If the apocalypse must come, let it arrive with circle pits, IV drips, and a shit tonne of awesome bands. At 2000Trees 2025, nestled once again in the sprawling fields of Upcote Farm, heat and humanity collided in the best—and occasionally worst—ways possible. Temperatures pushed past 30°C and tents cooked their occupants alive by 9am but for those who braved the heat, this year’s edition was one of the most electrifying yet.
The weekend kicked off with a ferocious forest stage set from Haggard Cat, who lit up the trees with their now-signature wall of death. Over on the Word Stage, Blank Atlas brought circle pits and unfiltered joy, clearly buzzing to be back at their favourite festival again so soon. Buds added their own flavour of sing-along chaos, while Vower tore the forest stage apart—tight, frenzied, and fully living up to their pre-album hype. The forest transformed from tranquil glade to underground sweatbox. Unpeople pulled off a cheeky 4:20 set which included some new songs as well as some absolute bangers by Weezer, Beastie Boys, and System of a Down. It’s something closer to the silent disco madness than a serious showcase—and the crowd loved every second. Other Half returned to prove why they’re among the UK’s best DIY punk bands, ripping through the Word Stage after being invited back after a standout set last year. Kid Kapichi took to the forest stage for their first of two sets over the weekend with a nostalgic run-through of older songs, while Wednesday’s headliners Hot Milk made sure the early arrivals were thoroughly amped for three more days of chaos, there was plenty of heavy moshing and a friend of a friends ankle got broken in the chaos meaning the show got stopped temporarily while the amazing medic crew attended to them.
Thursday opened with Birmingham’s Terminals on the Neu Stage, fusing heavy Deftones-esque riffs with soaring Jeff Buckley-inspired vocals—a band to watch out for for sure. Unpeople make a return and have stepped up to the main stage for a full set of originals, with one guitarist climbing a fan’s shoulders mid-solo in a circle pit moment for the ages. Good Health Good Wealth offered a more laid-back vibe—like Lil Peep on holiday in Cornwall—while Love Letter emerged as one of the festival’s most charming surprises. DZ Deathrays cranked the fuzz and fun up to 11. If I had to use two words to describe them they would be Fresh and Dirty. They were having so much fun on stage, it felt electric and it was definitely contagious.
Some acts however struggled to break through the oppressive heat over the weekend —The Hunna felt a little phoned in, and Jools couldn’t quite cut through the scorched atmosphere of the main arena. But others thrived in the discomfort like Battlesnake, fully costumed, who blitzed through their Forest Sessions slot like the heat didn’t even exist while PVRIS was the perfect accompaniment to watch the early sunset and the crowd was pretty engaging as they plough through all the hits. Lynn Gunn has quite a big stage presence and it felt like she was playing a much bigger festival.
Thursday’s headliners, Kneecap, may have seemed a controversial choice for 2000trees following all their recent media, but their return to the festival stage proved to be nothing short of triumphant. The Irish rap trio, no strangers to the Trees crowd, drew one of the largest and most electric audiences the festival has ever seen. From the moment they stepped on stage, a palpable party atmosphere pulsed through the crowd—a charged mix of defiance, celebration, and sheer musical energy. Their set felt less like a conventional performance and more like a cultural rallying cry, blurring the lines between protest and party. Love them or loathe them, Kneecap delivered a show that will go down in trees history.
On Friday we were invited to witness Kaonashi who were pure chaos, their frontman seemingly born to detonate circle pits. They put on an Incredible performance and their drummer Pao was out of this world, and Alex’s guitar riffs cut deep and to the point with every song. Front man Peter Rono is an absolute life force. They made it impossible not to want to dive into the mosh pits and they kept the audience engaged 100% throughout the whole show. All four musicians are out of this world talented and you could tell the crowd loved them.
Thank brought their stellar musicianship and hilarious crowd rapport to the festival for the first time to a warm welcome. Coilguns were up next for us and frontman Louis Jucker practically levitated on crowd energy, even filling technical downtime with manic, late-night-TV-style monologues. This band is unstoppable and we cant wait to see more of them in the UK this year. Over in the Axiom tent things were getting a little teary eyed as Delta Sleep’s said a sad farewell to their drummer Blake who announced his departure from the math rock stalwarts last week.
La Dispute also delivered two incredible sets over the weekend—one intimate in the forest, the other explosive on the Axiom stage—each brimming with grief, tenderness, and righteous anger. Their heartfelt words on trans rights and global suffering grounded their emotional crescendos in a sense of purpose. Mclusky powered through brutal heat and choking dust with non-stop moshing and explosive energy from Falco and Damien. Bonus points for Damien’s kid Magnus and proud wife Sophie cheering from stage-side after recently having twins.
Frontierer lived up to their punishing reputation, with guitarist Dan scaling the stage like a caffeinated Spider-Man. If you’re not afraid of devastatingly heavy and confrontational music then you need this band in your life. Million Dead’s return was the stuff of legend. Drawn back together by an irresistible Trees offer, the band looked genuinely overwhelmed by the crowd’s full-throated nostalgia. Frank Turner, ever the antihero, handed off scream duties to the audience when his voice gave out—somehow making the moment feel even more powerful.
Early risers on Saturday were rewarded by Hidden Mothers throwing down with ferocity as they made their trees debut. Copenhagens Eyes brought the chaos off the back of their latest release Spinner, frontman Victor Kass is completely possessed and led the charge throughout their performance and filled the Cave with a tight, unrelenting and unforgettable set. He joked that a recent gig had been the hottest he’d played—until Trees. He even mourned the lack of English rain.
Sparta, while excellent musically, lost some momentum due to the sheer heat—but watching from the back in the shade still delivered. Future of the Left still sound gloriously strange and tight after all these years, their set packed with sharp banter and heavy hooks. Birds in Row crushed it with their incredible sound and a politically charged undercurrent, while La Dispute’s dual sets earned many new fans, yours truly included. The Forest show was intimate and magical; the Axiom set powerful and heartfelt, ending with an urgent call for kindness amid global crises.
Letlive delivered one of the most electrifying performances of the entire festival. Their farewell set was a perfect storm of intensity, tight musicianship, and raw, unpredictable energy that had the crowd in a frenzy from start to finish.
Frontman Jason Aalon Butler was a force of nature. His connection with the audience was palpable—at one point, he pulled a mascot on stage who was dressed as a Marshall amp to dance with them while the band played with precision and power, sounding incredibly tight even amidst all the chaos. For the final song, Butler took things to another level—literally—by climbing the stage structure and performing from the lighting rig hanging above the stage giving all the crew and festival organisers a real heart (and show) stopping moment forcing them to cut the power until he returned to safety, but the energy never dipped.
Among the chaos, there was also clarity though as Butler took a moment during the set to deliver a heartfelt speech on the importance of respecting women—a powerful message that resonated with the crowd.
Alexisonfire closed the festival and after more than two decades, they still radiate a rare kind of chemistry on stage. The affection and camaraderie between the band members felt genuine and powerful—it’s clear they still love making music together, and that passion translated into an unforgettable performance.
From the first note, the energy was electric. The crowd was incredibly diverse—we saw everyone from a man in his 60s to kids no older than 7 getting swept up in the moment. It was an inclusive, joyous celebration of music.
They delivered all the fan favourites, and the audience sang along to every single lyric. The sound was phenomenal, with Dallas Green’s voice in particular cutting through with remarkable clarity and emotion. The lighting design also stood out, enhancing the mood without ever overwhelming the performance. AOF were the perfect closing act for the festival. Their set left me deeply moved and it was a powerful reminder of why live music matters.
Beyond the music, Trees delivered in ways only it can. The food was a major step up from the usual field fare (the vegan pad Thai and Birria tacos were big winners). Even in the heat the staff were exceptional—security caught crowd surfers like Olympic athletes, and the medics kept heatstroke at bay with on-site IVs so big ups all round for them.
Sure, the showers barely worked. A few bars ran dry. And yes, the surge in mobility scooters made mosh pits feel like a Mad Max remake. But these quirks only added to the charm. Even the yoga—with scenic views and designated puke zones—felt somehow perfectly placed.
2000trees remains one of the UK’s most sincere and lovingly curated alt festivals. Big enough to host legacy acts like Alexisonfire, strange enough to platform chaos merchants like Kaonashi and Coilguns, and intimate enough for spontaneous tears during La Dispute or stranger hugs during Letlive. It’s sweaty, dusty, chaotic, euphoric—and, somehow, a little bit magic.
See you next year Trees!
TICKETS FOR 2026 are available HERE