With a weather forecast in the 30s and a fully stacked line-up, it was clear 2000trees Festival 2025 was going to be a scorcher. Amidst the backdrop of a world in turmoil – something the vast majority of acts were keen to acknowledge – this year’s festival was needed for the whole community that calls Upcote Farm its home from home every July.

Irish punk Meryl Streek opened the weekend proper on the Main Stage, relentlessly prowling the area and front barrier with intent, demanding the crowd move, clap and sing while his live drummer added an extra punch. This backed up the views expressed about life in Ireland today, covering situations that are affecting us all. News snippets about the class divide and landlords striking a chord while the line ‘Say no to gentrification, say fuck off to five days a week’ went down a storm. Fitting for what was a whirlwind performance full of anger and despair at the state of things.

We then ran over to the Forest Sessions, which not only has welcome amounts of shade but also played host to Grieving and Alien Chicks. The former playing their first gig in six years following the release of debut album ‘Everything Goes Right, All at Once’ last year. Clearly delighted to be there, their set was full of grunge-tinged emo riffs and all done in a breezy 25 minutes. Alien Chicks fell somewhere between Reuben and Soft Play, with the punk trio battling off the exhaustion of an overnight trip from Paris with aplomb.

Rifle‘s set in the Cave was filled with short, sharp and spiky punk songs that rallied against the many injustices around the country today. All delivered with a healthy amount of cursing and liberal use of the C word. CHROMA showed the same kind of attitude but with danceable bass and drums, and ever-valid messages.

A Trees favourite going back to a couple of members’ time in Press to Meco, Unpeople‘s set on the Main Stage saw perhaps the largest crowd we’ve ever seen on Upcote Farm at 2pm. Big crowd, massive set, loud riffs, huge choruses. With harmonies offset against Architects-esque alt-rock, there were already massive singalongs – and the songs that haven’t appeared online yet already seemed to be instant favourites.

Dream Nails brought art pop and angular hooks, while Puppy delivered scuzz-fuelled power to the Axiom before we headed back to the Main Stage for Big Special. Celebrating the surprise release of new album ‘National Average’, the Black Country duo were in good spirits as they delivered Yard Act-esque post punk with plenty of wit: lines about crème brûlées followed up by a desire to ‘do a backflip at a French sex party’. There’s also a takedown of capitalism on ‘Shop Music.’ – a song cheekily played just after promoting their new album – that was perfect for a festival as fiercely independent as Trees. ‘Black Dog/White Horse’ was the highlight of the set, with its powerful account of dealing with depression – in yourself and others – resonating with so many in the crowd.

It was time for something completely different after this so back to the Forest to check out a band that were seemingly on everyone’s lips – Sydney, Australia’s finest, the mighty Battlesnake. Decked out in white and gold robes with the singer sprouting horns like Loki, they may have been one of the most eye-catching acts of the weekend. Their gleefully galloping guitars, pummeling drums and sensational solos capturing the essence of heavy metal in its truest sense. There was an underlying depth to all the fun, and the joyous set certainly booted the crowd out of a heat-induced early evening slump.

Another Trees favourite, Twin Atlantic delivered a set filled with heart-on-the-sleeve indie-rock singalongs and maybe a few tears (or was it the hay fever?) before the main story of the weekend took to the Main Stage – Kneecap. You won’t have failed to notice the Irish hip-hop trio have been in the news for speaking out over the past few months, with very little attention actually paid to their music (as the band say, they are not the story, genocide is).

With facts about Palestine displayed on their screen before the set and plenty of flags in the crowd, it was a rip-roaring set filled with humour – ‘Open up the pit’ sang to the tune of KC and the Sunshine Band being a particular highlight, while their hits ‘Fenian Cunts’ and ‘Your Sniffer Dogs are Shite’ also got the crowd moving and singing. The trio did take a moment to say their views are based on heritage and lived history and they will not shut up until the televised genocide is over. It was an important message that they’re going to stand by, no matter who tries to silence them.

With that, it was on to the Friday – which promised even more sunshine, singing and unexpected reunions…

Spectral Nights Thursday facts
Band count: 14
Step count: 19,188
Band of the day: Battlesnake

Read our review of Friday at 2000trees 2025.
Read our review of Saturday at 2000trees 2025.

2000trees Festival takes place on Upcote Farm, near Cheltenham in Gloucestershire every July. You can buy tickets for 2026’s 2000trees now. The festival will be on from Wed 8th July to Sat 11th July 2026.