If you’ve never been to 2000trees Festival, you’re missing out on one of the finest weekends on the UK festival calendar. Year after year, the festival continues to earn a special place in the hearts of its loyal attendees, who once again descended upon Upcote Farm near Cheltenham for three unforgettable days of world-class music, incredible atmosphere, and arguably the friendliest festival crowd you’ll ever encounter.
Just like last year, another relentless heatwave greeted the 15,000 festival-goers. Temperatures soared well above 30°C throughout the weekend, but if anything, the blazing sunshine only added to the festival’s unique atmosphere. Setting up camp in that heat had us drenched in sweat before we’d even heard a single note, but once the tents were pitched, it was time to get stuck into another stacked lineup.
Thursday
Our weekend began inside The Cave with one of the most anticipated sets of the day from Norwegian post-hardcore outfit Hammok. Despite the sweltering conditions making it difficult to get the crowd moving early on, the band gave absolutely everything. Bassist Ole Benjamin Thomassen even jumped into the audience to spark the first circle pits of the weekend as the band tore through material from their phenomenal new album When Does This Place Become Our Scene. A truly ferocious start to the festival and they certainly didn’t disappoint.
After catching part of Mariachi El Bronx on the Main Stage, we dashed off for a handful of interviews before returning in time for the latter half of Tigercub‘s set. While their recorded material has always impressed, their live performance didn’t quite hit the same heights on this occasion unfortunately although this was probably more to do with the fact it was blisteringly hot on that main stage in the peak of the days heat.
One of Thursday’s biggest discoveries came courtesy of Canada’s Truck Violence, who absolutely tore The Cave apart. Their blend of chaotic noise rock, two-step grooves and gritty Americana carried shades of Chat Pile with a distinctly rural edge, even incorporating a banjo into one song. Frontman Carson Henderson eventually stripped down to his boxers in a losing battle against the heat, but the band’s energy never dipped. They’re firmly on our list of bands to watch out for.
Meanwhile, The Bronx delivered exactly the kind of chaotic performance they’re famous for. When a fan climbed one of the tent poles and slid back down, stage management briefly halted proceedings, only encouraging the band to push the crowd even harder stating if you climb the pole you gotta jump off it. Unsurprisingly, another brave soul obliged, sending the tent into absolute bedlam.
Over on the Axiom stage, Superheaven brought their signature blend of bass-heavy shoegaze and grunge, providing a perfect soundtrack as temperatures finally became a little more bearable heading into the evening.
Following the unfortunate cancellation of Alkaline Trio due to illness Don Broco stepped in at the last minute to headline the Main Stage, while Static Dress delivered one of the heavier sets of the day completely levelling The Cave.
My own Thursday ended with a personal highlight as I played my first solo A-Tota-So set over at Camp Frabbit, one of the festival’s intimate after-hours busking stages. It was the perfect way to round off the day before heading back into the arena for the always-brilliant silent disco.
Friday
We kicked things off with Sans Froid, making their long-awaited Trees debut on the Forest Stage. It proved to be one of the standout performances of the entire weekend. Tracks from their excellent new album Back Into The Womb translated beautifully live, while Aisling’s stunning vocal performance was among the very best we heard all weekend. Do not sleep on this band!
After another crushing set from God Complex, we squeezed into an absolutely packed Marshall Stage for Knives, whose set was undoubtedly the hottest of the day. Inside the tent was like an oven and jam packed but nobody was going anywhere anytime soon. The Bristol six-piece delivered a relentless performance that won over countless new fans. Having seemingly played every festival imaginable this summer, they’re rapidly becoming one of the UK’s most exciting live bands.
Recommendations from friends led us to catch a little bit of promising newcomers Reclus.e and Overgrown before grabbing an essential Pad Thai break which was delicious as always. There’s definitely no shortage of great food on site so it can be tough deciding what to go for at times which is always a good problem to have when you love food as much as we do in team bUTTONpUSHER.
Back at the Main Stage, Irish favourites The Scratch continued their rise with an explosive performance that justified their promotion from the Forest Stage. The crowd barely seemed to notice the soaring temperatures, helped considerably by the heroes armed with industrial-sized Super Soakers keeping everyone cool.
MOULD kept momentum high on the Forest Stage before Greywind‘s set was briefly paused due to a medical emergency. Credit goes to the festival’s medical team, who handled the situation swiftly and professionally before the show resumed.
One of the most emotional moments of the weekend came with the long-awaited return of Arcane Roots. Eight years after their hiatus, they were welcomed home by an absolutely packed Axiom tent. Joined by returning drummer Daryl Atkins on a second drum kit and Icelandic composer Bjarni Biering on keys, the expanded lineup sounded even more colossal than before. Every chorus and crushing riff was met with deafening applause, proving just how much this band has been missed.
We closed Friday with the wonderfully ridiculous Battlesnake Silent Disco set. Having blown us away at ArcTanGent last year, they somehow managed to top themselves. Against the backdrop of the illuminated Forest Stage, their theatrical performance created one of the weekend’s most unique experiences.
Saturday
Peach kick started our day with a phenomenal noise rock performance, highlighted by one of the finest vocal displays we’ve ever seen from Ellie Godwin. Her performance genuinely sent shivers down our spines.
We then caught A Forest making his live debut on the Forest Stage, joined by Andrew Groves and Bjarni Biering from Arcane Roots. It was an intimate and beautifully understated performance that left us excited to see where the project goes next.
Over on the Marshall Stage, Bicurious once again proved why they’re one of the best live bands around. Drummer Gavin Purcell somehow generated more crowd interaction than many frontmen manage all weekend, with mosh pits breaking out throughout the set.
Festival veterans Alpha Male Tea Party delivered another typically brilliant performance before Baltimore’s Pinkshift somehow convinced a crowd to launch into circle pits and wall-of-deaths in the middle of a 3pm heatwave. Hopefully it won’t be long before they return to UK shores.
Petrol Girls made a welcome return with their original lineup, delivering a passionate and politically charged set tackling issues including femicide, abortion rights and Palestine. Their performance served as a reminder of the important role music can still play in inspiring conversation and challenging audiences.
Later, Ho99o9 completely demolished the Axiom Stage with one of the most exhilarating performances of the weekend. Crowd surfers poured relentlessly over the barrier while circle pits rarely stopped moving. Unfortunately, their set was cut short after vocalist Yeti Bones decided to climb the tent structure, but by then they’d already cemented themselves as one of the festival’s biggest talking points.
As if there wasn’t enough happening already, Saturday evening also featured the England match, with the festival screening the second half on a giant outdoor screen following Neck Deep‘s headline set.
That’s one of the many reasons 2000trees continues to stand apart. Whether you’re there for the music, comedy, family activities, children’s entertainment or late-night camp sessions, there’s genuinely something for everyone. It remains one of the most welcoming festivals in the country – a festival built by passionate people for passionate music fans, and year after year it somehow continues to raise the bar.
With the festival celebrating its 20th anniversary next year, expectations will be higher than ever. If this year’s edition was anything to go by, 2000trees is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down.
Roll on 2027.