Buckle up, this is a long one! Before heading to 2000trees, I’d lost count of how many people had told me the same thing: “You need to go.” After spending four days at Upcote Farm, I completely understand why..
This was my first time at 2000trees and my first time covering the festival under Reckless Press. I also made the trip on my own, something I’d never done before at a festival. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but by the time I packed up to head home on Sunday, I’d already decided I’d be back next year.
It’s also worth mentioning the journey. Travelling from North Wales isn’t exactly straightforward and it took me around four and a half hours to reach the festival. That’s no fault of trees, but if you’re travelling from further afield, I’d definitely recommend looking at coach travel over the train. Carrying camping gear through multiple stations and changes isn’t exactly the ideal way to start a festival, and it’s something I’ll probably do differently next year.
What surprised me most wasn’t the lineup, although it was one of the strongest I’d personally seen at a UK festival in years. It was everything that surrounded it.
Every festival claims to have a great community, but 2000trees genuinely earns that reputation. Within a couple of hours of arriving I’d already found myself chatting to people in queues, talking to photographers and journalists in the press area and striking up conversations with complete strangers while moving between stages. Nobody felt closed off or intimidating. Whether it was your first Trees or your fifteenth, everyone made you feel welcome.
Travelling on my own had been one of my biggest concerns before arriving, but it turned out to be one of the biggest non-issues of the entire weekend. I never once felt like I was experiencing the festival alone. I met so many genuinely lovely people over the four days that by the time I left, I’d made new friends without even trying. That says everything about the culture 2000trees has built.
Of course, the music is why everyone is there, and this year’s lineup was exceptional.
One of the biggest surprises of the weekend came from Native James. He wasn’t even on my schedule. Someone recommended I check him out, so I wandered over expecting to watch a couple of songs before moving on. Instead, I stayed for the entire set. The energy was relentless, the crowd were completely invested and it quickly became one of the standout performances of the weekend.
Footballhead were another massive highlight. There was a real buzz around them all weekend and after seeing what was reportedly their biggest crowd to date, it’s easy to understand why. Saturdays At Your Place were equally brilliant, delivering one of those sets where every song seemed to connect with the audience.
Then there was Neck Deep.. Closing the festival with thousands of voices singing every single word back to the band was incredible to witness and perfectly summed up the atmosphere that had built throughout the weekend.
There are so many bands I could sit here and talk about, but i’d genuinely be here all day. That’s the beauty of 2000trees. If you’d like to see more from the weekend, keep an eye on the Reckless Press Instagram. I’ll be sharing plenty of reels from the festival over the coming days, showcasing some of the performances and moments that made the weekend so memorable.
Not every memorable moment happened in front of a stage though..
One early morning I woke up to hundreds of people singing Fall Out Boy’s Sugar, We’re Goin Down from the silent disco. Normally you’d expect to be annoyed after a long day, but I just found myself laughing. My first thought wasn’t “be quiet”, it was “I should’ve stayed up.”
The fancy dress competition was another highlight. Seeing people dressed as everything from superheroes to complete nonsense in 32-degree heat deserved respect for commitment alone. It added another layer of personality to a festival that never takes itself too seriously.
Despite the heat, the festival handled the weekend brilliantly. Water stations were well placed around the site, queues moved quickly and I never struggled to refill my bottle. With temperatures climbing to around 32°C, it would’ve been easy for the infrastructure to come under pressure, but everything continued to run smoothly.

Food prices were what you’d expect from a UK festival, but I couldn’t complain about the quality or the portions. Every meal I had was genuinely good and there was plenty of variety throughout the day. The only thing I’d like to see improved is breakfast. There weren’t loads of morning options, although I ended up trying a vegan breakfast that completely exceeded my expectations being an omnivore, I’d happy to try something vegan again.
Organisation across the site was excellent. Wristband collection was quick, the festival layout made moving between stages simple and every member of staff I spoke to was friendly and helpful. I actually got myself a little lost trying to find my campsite after arriving, but between the festival app and staff pointing me in the right direction, I was sorted within a few minutes.
One area where 2000trees deserves particular praise is accessibility. Every stage had a dedicated viewing platform for wheelchair users and festivalgoers with accessibility requirements, with volunteers and security on hand throughout the weekend to offer support whenever it was needed. It never felt like an afterthought. It was simply part of the festival, making sure everyone had the opportunity to enjoy the music regardless of their circumstances.
The cleanliness of the site also stood out. Festival toilets are never going to be glamorous, but they were cleaned regularly and were far better than I’d expected. Campsites stayed tidy throughout the weekend and it was genuinely refreshing to see so many people using the bins provided instead of leaving rubbish behind.
One moment that really stuck with me happened during a set on the Forest Stage when someone in the crowd suffered a seizure just a few metres away from where I was standing. The performance stopped immediately and stage manager Josh worked alongside the medical team to make sure they could reach the person as quickly as possible. Thankfully I later heard they were okay. Seeing the situation handled so calmly and professionally was reassuring and showed exactly where the festival’s priorities lie.
Later in the weekend, I experienced that community first-hand.
Somehow, I managed to lose my phone. Considering it contained all my photos, videos and notes from the weekend, I was convinced it had gone for good. The following morning I headed to Lost Property with very little hope, only to discover someone had handed it in. Whoever you are, thank you!
That simple act of honesty summed up my entire experience at 2000trees. People genuinely look after each other here.
The Forest Stage ended up being my favourite place on site. Tucked away amongst the trees, it felt completely different to anywhere else at the festival and hosted some of my favourite performances of the weekend. It was one of those stages where you could wander over for a band you knew nothing about and leave wondering why you’d never listened to them before.
If I could suggest one thing for future editions, it’d be introducing more scheduled acoustic sessions from artists already playing the festival. I know 2000trees already has the Buskers’ Stage, and that’s a brilliant part of the weekend, but seeing The Xcerts perform a stripped back session for the Mark & Me Podcast showed just how well that format works. Giving bands the opportunity to play an intimate acoustic set before their main performance would add another dimension to the festival and create some really special moments for fans. It’s the sort of thing I’d happily spend an afternoon watching.
I’ve been to plenty of UK festivals over the years, but 2000trees genuinely feels like one that other events could learn from.
It’s the attention to detail that stands out. The site stayed impressively clean despite thousands of people camping for four days. Accessibility has clearly been properly thought through. Water stations coped with one of the hottest weekends of the year, medical teams responded quickly when needed and the entire event felt incredibly well organised from start to finish.
Then there’s sustainability. It wasn’t something hidden away in the programme or mentioned once over the PA system. It felt like part of the festival’s identity. People respected the site, used the bins provided and left the place looking remarkably clean. That only happens when organisers create the right culture and festivalgoers buy into it.
Nothing about the festival feels accidental. Every detail, from the layout of the site to the way fans are looked after, feels carefully considered. It’s clear that no stone has been left unturned when planning the festival, and that’s exactly why it stands out.
No one has asked me to encourage anyone to buy tickets, but after spending four days there, I genuinely think you should go..
If you’ve been thinking about giving 2000trees a try, next year feels like the perfect time. The festival celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2027, and if this year’s event is anything to go by, it’s going to be something special.
Super early bird tickets are currently 30% off this week only, with no booking fees, the option to spread the cost through monthly payments, and everyone who books this week is entered into a draw to win one of five lifetime festival tickets.
93/100
