Forest, fire and fury: 2025 might just have been 2000trees' most definitive year yet

Irish firebrand Meryl Streek, agit-punk duo The Meffs and genre-bending Hyphen all make space for protest and power. Early-bird headliners Hot Milk certainly don’t pull any punches either. The festival’s revamped Main Stage sign, sequinned and rainbowed, makes its own statement too; boldly inclusive in a summer where some festivals cave to censorship or sideline the trans community. If this year’s Trees is to be written into history, it’ll be on the right side.

The records will also show one undeniable truth: it is hot. “2000trees? More like 2000degrees!” quips Coheed & Cambria’s drummer Josh Eppard, and he isn’t wrong. Shade becomes a precious resource as the mercury soars past 30°C each day, turning Upcote Farm into a dustbowl. Understandably, it zaps the festival energy somewhat. The crowds remain electric from the sets, but time in between sets is spent mostly hiding away from the sunlight. Thankfully, all of that changes by the time the headliners arrive.

Thursday’s climax comes in the form of Kneecap, arguably one of the most important bands in the world right now. Their presence goes beyond music. It is movement. Flags wave, flares burn green and orange and balaclava-clad fans scream every line. While their sound might seem out of sync with Trees’ more traditional flavour, their message aligns perfectly. Defiant, funny, furious, they have the crowd in the palm of their hands.

Before them, PVRIS bring polish and purpose. Fresh off a 10-year anniversary tour of their debut ‘White Noise’, they deliver a confident, slick set that leans into their roots and reminds everyone why they matter in the first place.