Bathing Suits are yet another exciting act due to perform, and they will bring their wall of noise to the festival after an already-packed festival season which has included a monumental set at Salford’s Sounds From The Other City.
The festival’s Sunday headliner will be none other than Wolf Alice, a name which has been unavoidable for the past twelve months. Wolf Alice are without a doubt the most deserving recent graduate to festival headliner status, having released their stunning fourth album The Clearing last September and followed it with an arena tour. It was only a matter of time before the London band would play to huge crowds, and Green Man have managed to make a great booking to bring their crowd one of Wolf Alice’s first major festival headline performances. They’ll be joined by names as diverse and exciting as Fcukers, Dove Ellis and Tracey, who have all also appeared in Manchester on multiple occasions in recent months.
Green Man isn’t all about music, however: there’s a comedy tent named Last Laugh which will be headlined by Joe Lycett, as well as Nature Nurture sessions including sunrise yoga, morning meditation, massages and a wood-fired sauna. They’ve also got their morals right, having heavily celebrated Earth Day and supported War Child with a ticket competition. If you’re looking for an alternative to commercial, mainstream festival experiences, this is the place to go.
