2000 Trees - 2025 review

Lu Wilson
Jul 16
3 min read

Updated: Jul 18

If you were at the ever so wonderful Trees this year... You'll know how much of a scorcher it has been! With temperatures at over 30c everyday it was a very warm weekend in the forest!

If you've not had the pleasure of 2000 Trees before, it's a glorious festival set on Upcote farm in Gloucestershire! With a line up ranging from Drag Queen Story Hour, to Taking back Sunday and Alexisonfire to heavy hitter's such as the incredible Employed To Serve. It really is a festival that suits everyone!

Trees is a festival which prides itself on inclusivity, and it's conscious effort to be aware and this is visible both amongst the site itself and with the staff! Everyone is welcome at Trees, and everyone is friendly! Trees is a festival where I have always felt safe, I have always felt welcomed and have never felt conscious or uncomfortable. A welcome feeling!

Unfortunately we couldn't make the Wednesday this year, due to some prior commitments. But if you're coming to the festival it's well worth considering getting a Wednesday ticket! Although the full site isn't open, they do phenomenal Forest stage sets! Which as the name suggests, is set in the forest! A stage carved out of wood and surrounded by Trees!

Thursday was a double headliner day this year with Pvris and Kneecap headlining! There's been a lot of chatter about Kneecap these last few months, and even questions as to whether they would headline or not. But, the festival stood by them and they smashed out a fantastic headline Thursday slot to a huge crowd, having played previously at the festival lower down the line up, and also noting this being their only English festival headline slot this summer! Pvris will always be a fan favourite too, singing classics like St Patrick! Thursday for me goes to The Hunna lads though! Having supported them for years, they go from strength to strength and their new song "Hide and Seek" is an instant classic, a beautiful summer hit!

Friday was another double headliner with Coheed and Cambria alongside elder emo favourites Taking back Sunday! Hearing "Cute without the E" and "Welcome Home", was so incredibly nostalgic, simultaneously making me feel 15 again, whilst also being so happy that as an adult I finally got to see these bands!

Trees always brings together incredible line ups, marrying up up and coming bands alongside fan favourites and extra special sets on the infamous Forest stage each year. Friday also saw the very special and very busy "not so secret" set from Frank Turner down in the forest! Playing "Love, Ire&Song" in full acoustic, an album which means so much to many. Including not so often played hits such as "Jet Lag!" A set which will not be forgotten in a hurry!

The beauty of Trees is the community it has built. People come back to Trees every year, and will purchase tickets before they even know the line up. The line up at Trees although a large pull for people, isn't the only reason people will keep coming back, nor is it the standalone reason it's got such a great reputation as a festival! The line up is always top tier, but things like reasonable bar prices (Heroes buy Beeros!), friendly crowds and great food put this place above the rest for a lot of folk!

Saturday finishes off the festival, giving everyone time to sort out before going back to work on Monday!

Saturday night saw the incredible Alexisonfire headline the mainstage, with a stunning set (only missing one song that I wanted to hear!), whilst over on the the Forest stage, Rory closed out the festival with an unreal performance! (Looking forward to seeing her at Southampton guildhall later this year!) My Saturday highlight could go to a few bands, but I'm choosing Employed to Serve. They absolutely blew everyone away with their mid afternoon set on the main stage, and speaking to Justine from the band after their set, I am excited to see them live again very soon!

A phenomenal but very warm weekend in the forest, but a festival I will forevermore come back to time and time again.

My personal highlights from the line up who I intensely recommend you check out and I think everyone will adore from across the weekend are...

(In no particular order!)

La Dispute

Million Dead

Jools

Lowlives

Twin Atlantic

The Hunna

The Hara

Unpeople

San Demas