PREVIEW: 2000trees Festival 2024

Gigs

9 Jul

This Wednesday through Saturday (10-13 July), the very best of the alt scene will converge at Upcote Farm in Cheltenham for one of our absolute favourite events of the year: 2000trees Festival! Celebrated for its eclectic lineup and vibrant atmosphere, 2000trees consistently stands out as a pinnacle of festival experiences. This year’s lineup is absolutely stacked from bottom to top, featuring the likes of Los Campesinos!, The Menstrual Cramps, Bears In Trees, and Kid Bookie. As of this writing, there are still a handful of 3-day and daily tickets available, so if you haven’t already secured yours, make sure to grab one and experience the best weekend of the year.

In an innovative twist, 2000trees is pioneering an exclusive silent disco experience on the Forest Stage, with live bands performing each night. This initiative will enhance the late-night festival vibe, allowing attendees to enjoy live performances well after the headliners have finished, and underscores the festival’s commitment to unique entertainment experiences.

2000trees holds a special place in our hearts, consistently delivering exceptional moments. Our co-founder Thom is brimming with excitement over the addition of Los Campesinos!, his all-time favourite band. This marks their first outdoor UK festival appearance since 2014, and with the band committing to debut tracks from their upcoming seventh album, their set is poised to be an unmissable highlight for many festival-goers. Reconnecting with familiar faces such as BEX and Other Half adds a special touch to our festival experience. Additionally, we're eagerly anticipating the live performances of some of our recent favourites like Sweet Pill and Cherym. All of this contributes to our almost uncontrollable excitement for this year's festival.

This year's festival also carries a bittersweet note with the final performance of Palm Reader and a band dear to our hearts, Exit Child. In a headlining coup, British rock outfit Don Broco secures the third and ultimate main stage spot for 2024. Making their debut at 2000trees and delivering their only live show of 2024, Don Broco guarantees a memorable performance. Their inclusion fulfils a decade-long quest to book them, adding an extra layer of significance to their presence at Upcote Farm.

2000trees is dedicated to community and sustainability, working closely with charities like TREE AID, Frank Water, and Attitude is Everything. The festival offers a range of activities for all ages, with the Word Stage hosting family-friendly programming each morning, ensuring that 2000trees remains inclusive and engaging for all attendees. In addition to music, 2000trees prides itself on offering some of the best local food stalls, ensuring a diverse culinary experience that caters to all tastes.

With so many great bands performing over five stages, navigating the festival lineup can be a little overwhelming. But don’t worry—get set for the festival with our day-by-day, stage-by-stage breakdowns, so you know who not to miss and ensure you have the best 2000trees experience yet.

Wednesday

As has been the case for the past few years, 2000trees gives fans a sneak peek of what to expect from the festival proper with an intimate offering on Wednesday, exclusively for those who have purchased the 4-day or additional Wednesday tickets. If you haven’t already secured one, sadly they have all sold out by now. But if you have, you are in for a treat as the festival serves up a mouthwatering preview of the Forest and Word stages.

The Forest Stage serves as the de facto main stage for the day, and if you haven’t experienced 2000trees’ Forest Stage, you’re in for a treat. It’s situated deep within a forest glade on a hand-built wooden stage with a natural amphitheatre, providing a decent sitting vantage point for those of us a little longer in the tooth. To say the lineup on Wednesday is stacked would be an understatement. Kicking things off at 3 PM will be the last-ever appearance of alt-rockers Exit Child, who announced their disbandment earlier this year. Things only get better from there, with Pet Needs following Exit Child. After Pet Needs, it will be time for one of the hottest UK-based bands, Lambrini Girls, who will hit the stage with a fury of riotous punk energy. If their recent singles “God’s Country” and “Body of Mine” are anything to go by, expect one of the festival's most memorable sets. Then we get a flurry of heavy hitters as Dead Pony are followed by The Xcerts and Dream State before headliners Boston Manor hit the stage in what is sure to be a sweaty and intense experience. But the music doesn’t stop there, as something unique happens as we approach the witching hour. Cody Frost will take the stage in a Silent Disco live set before the Silent Disco DJs take over and keep the party going till 2 AM.

Over on the even more intimate Word Stage, there will be a whole host of fun when our friends and one of the UK’s most infectious live bands, Kite Thief, get the party started at 3:30 PM. Expect a set that will leave you hot and sweaty as the band rips through bangers like “Jude Judy & Executioner,” “Goldsick,” and “Shush” in what will be, for the Bristol-based band, pretty much a festival homecoming. Then it will be time for the punk-infused indie of Salisbury’s CARSICK before we get the onslaught of Enola Gray, followed by Frozemode and The Wytches, all before The 900 throw it all back with a covers set of some of the best tracks from the legendary Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game series. Be prepared to be transported back to the early 2000s with some absolute bangers.

Thursday

After Wednesday's sneak peek, the festival truly kicks into high gear on Thursday with what promises to be one of the strongest lineups we've ever seen. You might want to invent a cloning device or a time machine to capture all the action as the Main, Axiom, Cave, and NEU stages join the mix.

You'll have to get up early, no matter how hungover you are from Wednesday's action, to catch the infectiously amazing pop-punk of Cherym (pronounced Chair-um) on the Main Stage at 11 AM. Their debut record, Take It Or Leave It, is a must-listen, and it would be criminal to miss their set. Elsewhere on the Main Stage, there’s a strong showing starting at 1 PM with SNYAX and Dead Pony back to back. We urge you to catch the alt-pop of Cassyette at 4:10 PM, followed by a closing trio of Kids In Glass Houses, Manchester Orchestra, and The Gaslight Anthem.

The Axiom hits hard straight out of the gate with Bristol-based noise merchants Knives opening at 11:30 AM, followed by another must-see band, Shooting Daggers, at 12:30 PM. The queercore trio will bring all the Love & Rage to the stage, sure to cure any hangover. The closing trio of Spanish Love Songs, Boston Manor, and Hot Mulligan, kicking off at 4:45 PM with Spanish Love Songs, is not to be missed.

For those whose tastes veer to the heavier side, The Cave will be your home away from home at 2000trees. The back-to-back billing of Vower and Knife Bride at 2 and 3 PM is bound to get the ground shaking, likely causing seismic activity in the Gloucestershire countryside. Elsewhere at The Cave, expect a RUCKUS! when Cali post-hardcores Movements hit the stage, and make sure you're there for headliners Better Lovers at 9:35 PM.

Music festivals are not just about catching your favourite bands but also discovering new artists to get obsessed with. If you're on the hunt for the next great sound, the NEU stage has you covered. Thursday's lineup hits the ground running with Blank Atlas at 10:30 AM, a band that describes their sound as a mix of McFly and Meshuggah—expect something riffy and very different. At 11:30 AM, it's time for another Bristol band, The Menstrual Cramps, who have arguably had the biggest impact this festival season with their spearheading of The Bands Boycott Barclays campaign. Their ACAB collection of singles released since signing to Alcopop! Records has been phenomenal. The punk spirit doesn’t end there on the NEU stage: at 1:30 PM, we have Meryl Streek, who is on the verge of blowing up this year, and Canadian garage punks NOBRO at 3:35 PM. Don't miss the angry, shouty Glaswegian indie from Gallus at 4:50 PM.

If you need to chill out or let your emotions run free, head to the Forest Stage at 12:10 PM for the emotive punk of Spanish Love Songs, playing the first of their two sets at this year’s 2000trees. At 4:40 PM, Bristol rockers Kite Thief will turn the Forest into a party with their set. At 8:35 PM, making their first appearance at a UK outdoor festival since 2014 will be the greatest band of all time, Los Campesinos! With a brilliant new album dropping next week, expect a set filled with bangers from their back catalogue and the live UK debut of many tracks from their forthcoming album "All Hell." Headlining the Forest Stage at 10 PM will be sister duo ALT BLK ERA, but stick around for live Silent Disco sets from Mimi Barks and The Hara later into the night.

Friday

Another early start at the Main Stage sees punk firecracker BEX getting everyone going at 11 AM. If you haven’t caught BEX live before, her opening set on the Main Stage is too good an opportunity to miss. At 12 PM, get ready for some Norwegian pop-punk as Sløtface hits the stage. At 2:10 PM, the pop-punk gets a metal edge with Nottingham’s As December Falls. Things are bound to go supernova at 4:50 PM when Mercury-nominated duo Nova Twins take the stage. If there’s one act you can’t afford to miss on the Main Stage on Friday, it’s the grim-punk duo Bob Vylan at 8:10 PM. Bobby and Bobbie never fail to put on a show, and you can expect their Friday night set to be no exception.

Heavy rock trio Mouth Culture get things going on The Axiom at 11:30 AM, kicking off your day with a loud and sweaty start. At 1:40 PM, it’s Tropic Gold’s turn to join the 2000trees action. In what is the day’s strongest back-to-back billing, we see two of our absolute faves, Sweet Pill and Bears In Trees, performing consecutively. Sweet Pill not only dropped one of the year’s best EPs, but they have also been kicking up a storm in the UK with a pair of standout performances at Outbreak and a tour with SUDS that seems so fun it should be illegal. Catch them making 2000trees their own at 4:15 PM. Then, at 5:45 PM, it’s time for the mighty Bears In Trees. This year’s rebirth album How to Build an Ocean: Instructions was non-stop bangers from start to finish, and no band can make melancholy sound as fun as Bears In Trees. The Axiom is headlined by Manchester’s pop-punk-fueled duo Hot Milk, who never fail to deliver a jaw-dropping experience.

Fans of the heavy stuff are in for a treat at 11 AM when Fangs Out open The Cave with a wake-up call that's bound to make everything feel that bit better. At 3:30 PM, unpeople will bring a kaleidoscope of erratic, noisy influences to the stage in what is set to be an unforgettable set. The back-to-back pairing of Blood Command at 6:25 PM and Palm Reader at 8:10 PM provides a mouthwatering opportunity for those looking to mosh at 2000trees.

The NEU stage is packed with bands on the verge of breakout. Kicking off the morning at 10:30 AM, Basingstoke punks Buds. get everything going, and frankly, we can't think of a better way to start a Friday morning—it certainly beats a standup with the accounting team. At 12:30 PM, Belfast’s Problem Patterns hit the stage. If you've never caught the band live, you're in for a treat as they deliver some of the best punk rock out there, revolving around their instrument swapping and dynamic lead vocals. Next up, a band we absolutely adore at The Scene and one of the UK’s best live acts, Norwich’s finest noise makers Other Half take the stage fresh off the release of their brilliant third album, Dark Agesim. Then, at 7:20 PM, get ready to experience a whirlwind of emotions as CLT DRP lights up the stage.

The Forest presents an eclectic treasure trove of goodness. Don’t miss the pairing of Wooden Dog at 11:30 AM, followed by acoustic songwriter and sheep farmer Tom Jenkins at 12:15 PM, which should provide a treat for those looking for some woodland magic. Elsewhere in The Forest, Manchester’s Loose Articles at 4:40 PM are sure to get the crowd going. For those who just want to party, the funky punk vibes of Thumpasaurus at 9:05 PM are sure to set your Friday night up in the best mood.

Saturday

2000trees wraps up on Saturday with another jam-packed day of alt goodness. Start things off bright and early on the Main Stage at 11 AM with some good old punk from The Meffs, then stick around for some noise from ‘68 at 12 PM. Get ready to cry and sing along when Winchester’s finest, Frank Turner, hits the stage at 7 PM, before Don Broco close out the Main Stage with a UK festival exclusive appearance.

The Axiom seems like the place to be on Saturday, starting bright and early with Brighton’s ‘snake eyes at 11:30 AM, followed by the emo stylings of the excellently named Michael Cera Palin at 12:30 PM. Aussie punks Press Club take the stage at 2:30 PM. Then, we get a back-to-back billing of scene legends: first up, Into It. Over It. brings their unique blend of emo to the 2000trees crowd at 4:35 PM, followed by Canadian dance-punk duo Death From Above 1979, who will transport us back to 2004 with the sound that kickstarted the whole nu-rave scene.

The Cave is yet again the epicenter of noisy, moshy goodness with a strong showing throughout. Pizzatramp at 11 AM will get the pit going, followed by Cauldron at 2 PM and Every Hell at 3 PM, setting the stage for a riot. Who knows what state it will be in when one of the very best live bands, Angel Du$t, hits the stage, but one thing is for certain: it will be sweaty and amazing. Electro-rock duo WARGASM will close The Cave in complete and utter style.

The NEU stage opens with a trio of Bristolian goodness: TikTok's favorite nu-gazers Split Chain open proceedings at 10:30 AM, followed by Mould at 11:30 AM, and Peach at 12:30 PM. It's a festival, and hopefully kind of sunny out, but we all want to embrace our gothic side every now and then, and Newport’s The Nightmares at 3:30 PM present an absolutely perfect opportunity for us to dive into our dark selves.

It’s safe to say that the Forest is going to be noisy on Saturday. Alt-rockers Interlaker hit the stage at 1 PM before Roe Kapara performs at 3:15 PM. Two of the most engaging presences in the UK alt-scene are bound to be among many people’s highlights as Harpy hits the stage at 6:50 PM, followed by Kid Bookie, who will rip the Forest a new one with what is set to be a blistering performance. Skinny Lister brings the stage to a climax before Delilah Bon and Calva Louise keep the silent disco live party going late into the night.