Green Man Festival Remains Independent Amid Financial Strains

Green Man, founded in 2003 and set in the Brecon Beacons (now Bannau Brycheiniog) in south Wales, consistently sells out within an hour, often months before any lineup is announced. The 2024 edition is scheduled to open on August 20. It is one of the UK’s few truly independent festivals and the only one owned by a woman.

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Stewart recalls entering a male-dominated industry where “there were literally no women” at meetings and had to earn contractors’ trust.

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She explains that the lack of land or a traditional company makes securing loans impossible; the festival’s only asset is its trademark. A House of Commons committee earlier this year warned that Live Nation’s control of over a quarter of the UK’s 5,000-plus capacity festivals creates a “climate of fear” for independent promoters. Stewart says the market’s concentration forces festivals either to fold or to seek corporate investment, limiting the ability to grow independently.

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She contends the independent sector “needs to be protected” because it nurtures the artists who eventually appear on Live Nation stages. Stewart rejects corporate overtures, stating that large-scale festivals are now the domain of global corporations, leaving independent operators with limited choices.

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• “I love the fact of like-minded people coming together and creating something. It’s a kind of magical thing,” — Stewart

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• “I’m not good at lots of things – an awful lot of things, actually,” — Stewart

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• “When I first started, there were no women in the industry at all,” — Stewart

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• “Live Nation has to achieve profit for their shareholders,” — Stewart

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