2000 Trees 2026 Preview

Festival season is once again upon us! 

With the meteoric start to the season coming from Takedown Festival down on the South Coast at Portsmouth Guildhall, followed by bank holiday heroes Slam Dunk and then OG monsters Download that means only one thing ... 

It's nearly 2000 Trees time! 

Starting all the way back in 2007, the hallowed ground of Upcote Farm in Cheltenham has become a second home for plenty of us, with incredible line ups year after year that keep bringing us back! 

Trees does us all a favour by finishing on the Saturday, giving us a day to recover before we all go back to our day jobs on the Monday! This alongside the incredible line ups, the stage set ups (who doesn't want a stage in a forest!?) and the impeccable vibes in the crowd are only some of the reasons you will find me there every single July! 

While the main stage has the headliners and bigger bands, the true heart of Trees is within its smaller, iconic stages. This year, the festival doubles down on its commitment to the underground and the upcoming, with a lineup that showcases the heavy, the outright wild and the underground. 

Here's some of my top picks from the undercard that I recommend you check out during your weekend at Upcote Farm! 

Body Web - Playing The Cave at 14.00pm on Saturday. 

These guys have been on my radar for a little while, with their electric genre bending sounds and absorbing members of various different bands including Naomi of Empire State Bastard, Ben of Pest Control and Louis of Higher Power/Big Cheese they're described as a "nu hardcore quintet". Which, if I had to try and describe them I think works quite well! If you're a fan of your break downs, great vocals and what no doubt will be hectic pits ... Get yourself down to The Cave on Saturday! If you can't see them at Trees though, they'll also be supporting Knocked Loose at their Bristol and Nottingham dates as well as a UK support tour with Superheaven this July! 

Alt BLK Era Playing The Forest Stage at 22.15pm on Friday. 

If you've not heard of this powerhouse sister duo before... Definitely get to know them before their set at Trees! 

Hailing from Nottingham and made up of Sisters Nyrobi and Chaya, they've been making moves through the scene since they started playing together in 2020. If you've seen this pair before, you know how energetic their live shows are and how much they involve their crowds! For example, when I saw them in Southampton at Heartbreakers last year, they had the crowd split and people catwalk! Not something I'd seen at a show before... But also....why not eh!? I'm looking forward to seeing what these girls bring toó their Forest Stage performance! I think we are gonna be in for a treat! 

Beauty School - Playing The Main Stage at 13.00pm on Friday. 

Ok hear me out ... I know loads of you will say, " Lu they're playing the main stage, they're not exactly from the undercard!?" But! Hear me out! These guys have been cutting their teeth in the Leeds scene for a good few years now. Having toured with the likes of The Wonder Years, as well as Hot Mulligan. These guys have graced the stages of Slam Dunk and Trees previously... And with good reason! They're lovingly known as Yorkshire's answer to Mid West Emo, and ... well they're right! They won't be the heaviest band you'll see at Trees, but if you like your Pop Punk/Emo cross overs, you'll absolutely love these guys! 

They've played under different names over the years, but I can see these guys rapidly going up the main stage into evening slots in the coming years! 

High Regard - Playing The Forest Stage at 15.35pm on Saturday. 

Ah these guys are a familiar face on the pod! Simon has chatted to both previously at Trees and via zoom before! I loved these guys last time I saw them at Trees, their set in the forest included their bassist Matt jumping the barrier with his bass and running straight into the very excited crowd! Their single "Dead To Me" earning them national radio play and earning them the prestigious title of "Future Alternative Best UK Band" from BBC Radio 1; these guys continue to go from strength to strength! This isn't their first rodeo with the Forest Stage, and I can't wait to see what they bring to their mid afternoon set on the Saturday! 

Carsick - Opening The Main Stage at 11.00am on Saturday 

There is no better hangover cure on a Saturday morning than 30 mins of unadulterated chaos! They may be opening the main stage, but their live shows are utter carnage in the best possible way! Their latest album social smoker released this month and with them being championed by the likes of BBC Radio 6 Music, Radio X and Kerrang... I have no doubt as they release more singles off this album they'll go far! I've caught these guys on a couple of support slots in the past in Southampton - notably most recently for Pet Needs at the end of last year! But they've also supported the likes of Million Dead! The OG band of Festival favourite and friend, Frank Turner! So, get yourselves outta your tents on Saturday morning and give these guys a listen! They'll be a lively wake up call and help you brush off that hangover! 

Now the only question remaining is, who am I gonna see in the field? Weekend tickets are still available for the glorious Trees as well as day and evening tickets!

Get your tickets here