2000trees Festival 2024
at Upcote Farm in Cheltenham, UK
photos and words by Claire Hodgkins and photos by Matt Sheppard

2000trees Festival is always a highlight of the summer, and this year’s instalment was no different. Attendees from all lengths of the UK, and beyond, flocked to the beloved site buried amongst the trees (all 2000 of them) at Cheltenham’s Upcote Farm.

In addition to the already stacked lineup, the festival for its second year has incorporated a fourth day of live music comprised of returning artists who cause a riot on the much-loved intimate Forest stage. This year’s pre-show extravaganza saw the return of fan favourites Boston Manor, who headlined the evening with a special throwback fuelled set, and Dream State whose set just happened to co-exist with England’s match in the Euro’s semi-final. Whilst a predominantly Welsh band, vocalist Jessie Powell demonstrated her team spirit by sporting an England shirt and commanding chants to the crowd of dedicated fans. Other appearances were had by Lambrini Girls and The Excerts, complete opposites in regards to performance energy, but both exceeded all expectations.

Thursday morning saw the real start of the festival. As general admission ticket holders flooded through the gates, Bristol-based rockers Blank Atlas kicked the day off bright and early at the NEU stage. Playing to a packed-out tent on such a beautiful morning hadn’t crossed their minds, but their gratitude and passion was evident throughout their thirty-minute offering. Their 2000trees debut was a smash and as regular attendees themselves, this year’s was certain to be one for the books. Knife Bride was also among the performers making their live debut on the farm. Despite the brutal clash with their ever-growing popularity, Static Dress and Knife Bride unleashed “Nu-Gothika” chaos in The Cave, belting out tracks such as ‘clean.’ and ‘Permanent Smile’. Back for another taste, Dead Pony and Boston Manor played to mammoth-sized crowds for their second sets of the weekend and 2000trees alumni Cassyette and Kid Brunswick shone during their respective sets before The Gaslight Anthem closed the main stage in style.

Set to be the next big thing, Mouth Culture set the standard for how things are done over on The Axiom stage. Fresh out of Leicester in England, the eclectic alt-rock trio have curated their own sound and, paired with their insane energy levels, the crowd were left exhausted in the best possible way. Due to a van breakdown, Crawlers set was sadly cut short much to the disappointment of their young fans who took up the majority of the main stage barricade but despite the late start, and a handful of technical difficulties, the band soldiered on with vocalist Holly Minto doing all the heavy lifting to give their fans the best performance possible. Fresh from touring with Foo Fighters, Hot Milk headlined a packed-out tent. Spirits were high but vocalist and guitarist Hannah Mee’s jumps were arguably higher as she sprang across the stage to bangers such as ‘BLOODSTREAM’, ‘OVER YOUR DEAD BODY’, and ‘Candy Coated Lie$’.

Drawing the festival to a close, Saturday’s bill was hard-hitting. Hardcore favourites Cauldron started a riot in The Cave whilst The Nightmares played the farm for the first time, marking the beginning of a new era with their latest release, ‘Something In The Dark’. However, it’s one band that had everyone talking. The festival site had been flooded with people rocking their merchandise all weekend. Of course, it was no one other than Creeper! Performing at 2000trees several times over the years, Creeper finally landed themselves a well-deserved headline spot as they closed The Axiom stage. The band are no strangers to delivering a perfectly crafted set and this was no different. With drum solos, an appearance from Darcia the Vampire familiar, and even a decapitated William Von Ghould’s head as a super soaker, the band gave it all. Better said, the band have it all and undeniably, a headline main stage spot is well within their grasp. However, it was the turn of Don Broco to finish the weekend off there and their set was jam-packed with high kicks, fireworks, and even an appearance from Kid Brunswick for guest vocals on ‘Action’.

2000trees Festival gets better and better as the years progress and, each summer, it gets harder to process the thought of having to wait an entire year to return. There’s a reason why bands, and festival-goers, adore this place so much and it’s because no matter where you go, you feel a strong sense of community. Compared to its competitors, 2000trees may be small in size but it’s the unique experiences, created by the acts on the lineup, that make it the most unique weekend for all involved; we hope that continues for the foreseeable.