2000 Trees 20th Anniversary Wishlist

Next summer I am making the trek to Upcote Farm to attend 2000 Trees Festival. This will be my first time attending the festival and I am incredibly excited to see what's in store! 2027 marks the festival’s 20th anniversary which of course means that there are big things happening behind the scenes- we have a week to wait for the announcement though. In the meantime I have been coming up with a list of bands I hope to see on the lineup. 

For headliners there are two that really speak to me. Enter Shikari dominated the Main Stage previously with their Trees debut back in 2018 with a headline slot at the festival. Their music is the perfect fit for this festival and with 2027 being their last year of production and touring I am sure they would like to go out with a bang in the festival landscape. 

Pop Punk powerhouse The Story So Far is another band I would love to see headline. This band carries a lot of weight in regards to the 2010s pop punk revival and carry a strong reputation for wild sets; they know how to get a crowd moving and their lyrics are designed to be screamed. They haven’t played this festival but they slot in perfectly with previous headliners, we had Neck Deep headlining this year and had Jimmy Eat World carry out a striking set back in 2022. I firmly believe that this band will be able to follow in the footsteps of these two bands, but for me a lot of the magic lies within the other bands.

I have an extensive list of who I would love to see, unfortunately this article would be around ten thousand words long if I listed them all so I have carefully selected a few. My first pick comes with a lot of personal bias and that band is Hot Mulligan. This band made their 2000 Trees debut back in 2024 headlining the Axiom Stage and I would love to see them at the festival in 2027. I have watched this band grow since first discovering them back in 2023 and they continue to blow me away. They blend shoegazey melodies with cathartic lyrics creating a unique atmosphere anyone could enjoy. 

Riley! is another band who would fit perfectly in this festival scene and with their recent growth this would be the perfect time for them to make their debut at this festival. They are grouped with bands who have found themselves on previous Trees lineups and they are so fun to listen to. I don’t think they could be categorised into one genre. Their music follows a structure of calm, twinkly verses that just explode when the choruses come around, following with fast paced guitars and raw vocals.

As a complete 180 from the indie and emo acts, another band I would love to see on the lineup is Dream State. This band has its own unique sound combining both electronic and hardcore elements creating a breath of fresh air on the scene. This band is also a regular at the festival, first appearing back in 2018 and playing a few times since. For a 20th anniversary celebration it would make sense to have fan favourites take the stage; with the return of this band year after year I can see them coming back again. 

The underdogs are what give this festival its character and reputation, with many coming home with new favourite bands that they had discovered over the weekend. Discovering new artists is one of my favourite things and I am always eager to find the next band who will sit on repeat. I have come up with a list of smaller bands who would make waves on the lineup and here they are.

Cowboyy, known as ‘that math rock band’ for a reason. They are incredibly fun to watch live and seeing those complex riffs being played in person is just so perplexing. They use a range of techniques and really pioneer that gritty indie sound with emo and punk elements embedded within it. They deliver such a powerful performance and are one of those smaller bands that really stand out to me. Their discography is just as chaotic as their music, some songs are groovy with bouncy melodies and playful technique while others are carried by grit and heavier riffs. 

Another smaller band I would love to see The Mechanist. These guys have weight to their music and they are a huge contrast to erratic, previously mentioned band ‘Cowboyy’. They have a classic metalcore sound with some modern elements meshed within. Their latest album was released back in April and it captures that progressive sound wonderfully- they have some electronic influences and introduce that ‘djent’ groove which is popping up in various bands on the scene and i love it. They create such a strong atmosphere within their music which is broken down at their shows, where they are known to hand out biscuits to the crowd. This would go down a treat with the Trees community over at the Cave Stage. 

Diving back into the pop-punk genre, Mustard Mitt would be the perfect fit. This band was delivered to me last year via TikTok algorithm and I have been on board ever since hearing a snippet of one of their songs. They fit into the pop-punk genre perfectly with oddly titled songs that would get a crowd jumping. The lyrics are easy to digest with a layer of self depreciation and a broader outlook of society- this mixed with fast paced guitars, energetic breakdowns and Yorkshire charm would certainly turn this band into a fan favourite and create the perfect setup for a moving pit. 

Regardless of the lineup I am still incredibly excited for the festival and cannot wait to see who is announced to play next year. This time of year really helps drive those winter blues away with the release of festival lineups and discovery of new bands.