Tall Child has been revealed as the winner of the esteemed Green Man Rising Competition 2026, presented by Green Man and The Green Man Trust.
The London-based Nigerian/Indian musician Zha Gandhi was announced by BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio Wales’ Huw Stephens at Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff last night, and is now set to open the coveted Green Man Mountain Stage at the upcoming, sold out festival; and will also receive a week’s studio time at Prah Recordings, a live recorded session at GM26 and a physical vinyl release with Dinked Edition
Part of Green Man’s pledge to support the festival headliners of the future, the esteemed Green Man Rising competition combined the expert-insights of Ben Coleman (Green Man/ Glastonbury), Fabian Phipps (Intersect Mgmt), Hayley Moss (Communion One), JoanieEaton (Mexican Summer), Natasha Youngs (Resident Music / Dinked), Piran Aston(Now Wave), Rupert Morrison (Resident Music / Dinked), Sarah Harvey (Panic Shack) and Sophie Williams (Billboard UK) to hand-select this year’s Green Man Rising winner; with an awe-inspiring performance from Tall Child beating their fellow shortlisted finalists Cyn Cwsg, Glasshouse Red Spider Mite, Kiosk and The Slow Country and a record-breaking number of 2026 applicants.
The final shortlisted acts had been selected by key-tastemakers from the likes of Clash, DIY, NME, Dazed, Wonderland, The Quietus, So Young and BBC Radio Wales, and will each perform at the upcoming Green Man; following in the footsteps of the likes of BRIT Award winners The Last Dinner Party, Mercury Prize-winners English Teacher and some of the moment’s buzziest bands such as Westside Cowboy, Silver Gore, Adult DVD and Keo with previous performances across the Green Man Rising stage.
Each shortlisted artist will also receive a professional recording at 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: “Supporting emerging talent is at the heart of Green Man. We had a record breaking amount of entrants this year, so to be a finalist is a massive win ready. A big congrats to the winner Tall Child, who’ll open the Mountain Stage and all the finalists – we can’t wait to see how their careers progress!’”
