wing! crowned winner of Green Man Rising 2025, set to open iconic Mountain Stage
wing! has been crowned as the winner of the esteemed Green Man Rising Competition 2025, presented by Green Man Festival and The Green Man Trust.
wing! – otherwise known as producer Adam Swan – combines heavy samples and ambient textures to make ethereal hip hop. The emerging producer beat a record-breaking 4,000 applicants to scoop the title and will now open the Green Man Festival 2025 by performing on its iconic Mountain Stage – continuing Green Man’s pledge to support the festival headliners of the future.
Last night’s live final at Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, saw wing! expand to a trio and perform alongside their fellow shortlisted emerging artists Cardiff band Shale, A Lesser Version, lots of hands and Sarah Meth. Each performed in front of a panel of leading industry professionals consisting of Adam Williams (Head of Music, Clwb Ifor Bach), Ben Coleman (Green Man Director, Glastonbury Other & Park Stage Booker), Betsy Harley (Music Programme Manager, KOKO), Eve Thomas (Promoter), Georgie Stott (Porridge Radio), India Shaw (European Project Manager, Fat Possum), Ivano Maggiulli (Director, Brace Yourself), Owain Evans (Free Trade Agency) and Thom Pike (Managing Director, TJP Tours) where BBC 6 Music’s Huw Stephens awarded them the prestigious title of Green Man Rising 2025 Winner.
The final five shortlisted artists for the 2025 competition were selected by music industry experts from the likes of Clash, DIY, Klust, God Is In The TV, The Quietus, Hard of Hearing, Vocal Girls and So Young; earning them a coveted spot in last night’s final. They were following in the footsteps of 2024 Rising winners The Orchestra (For Now), who have since gone on to secure industry acclaim from BBC 6 Music, NME, Rolling Stone, The Line of Best Fit, Clash and many more.
The competition runners-up have also secured a slot on Green Man 2025’s Rising Stage, which has previously hosted the likes of BRIT Award winners The Last Dinner Party, Mercury Prize awarded English Teacher, Green Man staples Melin Melyn and 2024 Green Man Rising artist TTSSFU. Each Green Man Rising artist will also receive a professional recording from the festival, offering an invaluable opportunity to showcase their talents to future labels, agents, festivals and more.
Fiona Stewart, Green Man Managing Director and owner, said: “Launching talent is at the heart of Green Man and to see over 4000 bands applying to Green Man Rising has been incredible.
“To emerge as a finalist from that number already proves your phenomenal talent. But there can only be one winner, and we are delighted to be welcoming wing! to open the Mountain stage, sharing the bill with the likes of Underworld and Wet Leg, and joining the music legends who have graced that stage over the years, or even launched their careers.”
Mountain Stage at Green Man, credit: Kirsty McLachlan
Green Man Rising is a Green Man Trust project supported by Green Man festival, Arts Council England and Arts Council Wales.
About Green Man
Now entering its third decade, Green Man is the largest festival in Wales, an award-winning seven-day event that attracts 25,000 daily visitors from across the world to the breathtaking Bannau Brycheiniog. The Green Man experience spans music, comedy, literature, film, performance and installation art, wellness, science, as well as specific areas for both children and teens, its own Welsh Beer Festival showcasing the best independent Brewers in Wales. It was the first UK festival to sell out for the 2025 season, which it did in less than minutes without any line-up announced.
The festival is well known for nurturing and launching new talent; artists such as Fontaines DC, Michael Kiwanuka, Self Esteem, First Aid Kit and Kae Tempest have all had their first seminal performances at Green Man.
Green Man is one of the three remaining large independent festivals in the UK. It generates £28 million into the Welsh economy, and is the only large UK festival where a woman has controlling ownership. It was awarded a Gold Charter by Attitude is Everything, a charity that improves accessibility for people with disabilities across the events industry.
Green Man is the only large festival to refuse sponsorship, so programming freedom is retained by curators, and independent Welsh food & beverage producers can showcase and sell their produce to new customers. The Courtyard hosts Green Man’s unique Welsh Beer and Cider festival: a celebration of independent Welsh breweries, serving up 100s of beers & ales sourced from across Wales. Green Man piloted the first UK festival science engagement area and was the first festival to offer on-site training in skills and social engagement to former refugees and asylum seekers.
Over the last 15 years, the Powys company behind Green Man has diversified into food and beverage, hospitality, training, design and concept development, science engagement, wellness, as well as all aspects of event management.
About Green Man Trust
Now in its 11th year, the Green Man Trust is the charitable arm of the Green Man Festival. The Green Man supports Welsh, national and international talent, champions new ideas and creates opportunities. Fiona Stewart founded the Green Man Trust 11 years ago to extend the festival’s ambition of supporting future generations and addressing the climate crisis by offering creative, educational, social development opportunities within the arts, sciences and Welsh communities.
Thousands of projects and people have been supported since the trust was founded in 2014. Overall 12,000+ people have been supported by Green Man Trust, with £1,800,000 raised, 2000 training placements and schemes completed, 5000 artists receiving development opportunities, 200 science projects created, and 170 grants awarded to help create positive change in Welsh communities. As well as funding for food banks, vulnerable Welsh households affected by flooding, Ukrainian refugees, support of artists during the pandemic and supporting projects which bring communities together and support a fairer society.
Since 2023, the Trust has given over £60,000 of Community Grants to encourage inclusiveness and wellness in local communities in Powys, and to combat the social and economic impact of the widening wealth and age gap on future generations.
