MISSED OUT ON DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL? HERE’S WHY YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT 2000 TREES

by Jack Flynn

Feel like you’ve been adrift on a sea of pop and mainstream indie music festivals recently and that the major festivals are getting too crowded, too repetitive musically, and cost a fortune?

Maybe you are craving something a little bit heavier, but not quite ready for the world of metal, and want your alternative music fix in the form of some of the newest and most exciting bands? Well, enter 2000 Trees Festival, with a lineup that sits right in that sweet spot of being alternative to the mainstream but also fiercely culturally relevant. It’s loud, filled with raucous mosh pit inducing bands with enough bangers to fill your playlists for weeks.

The festival brings in around 15,000 attendees, it’s the perfect size to maintain an incredible atmosphere, but small enough that you’re not doing a half marathon every time you want to nip back to your tent because you’ve forgotten your charger.

Check out the full lineup here: https://2000trees.co.uk/line-up

One of the best things about 2000 trees is the consistent quality of their bookings, and the way they’ve identified and supported interesting and exciting newcomers, year after year.

Past headliners have included Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Soft Play and IDLES, but this year brings PVRIS, melding rock, synthpop and dark electronica into anthems built for both the club and the mosh pit. 2000s alt rock icons Taking Back Sunday headline the Friday alongside York’s prog rock/metal legends Coheed and Cambria, with Alexisonfire, post hardcore from Ontario closing out the festival on Saturday

But it’s the Thursday headliners who are going to provide one of the most talked about sets of the weekend. Belfast’s controversial rap trio Kneecap – comprising Mo Chara (Liam O Hanna)  Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí- who shot to fame following their film about the early days of their band’s formation in Northern Ireland.

2000 trees recognised something in Kneecap years ago, and have had the Irish rappers have performed many times alongside the festival’s guitar driven bands, because they share the same rebellious punk spirit. So they’re right at home in 2000 Trees and have made their way up from the side stages all the way up to headliners. 

Mo Chara is currently out on bail after being charged under the Terrorism Act for allegedly displaying a flag supporting Hezbollah – a proscribed terrorist organisation at a London gig last year. The band denies ever supporting Hamas or Hezbollah but the case looked as if it would put their Glastonbury 2025 appearance in jeopardy with Prime Minister Keir Starmer describing televising it on BBC as “inappropriate”, whilst many musicians are defending Kneecap and artists like Fontaines DC, Annie Mac, Massive Attack, Pulp and Paul Weller have signed a statement supporting Kneecap’s right to free speech. 

2000 Trees are standing firm and Kneecap’s set looks to go ahead, and we expect it to be one of the highlights of the weekend. Witnessing a Kneecap gig this summer you could find yourself in the midst of one of the most defining music moments in possibly a decade.

The strength of the festival is not resting purely on the headliners, but the wealth of top notch acts across the weekend. Returning heroes such as Kid Kapichi, Karen Dio, Panic Shack, SNAYX, Calva Louise, Unpeople, and Witch Fever that have grown with 2000 Trees over the years will be back this year.  Singalong Folk hero Frank Turner is even reuniting with his formative hardcore act Million Dead, which will be a shock to anybody who discovered him on an acoustic stage following Million Dead’s breakup in 2005.

Tickets – https://2000trees.co.uk/tickets 

Weekend tickets cost £212.50 day tickets £45.
BUT sign up to the newsletter for £50 DISCOUNT off weekend tickets. 

The festival runs a slightly different day schedule to the norm. Starting on Wednesday 9th July and ending on a Sunday 12th July (rather than a Monday like most festivals).