From standout sets and late-night silent discos to great food and an unbeatable atmosphere, here’s why 2000trees Festival 2026 was another weekend to remember.

After another weekend in the Gloucestershire sun, it’s safe to say 2000trees has once again delivered one of my favourite festivals of the year.

This was my second time attending after braving last year’s heatwave, and somehow this year managed to be just as warm. Thankfully, the soaring temperatures did little to dampen what was another fantastic weekend of live music, good company, and one of the friendliest festival atmospheres around.

There are plenty of reasons why 2000trees has become one of the highlights of my festival calendar. Firstly, it’s a chance to spend a long weekend surrounded by friends and colleagues who all share the same love of music. Secondly, the lineup is always well curated. I know clashes can be frustrating for some people, but I’ve come to embrace them at Trees. I’d much rather have too many great bands to choose from than find myself wandering around with nothing to watch.

Most importantly though, it’s the atmosphere that keeps bringing me back. There’s something about 2000trees that strikes the perfect balance between being a well-established festival while still feeling relaxed, welcoming, and community-driven.

Musical highlights

There were plenty of highlights across the weekend, but a few performances really stood out.

Coach Party once again proved why they’re one of my favourite live bands at the moment. Having seen them several times over the past year, I knew what to expect, but they still managed to impress. Despite only having a 30-minute slot, the Isle of Wight quartet packed in a brilliant mix of older favourites alongside plenty of material from their sophomore album Caramel, making every minute count.

The Forest Stage couldn’t have been a more fitting home for Night Swimming. Their dreamy, washed-out sound suited the woodland setting perfectly, and hearing an unreleased track alongside favourites like Poison Berry from Melting, Sometimes Bleeding made the set feel even more special.

PUP were another of the weekend’s most anticipated acts, and they didn’t disappoint. With multiple appearances across the festival, they consistently drew huge crowds and delivered exactly the kind of energetic performances you’d expect.

I made a point of catching Bodyweb again after seeing them at another festival a few weeks earlier, and they were every bit as chaotic and entertaining the second time around.

God Complex provided the perfect wake-up call after a slow start to the day, while Militarie Gun, Free Throw, Superheaven, High Regard, and HO99O9 all delivered great performances across the weekend.

Closing out my festival with High Vis felt like the perfect way to end things. Their set was one of my favourites of the weekend and a fitting finale to four days of great music.

More than music

One thing 2000trees continues to do exceptionally well is everything that happens away from the main stages.

The silent disco remains one of my favourite parts of the festival. There’s something uniquely entertaining about watching bands perform “silently” through wireless headphones, and it’s become one of the festival’s defining features. If you’re not ready to call it a night, the DJs afterwards always know exactly how to keep the party going.

The Word Stage also deserves plenty of credit. Across the weekend it hosted everything from podcasts and comedy to workshops and quizzes, helping ensure there was always something to do between bands. Congratulations, too, to this year’s pub quiz champions, The shrexperts.

Around the campsites, the smaller acoustic stages continue to be one of Trees’ most charming traditions. Although I didn’t manage to catch as many performances there as I’d planned, I did make it down to see Blank Atlas at the UTB Stage. Their harmonies were as beautiful as ever, and it was the perfect closer to a warm Thursday evening. (and yes… anti-shoutout to Peter. IYKYK)

What trees gets right 

This year also saw 2000trees accommodate the World Cup with a large screen near the Main Stage. There were a couple of technical hiccups, prompting chants of “We want our telly back!”, but once everything was up and running it created a brilliant atmosphere. Watching England secure their place in the semi-finals surrounded by hundreds of fellow festival-goers ended up being one of those unexpected festival moments that everyone will remember.

Food is another area where Trees consistently delivers. Some of my favorites and most frequented were: Greek gyros, Curry Bae, paellaria, pad thai, vegan burgers, or the always-reliable Bunnymans, there was no shortage of choice throughout the weekend.

Facilities across the site were excellent as always. Water points were easy to access, toilet queues were minimal, and the bars were well staffed while offering a good selection of alcoholic and alcohol-free drinks.

Why the size works 

For me, 2000trees gets the size of a festival exactly right. It’s large enough to attract an outstanding lineup but small enough that getting around is easy, campsites never feel overcrowded, and you rarely spend half your day walking between stages. Even arriving and leaving the site felt straightforward, with the walk from the car park never feeling particularly daunting.

A quick mention also goes to the stewards, security, and volunteers, who were consistently friendly and helpful throughout the weekend.

This year also introduced the Marshall Stage, replacing the former NEU Stage. I thought the change worked well, particularly alongside the workshops hosted there throughout the weekend. Catching Thistle in the space was another personal highlight.

Wrapping up

2000trees has done it again.

From the lineup and the atmosphere to the organisation and attention to detail, it’s a festival that continues to get the important things right. I came away having discovered new bands, caught plenty of old favourites, bumped into familiar faces, and made a few new friends along the way.

If you’re looking for a festival that puts music first without losing its friendly, independent feel, 2000trees remains one of the very best weekends of the summer.

Here’s to doing it all again next year.

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