Above image from 2000trees.co.uk
Every festival likes to claim it's different, but 2000trees is one of the few that genuinely feels that way.
As the gates prepare to open once again at Upcote Farm next week, excitement is already building for what looks like another huge weekend packed with some of the best alternative, punk, hardcore and rock bands on the planet. While bigger festivals continue to chase bigger crowds, 2000trees has always managed to hold onto the thing that makes people keep coming back year after year – it still feels like a festival built by music fans, for music fans.
And honestly, this year's line-up might be one of the strongest they've put together yet.
At the top of the bill sit Neck Deep, Alkaline Trio and Funeral For A Friend, three bands capable of producing genuinely unforgettable headline moments. Neck Deep's rise over the last decade has been incredible to watch, going from small club shows to becoming one of the defining names in modern pop-punk, and their headline set feels like a massive milestone both for the band and the festival itself.
Then there's Funeral For A Friend. For so many people attending Trees this year, seeing them back on a major festival stage will be one of the most anticipated moments of the entire weekend. Expect plenty of nostalgia, plenty of emotion and probably a few voices disappearing by the end of the set.
But as anyone who has been to 2000trees before will tell you, the real magic often happens long before the headliners walk on stage.
The beauty of this festival has always been its ability to throw incredible bands at you from the second you wake up until the early hours of the morning. One minute you're watching a band you've loved for years, the next you're standing in a packed tent wondering how you've somehow never heard your new favourite artist before.
This year's undercard is absolutely insane!
Glassjaw, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Bronx, Cancer Bats, High Vis, SPRINTS, Lambrini Girls, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Superheaven, Bad Nerves and The Dirty Nil are just a handful of the names spread across the weekend, and that's before you even start diving deeper into the line-up.
High Vis feel destined for one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. Their rise over the past few years has been impossible to ignore, and their blend of post-hardcore, punk and indie influences has made them one of the most exciting live bands around right now.
Lambrini Girls meanwhile seem physically incapable of playing a quiet set. Every performance they give feels completely chaotic in the best possible way, and with a 2000trees crowd behind them, things could get very interesting very quickly.
Lake Malice - Credit: Callum Linklater
For those looking to discover their next obsession, there are plenty of names worth paying attention to. Lake Malice continue to prove why they're one of the hottest prospects in alternative music, while Split Chain's recent momentum suggests they won't be playing smaller stages for much longer. ALT BLK ERA, Mouth Culture and Beauty School all arrive carrying serious hype too, making those early-day set times arguably just as important as the headline slots.
Of course, the music is only part of the reason people love this festival.
There is something about the atmosphere at 2000trees that feels completely different to almost anywhere else. Maybe it's the size of the site. Maybe it's the endless surprises that seem to happen every year. Whatever it is, there's a sense of community here that bigger festivals often struggle to replicate.
By the time the weekend is over there will inevitably be stories of surprise appearances, secret sets, unforgettable singalongs and pits that completely got out of hand. There will be bands that exceed already sky-high expectations and others that arrive as unknown names before leaving as one of the most talked-about acts of the weekend.
That's what 2000trees does better than almost anyone. It isn't just a festival where you go to watch bands. It's a festival where memories are made.
With one of the most exciting line-ups in recent memory and another sell-out crowd ready to descend on Upcote Farm, all the ingredients are there for something special once again.
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