The Green Man festival in Bannau Brycheiniog, Wales, went ahead this year despite the traditional closing fire ceremony being cancelled, after 20 wildfires swept through south and west Wales the previous week left the surrounding hillsides scorched and tinder-dry. Organisers judged it too risky to burn the towering Green Man effigy, on which festivalgoers usually pin handwritten wishes, so the weekend's energy came instead from a packed run of live performances that kept the event's spirit intact despite the disruption to a beloved tradition.

Highlights included Manchester band Westside Cowboy's rousing main-stage set, Ghanaian singer Ata Kak, London post-punks Shame, and Dry Cleaning's Florence Shaw duetting with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. Malian group Tamikrest, Gambian musician Suntou Susso and producers Daniel Avery and Four Tet also drew strong responses, while Wolf Alice's Ellie Rowsell delivered a powerhouse closing headline performance. In place of the cancelled fire ceremony, an acoustic tribute led by Pictish Trail fell a little flat, but a secret closing DJ set featuring Fcukers, Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor and others provided a euphoric finale for the crowd.