Friday & Saturday of 2000trees, 2026

Before we dive into coverage of the second half of 2000trees, it’s worth taking a bit of time to recap the general mood and feeling of the festival. In our Wednesday and Thursday article, we spoke about some outstanding sets in The Cave from the likes of Truck Violence and Long Goodbye, an unforgettable set from PUP set to the backdrop of The Forest, and the fun of the unexpected Don Broco headliner. What makes 2000trees a festival that we keep returning to, even on the years when we’re a little less keen on the overall lineup, is more than just the quality of the booked acts – it’s the efficiency and cleanliness of the festival, the welcoming atmosphere, and the general stress-free feeling of escapism that the festival provides. Once again, in 2026, 2000trees delivered another outstanding festival experience, with few hiccups.

Despite the pretty oppressing daytime heat, we were able to head into the third day of the festival feeling reasonably energised. There is a fantastic range of quality food vendors to keep attendees well-fed and we rarely had to stand in a queue for longer than 5 minutes (one exception to this rule happened at the taco stand, which we’ll allow, because it’s not their fault that everyone caught on to how good those tacos are). We have highlighted a few of our favourite food purchases throughout our two articles, but there were so many more options to try. The Arbor Ales bar (a Bristol-based brewery) is another unique quirk of 2000trees, offering a range of interesting beers for refreshment.

Finally, the 2000trees experience can be much more than just watching bands and drinking beers, if you want it to be – there is the Word stage which puts on comedy and podcast recordings, Silent Disco DJ and live band sets every night, and late-night busking sets in the camping areas. Although we didn’t attend the nighttime activities due to being locals and going home, we’ve heard good things from those who did.

Turning our attention back to Friday specifically – many will deem a midday start at a festival a tough haul, but at 2000trees an even earlier 10:30am start comes calling. The now well-travelled IOTA’s dense and layered sound rumbles awake any sleepyheads in The Marshall tent, defying the ‘gaze influence stereotypes. IOTA are a band that are simply demanded to be heard. There is a timbre to their sound, as well as a musicianship that commands the attention of the room. Vocalist Jodie’s freedom of the stage ensures that IOTA aren’t a static grungegaze act, as she performs cartwheels and squeezes up against the barrier. IOTA take the prize for being one of the strongest cuttings of this sound across the 2000trees weekend.

Bundled away in The Cave came what was quietly one of the most anticipated sets for many, as the crowd size and energy soon showed. A handful of local bands had been added to the line-up for 2000trees this year – Truck, Saint Senara, Lickshot and Prodigal. For those who have caught the latter across the many shows they’ve played across Cheltenham, Worcester, Stroud, Bristol, London and elsewhere across the South West, the potential of Prodigal was evident once again. Their cocktail of 00s influences from nu-metal, grunge and alt-rock has captured an audience both locally and online, making them perfect fitting for The Cave. Familiar faces were immediately present near the barrier, ready to mosh, dance or simply cheer on Prodigal, bringing out a beaming smile from vocalist Stan Kayley. Prodigal moved through their setlist with ease, performing released material such as “Forever//Forgot” and “Sleepwalk”, mixed in with some unreleased surprises from their forthcoming EP, one with the setlist name of “Pingu”. The excitement for Prodigal is one to believe in, as the next chapter of their story is about to begin.

With the aforementioned Truck immediately following Prodigal, a strong portion of the crowd made their way over to The Forest to see another local on these hills. Their acoustic indie folk sits on the other end of the spectrum to Prodigal’s nu-metal inspired sound, as their uplifting beats and whimsical sound echoed throughout the rustic setting. As Lickshot showed on Saturday with the ska sound and Saint Serena showed with their country folk fables on Thursday, there is a range of sound to what Gloucestershire’s local scene has to offer. For many, it would have been an unnoticed detail to this year’s 2000trees line-up, but for Gloucestershire locals, it’s something that would be valuable to maintain on future line-ups, giving bands and artists from this part of the world a marker to aim for and ensuring that 2000trees contributes towards further fostering the ever growing scene here.

A much needed heaviness was brought back to The Cave by the legends that are God Complex. There always seems to be a curse each year on The Cave of one band suffering from tech issues, with Love Is Noise having to pull their set after only two songs due to laptop failure in 2025. This time wasn’t as severe, as microphone issues only briefly stunted the start of God Complex’s set. The North-West unit raged through the likes of “Deeper Form of Sleep”, “Breeding Filth” and “The Judge”, and the crowd complied with movement, yet as the set went on, the traffic towards front didn’t quite enter full force like it did for Long Goodbye the day before. Nevertheless, Harry Rule continues to be a leading talisman for God Complex, with his on-stage musings always being an amusing listen. Unfortunately, the set ended rather abruptly due to the time lost from the earlier sound issues, and with the crowd shouting for the band to play “Slumlord”, it didn’t give the set its closing moment on either that or “Flooded Lungs” – rather, there was an “exit to stage left” sense to what would have been an anticipated set for many onlookers.

The heat came to bear down on the Friday afternoon, and some weariness came with it. Ice cream, sunscreen, Frank Water’s chilled water stall and small meals were part of the key to survival of the heat – for us, a trio of samosas with some fresh salad provided a much-needed revival. Shade was the other important factor. Shade was often limited, with “The Cave tree” and the covered seated area becoming two prime spots for those seeking shade. Those remaining down towards Main Stage or wanting to use the WiFi hotspot wall were left to roast in the blazing sun. One location that became the mainstay for many over the weekend was of course The Forest, as hammocks were hung between the trees and camping chairs were dotted around the hill looking down on the stage. Those seeking refuge in The Forest that afternoon would have been treated to the likes of Sans Froid, SLAG, Anthony Green and Mould. As expected, Anthony Green’s performance was the one that garnered the most attention, due to their work in Circa Survive, Saosin and L.S Dunes. The set was mainly composed of their solo work, with “Get Out” by Circa Survive included for good measure, and there was a rustic warmth to it that fitted the atmosphere for The Forest. Anthony had a strong stage presence but was the performance was measured enough to never feel crammed in by the smaller stage. These Forest stage vocalist sets seem to be ever popular each year, as Vinnie Caruna showed the following day too.

The old school punk stylings of MOULD shifted the atmosphere into a higher tempo and stomping style, showcasing once again the variety this stage has, and another reason why so many people set up here either for the weekend or good portions of the day. Another convenience of the schedule changes was Militarie Gun being moved across to Main Stage, as post-hardcore unit are often bundled in with the hardcore acts, even though their appeal has now outgrown that. Militarie Gun’s lively and anthemic sound basked in the sun of the late afternoon, with the shimmering guitars and the expansive vocals Ian Shelton a perfect fit for the summer backdrop. Later on, the aforementioned Anthony Green made a vocal appearance.

For all the success of the Militarie Gun set, the Sunny Day Real Estate set that followed did fall flatter. They were in a similar spot to Coheed and Cambria last year, i.e. as the crowd rests up and queues for their tacos, so the wider energy was lacking. While this wasn’t to fault the musicianship of Sunny Day Real Estate, their sound or stage presence wasn’t the one to bring a crowd or atmosphere back to life.

What could be seen as the main event of the day, if not the weekend, was the return of Arcane Roots. Both 2000trees and ArcTanGent are fitting festivals for them to return through, with an audience of an age that will remember Arcane Roots at their peak nearly a decade ago, and have likely been awaiting their return since their hiatus in 2018. The Axiom was full to the rafters with an air of anticipation to it, before the crushing synths and light show took off, adding a piece of theatre to it all. As “Matter” and “Off the Floor” swung into action, portions of the crowd sung back the latter. Noting the skilled manner in which Arcane Roots perform their craft, any unknowing onlookers wouldn’t think this is a band that has been gone for the near part of a decade. Throughout the set, Arcane Roots were shadowed in among the red and flashing lights of a photographer’s worst nightmare, with each precise detail thought through to ensure the grandiose of Arcane Roots’ festival return. Closing out with the electric “If Nothing Breaks, Nothing Moves”, as live returns go, this might be the strongest one yet.

While it may be one for the wiser among the 2000trees die-hards, Funeral for a Friend may be the first to perform in the headline slot without their original vocalist. Trivia isn’t the main function of this headliner, even if Funeral for a Friend do continue to drift into that territory as the years pass by, as the nostalgia factor continues to slowly fade. An enthusiastic Lucas Woodland yells out “we’re Funeral For A Friend and we’re all the rage”, as the Holding Absence frontman’s temporary role filling in as vocalist has now become a permanent fixture. The Welshman does a fine job here, belting through the now well-versed hits of “This Year’s Most Open Heartbreak” and “Roses for the Dead”. Ben Barlow of Neck Deep makes an appearance during “Juneau” to add to the flair of the headliner. Despite the lingering sense that the nostalgia of it all is on a timer, slowly ticking away, Funeral for a Friend showed no signs of rustiness and pulled out a solid performance from all departments.

Opening up the final morning on The Cave stage was another aforementioned Gloucestershire band, Lickshot. Lickshot are a breath of fresh air in the underground music scene, as they have successfully taken on the challenge of fusing multiple genres (including ska, punk, DnB, nu-metal, and probably more) in a way that feels creative and intelligent rather than gimmicky. This refreshing sound was much welcomed at 2000trees, as the tent was noticeably busy for that early time of day, and the crowd was adorned with several energetic onlookers wearing Lickshot caps and t-shirts. In between pausing to shout-out a nod to The Skint’s “tight” reggae punk set in the Forest the night before and humbly thanking the audience for their support, they absolutely blasted through some of their best tracks and their set proved to be a delightful way to start the final day. Ska-based music is not to everyone’s tastes, and it’s easy to dismiss it, but Lickshot’s new EP Lick is highly worth taking a chance on – it would be completely unsurprising if some skeptical onlookers also walked away as new Lickshot fans after hearing some of it live. Yes yes lickshottas.

Another offering of grungegaze made a home on the Marshall Stage. The band thistle. are proof that there’s more to Northampton than the national lift tower. Fusing in different elements of noise rock and a hint of Brit pop sensibility with their baseline grunge-y sound meant that thistle. stood out from the hefty amount of grunge-adjacent sounds that were present across the rest of the 2000trees lineup. Sadly though, the Marshall Stage was an absolute sauna, probably due to the lack of cross-flow ventilation across the tent, which made it a struggle to properly enjoy thistle. and most of the other bands that played there.

Cooler pastures over in The Axiom, The Forest and Main Stage brought delightful tunes and musings. The unassuming Lakes performed a memorable set which was one of our favourite surprises of the weekend, as their multi-instrumental sound brought in a trumpet, xylophone, synths and a collection of guitars. The array of members and the almost playful nature of their sound ensured that their slower, American Football-styled sound, kept the audience engaged; a trumpet circle pit was formed as their set approached the end.

Pulling double duty for the day between performing in The Forest and then later in The Cave (fronting I Am The Avalanche) was Vinnie Caruana, who continued the more laid back sentiment the Saturday had begun with. Their singer-songwriter songs felt at home among the trees, even if the set did double up as a stand up routine for Caruana, who joked about steaming his ex-partner’s guinea pigs and not allowing his band to replace him if he died.

Pinkshift’s powerhouse pop-punk cross emo is another act, that much like Pool Kids the day before, are simply made to play at 2000trees. As Ashrita Kumar’s voice commanded the stage and rhythm, Pinkshift’s energy dominated the Main Stage and ensured that they are a band that will no doubt be at 2000trees again over the coming years.

While it is a different beast than it has been in bygone years, The Word stage still holds its own special place at 2000trees. The days of discussions on the impacts of social media, music nostalgia and appearances from Extinction Rebellion are gone, but it’s still a stage that many are drawn into, as many were as they wandered by during the performance from the TV Party Tonight (A TV Theme Tune Band). Outside of numerous activities designed for kids, there is a superb line-up of comedy acts present each night, which always have a crowd to laugh along to their quips. The event that had the Word stage full to the rafters was the 2Promoters1Pod live recording, as a huge amount of people turned up to catch the musings of James Scarlett (2000trees and Arctangent organiser) and Gavin McInally (of Damnation Festival). It’s an outing of insight, as James tells the tales of dealing with the Alkaline Trio cancellation situation and key members of staff breaking their hips in quad-bike accidents. The newly upgraded Word stage is worthy of its place at 2000trees, providing a space for something other than music.

On the Friday and Saturday, we attended The Cave stage noticeably less. After an impressive Thursday line-up, the following two days lacked as much appeal. We did make some forays to catch the likes of Luxury Apartments and Petrol Girls, but ultimately, both fitted into the largely non-distinct sounds that occupied much of The Cave on the Friday and Saturday. There were the likes of Bodyweb and Reclus.É who have impressed us when we’ve caught them at other outings, yet they lacked the must see sentiment, due to both having played a fair few shows recently. The booking in The Cave over previous years had become strong enough that it would warrant a ticket to 2000trees just for The Cave, with the likes of Terminal Sleep, Spaced, Love Letter, Better Lovers and Gouge Away gracing the stage in recent years. Any inventive or eye-catching booking beyond a handful of acts had been absent this year and with so many acts such as Initiate, Dying Wish, Car Underwater and the aforementioned Volatile Ways in and around the country that were simply not booked, The Cave was largely a disappointment this year. The stage just didn’t feel like it was living up to its name and the precedent set from previous years – it was lacking in full heaviness apart from a few bands, most notably Long Goodbye and God Complex.

This made exploration more of a precedent and gave us time to indulge in other genres, for example the likes of High Regard, a poppy alt-rock band who we’ve always had a soft spot for. It’s difficult not to get a High Regard lyric stuck in the mind, and they offer up a more lightweight version of this brand of music that is simply there to be enjoyed. Picking out some of their best in “Red Lights”, “Mirror Glass” and “Red Lights”, there is sheer enthusiasm to their set that is difficult not to appreciate. While their sound did project rather thin at times on The Forest stage, it did not take away from the moment that many had been waiting for in the set. As grand finale “Dead To Me” spun into action, Charlie Rolfe of As Everything Unfolds entered for their live feature, this being the first time it’s occurred live.

This felt like a teaser for the As Everything Unfolds set which was on The Axiom shortly after. As Everything Unfolds are an act who many will have seen before over the years and they are a well-oiled machine at the moment. This shines through given how good As Everything Unfolds sound in The Axiom, despite Rolfe’s apology that she “went too hard at My Chem last night”. Each element of their sound was tightly performed, rumbling a packed yet quiet crowd into moments of life, as Rolfe joked that “even for those who just know On the Side” to get further engagement from the crowd. While As Everything Unfolds are at their best with a crowd as equally vibrant as they are on stage, it was still absolutely grand to catch one of the UK’s finest live acts.

The return of Marmozets wouldn’t be complete without a main stage appearance at Upcote Farm. Truly an authentic 2000trees band, it’s evident the festival’s faithful have been waiting for this one. A thesaurus could be eaten laying out all the words to describe Marmozet’s galvanizing performance, the swagger and style that made them such a force in the past decade, all still meticulously present. An early showing from “Move, Shake, Hide” reminds the crowd what an absolute corker it is, as Becca Bottomley performs it with an everlasting force, all while being heavily pregnant. Cuttings from their latest album make an appearance, and although these tracks are less familiar to the crowd, this doesn’t dampen the energy. As expected, “Captivate You” is where this Marmozet set hits one of its peaks. There’s little doubt that this has to be one of the finest alternative tracks of the past decade, even to this day, as a jubilant crowd diligently sings along. As “Major System Errors” blasts out, Marmozets still have their prowess unlike no other. Fingers crossed it won’t be another eight year wait until they return to Upcote Farm again.

For all of what Marmozets was, glassjaw merely wasn’t. Given all the buzz around their appearance, it had all the air of a band going through the motions. However, there were a die-hard consortium who were much into what glassjaw had to offer, so Siberian Kiss could lift the glassjaw set to a festival worthy of appearance. Nevertheless, Daryl Palumbo’s back and forth across the stage was in the manner of someone trying to reach their daily step targets, and Justin Peck’s movements were akin to that of a loose windmill. This sits alongside a sense that Main Stage just might not be the right setting for a band that is best when their sound feels in your face. For all the hype and noise around this glassjaw set, it was a set that simply happened. For us, and many others, this uneventful set just provided a moment to sit and enjoy the late sun of the final evening, supplemented with friends, burgers and some cold beers.

It’s now at the point where most people would like to forget about it, but this was also the day that a World Cup football match was on. There were plenty of England shirts being donned around Upcote Farm and even some Scotland ones, which served as a kind reminder that at least England hadn’t gone out in the group stages. In that vein, there’s probably no better band to spark that World Cup spirit than High Vis. Their punk rock sound, that flirts with post-punk and similar influences that were the foundation of the Britpop era, makes for music that would quite easily suit one of those fancy BBC World Cup montages. Graham Sayl led the charge on the likes of “Guided Tour”, “Mind’s a Lie” and “Trauma Bonds” while donning an England shirt of their own. The crowd belted many of the lyrics back to High Vis, warming up the vocal chords for what was to be a quarter-final of much intrigue.

As the Cotswold Hills fall silent for another year and the rumblings of the 20th anniversary 2000trees begin, there’s a nagging sense that line-up choices are being saved for the big occasion. As many know, that is merely one part of 2000trees. It’s still one of the best, if not the best, festival that this country has to offer. It offers an idyllic location, five varied and generally strong stages and an incredibly friendly community. Essentially, while the line-up may vary, every other aspect of 2000trees remains as strong as ever. As the guessing games begin for who will headline next year and the dream line-ups are drawn up, it is the start of what will be one for the ages next at 2000trees. Let’s just hope there’s a bit more shade next year.