Green Man is thrilled to announce that Eve Appleton Band is its Green Man Rising winner for 2023 and will bag a slot on its Mountain Stage this August.
The Bristol-based act beat off competition from a record-breaking 3,000 hopefuls and over 30,000 votes to claim the annual award after they were announced as the judge’s favourite at the virtual final. The Dorset born songwriter’s brand of progressive folk music won over a panel of industry experts including Hayley Morrison, Ivano Maggiulli, Kate French-Morris Liam Keightly, Nuha Ruby Ra, Steve Nickols, Tom Baker and Ben Coleman.
Following a rise to prominence on the UK live music scene, Eve is now set to claim her place on the biggest stage at Wales’ largest music festival alongside the likes of First Aid Kit and Self Esteem. Eve is herself a lifelong Green Man fan, having attended regularly as a child from its beginnings as a much smaller event held at the Baskerville Hall Hotel, just outside Hay-on-Wye.
Eve said: “I knew music was my life because of Green Man – I cannot believe I now get to set foot on the mountain stage with my best friends. To everyone at Green Man Festival, the judges board of GM Rising and Green Man trust for providing musicians like us this amazing opportunity, we are forever grateful.”
Delighted to be announcing this year’s Green Man Rising winner, Managing Director and festival owner Fiona Stewart said: “I want to thank all those involved in Green Man Rising. The judges all agreed that the standard of entries was so incredibly high this year, and I’m so pleased for Eve Appleton Band! They really will make a spectacular addition to our line-up.”
The Green Man Rising competition celebrates the best emerging talent every year. Each entry is listened to by the Green Man team before a long list is put out to public vote to find the final five, which this year attracted more than 30,000 votes.
Cardiff band Hyll and other finalists will also get play at the festival on Green Man’s Rising Stage because of their success in the competition too.
Other Welsh acts confirmed for the 2023 event include Cardiff duo, Rogue Jones, who will be performing at the Walled Garden stage on Thursday as part of an all-Welsh language day in the Walled Garden, alongside acts such as Aisha Vaughan and Caldicot’s The Bug Club.
Now in its 21st year, Green Man Festival is an award-winning, independent music, arts, comedy and science festival held in the breathtaking surroundings of the Bannau Brycheiniog. Uniquely, Green Man refuses sponsorship so that independent Welsh food & beverage producers can be offered and curational freedom retained. The festival is comprised of ten unique areas – from comedy, literature, theatre, film and art, and is the only large UK festival where a woman has majority ownership.
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.
Tickets for this year’s festival sold out in just four hours in September 2022, following a fantastic 20th anniversary celebration in the Welsh Mountains just weeks before.