A mammoth 84 artist announcement, not only does today see the festival confirm their first headliner, but also a whole ton more. Topping today’s announcement are Alkaline Trio, who will be heading main stage Thursday and retuning to Trees the first time in over a decade following their last appearance in 2015. In regards to fellow heavy hitters, today also see’s the likes of Superheaven, PUP, Lambrini Girls, Glassjaw, Dinosaur Pile-Up, High Vis, Nothing and Cancer Bats joining the bill.
Also announced today is the full lineup for Wednesday, with next year’s first day being the biggest ever for Trees. Headlining will be aforementioned PUP, with Canadian rapscallions also being joined by Sprints, The Dirty Nil, Black Gold, Hyphen, Karen Dio, Lake Malice, Split Chain, Venus Grrrls, Soapbox, Bruise Control, Love Rarely, Split Dogs and of course Thrill Collins on the day.
Of course though, Trees is about the undercard, and next year doesn’t look like it’ll disappoint one bit in regards to that. Announced today is a whole range of names from across the alternative spectrum and an array of acts that stand as a testament to the health of the national and global scene. Alongside the of the bands aforementioned, next year will also see the likes of Lakes, Pool Kids, Carsick, Sans Froid, Alpha Male Tea Party, PEACH, Adore, Snake Eyes, Bicurious, Knives, Lastelle and loads others of their brilliant ilk descending upon the farm next year.
As always, 2000 Trees 2026 will take place at it’s usual home of Upcote Farm, Cheltenham, with next year’s festival taking place between 8th – 11th July. Remaining tickets and further information can be found here, and peep the lineup thus far below.
Festival season may be over and done for 2025, but Download are gearing up for what may be their hottest year yet come next June. Headlining next year’s event will be none other than nu metal rabble-rousers Limp Bizkit, classic rock icons Guns N’ Roses and the freshly revived legends Linkin Park, with all headliners confirmed to be UK 2026 exclusives. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg; there’s still over other 90 names in this announcement.
Set to join Slash, Durst and co next summer are a massive range of bands from all corners of the rock and metal spectrum. In regards to big names, joining the bill today are the likes of Bad Omens, Cypress Hill, Trivium, Blood Incantation, Pendulum, Mastodon, Feeder, Electric Callboy, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Letlive., Bloodywood and Babymetal just to name a few. But of course, the undercard is also stacked, with today’s announcement also featuring Noizze favourites such as Unpeople, Lowen, Elder, Sweet Pill, Lake Malice, Drain and tons and tons of others. Like we said, this festival is a big ‘un, with further names and news to come soon.
As always, Download Festival takes place at Donington Park, Derby, with next year’s festival spanning 10th – 14th June. Find tickets here and peep the lineup thus far below.
Returning with another banger which furthermore could cement them as one of the most exciting underground bands in the UK, Noizzefest alumni Forlorn’s latest effort ‘Let Them Run’ blends haunting and ethereal clean vocals with existential screams and chugging guitars aplenty within their unique brand of metal that incorporates industrial sounds, aggressive drumming, and pagan imagery. Working closely with producer Sam Bloor again, (Dream State, Graphic Nature, Black Coast) Forlorn may have only formed in 2019 but have since perfected the art of modern metal that combines occult imagery with blisteringly heavy-hitting production and vocals. – Ez Luscombe
Returning with their first single since 2024’s ‘Moscow is Silent’, math rock greats itoldyouiwouldeatyou always deliver with their brand of lyricism that tackles subjects such one’s place in a turbulent world and utilising the energy that fuels self-loathing to instead better the world. The second single from their upcoming EP We Were Having Such a Nice Day which is released later this month, ‘Wonderful Life, Pt. 1’ is an expression of beautifully intricate guitar work, whilst the poetic lyrics are a plea from lead singer Joey Ashworth to live your life and accept who you are, despite your upbringing and father figure; sentiments that hit especially hard amongst a sea of a twinkly riffs and a feature from PETSEMATARY’s Gabriella-Elise Monaghan. – Ez Luscombe
Bristol’s best kept secret Blank Atlas are back with their special blend of fiery riffs and boyband vocal harmonies on their latest single ‘Leave My Life Behind’. Making a bold impact on the UK’s alternative scene in the two years since their debut album Dawn Chorus back in 2023, twin brothers Tom and Dan Thould on drums and guitar alongside bassist Chris Simpson have opened 2000 Trees Festival and performed with important names such as Jamie Lenman and Orchards. While their previous single ‘If You Can’t Beat Them, Join Them’ delivered a rapid explosion of alternative rock energy, on ‘Leave My Life Behind’, the trio lean into their more melodic side, channeling acts like Busted but with a more driving rhythm section and lush, layered vocals, finding a perfect middle ground between radio-ready pop-rock choruses and underground alt attitude. – Rowan Bruce
Those loyal to the UK hardcore scene surely won’t need an introduction to Going Off. After all, it’s likely one has left any hardcore event in the past several years coated in a residue of spittle and sweat originating from the band. But after all, who can blame them for such intensity. Going Off, whilst forming pre-pandemic, feel like a product of the kind of pent-up frustration and violence that only years of mandatory isolation can instil. Early 2023 saw the Manchester yob launch themselves from lockdown and into the heart of the UKHC scene with the release of their debut What Makes You Tick?, and from there, the energy has never dissipated, only quickened. Kill List II, the band’s new EP, only embodies such a fact.
Releasing tomorrow independently, Kill List II is a continuation of the drive that has defined this act whilst also being a record that carries a new sense of focus. Easily the most exposed record Going Off have released, this EP see’s the band forgoing the tongue-in-cheek humour and chest puffed bravado in favour of animating the central theme of loss that binds the release as a whole. However, that’s not to say there’s ballads or anything of the sort present. Quite the opposite in fact – this is Going Off stripped to the bloodied bone.
Kill List II see’s the band cutting the sinews from their sound to access a marrow of emotional vulnerability that feels intimate to the point of it being unconformable. It’s a violent outburst of emotion that truly presents just how authentically ugly and violent grief is. This is a record that doesn’t shy away from the hideous nature of loss, but one that embodies it, resulting in a record that’s the sound of an injured and snarling animal lashing out in agony, rage but defiance. Give it a listen below.
“Kill List II is our grooviest and heaviest record to date”, states vocalist Jake Huxley on the EP. “It’s a very personal record to me thematically – dealing with different forms of loss we face every day in life. We can’t wait for everyone to hear what we’ve been working on and to showcase this new material live on the road this December” Kill List II is released tomorrow independently, with pre-orders available here. The band will also be touring this winter; check dates below and grab a ticket for a lovely brutalising.
Spanish Love Songs are well versed with misery. But ‘Heavenhead’ deals with an emotion that’s perhaps even more uncomfortable than sadness. The latest single lifted from the upcoming EP A Brief Intermission in The Flattening of Time – released November 21st via Pure Noise – ‘Heavenhead’ see’s band collaborating with Illuminati Hotties to document the nature of fleeting happiness in a time of abundant grief and the terrifying prospect that all joy is only briefly temporary. In true Spanish Love Songs fashion, the track is one of pure juxtaposition, one that contrasts bright instrumentation and harmonies with the kind of lyricism that’s concerning, albeit all too relatable. – Dan Hillier
Taken from the forthcoming charity compilation All Things Go: 10 Years, ‘Find Your Ppl’ see’s Jasmine.4.t collaborating with Jacob Alon in order to present a wonderful new version of a track that’s in the key of identity and community. Whilst the original version of this song was released earlier this year via the deluxe version of Jasmine 4.t’s debut LP, this new rendition only furthers it’s inherent message of trans liberation and finding oneself via the power of fellowship. Simply, it’s a genuine and heartwarming track; one complete with indie, shoegaze and folk motifs abundant and one born from liberation and the wonder of likeminded collaboration. All Things Go: 10 Years is released November 7th via Futures, with all proceeds being donated towards the The Ally Coalition and the work they do supporting LGBTQ youth. – Dan Hillier
Ahead of their long awaited sophomore LP Tell Me About Your Day Again and February headline tour alongside Exeter emos Soot Sprite, indie-punk quartet SUDS specialise in songs to scream to, cry to, and contemplate to. Latest single ‘Hook Me Out’ is a more slower tempo than their previous singles, but still has undeniable impact in thanks to it’s twinkly guitar patterns which contrast with lead singer Mae Carter’s dreamy vocals and glimmers of horns that harken thoughts of classic bands like American Football. A wonderful listen from one of UK indie’s best kept secrets. – Ez Luscombe
Reviving the spirit of early 2000s post hardcore, Virginia’s pulses. bring it up to date with fresh perspectives and a desire to push that original sound in new directions. Their excellently-titled new single ‘I Wish Elijah Wood’ is the first taste of new music since 2023’s It Wasn’t Supposed To Be Like This. Leaning into a more frantic, chaotic side of themselves, it’s taken from their upcoming pulses. pack 1, a project they’ve described as them exploring outside the typical EP/album format, and it’ll include covers of N.E.R.D. as well as collaborations with returning friends. It’ll be fascinating to see where the band take their sound with it as they continue writing their fourth album. – Will Marshall
Noizzefest alumni Sleemo successfully find a sweet spot in dynamics between sludge metal and post-hardcore on their newest single ‘Bleeding’. A track whose beefy tones and hefty breakdowns shelter a call for help, shedding light on the self-destructive tendencies of isolating oneself instead of reaching out in times of need, purely out of ego. While ‘Bleeding’ aptly manages to be in equal parts crushingly heavy and easily accessible with the alt-rock and post-hardcore sensibilities brought on by the cleaner vocals and guitar work, it does hint at the band veering into even heavier territory than before, putting emphasis on the gnarlier elements of their sound; be it via the harsh vocals, bludgeoning tones or the songwriting itself. If ‘Bleeding’ announces the start of Sleemo getting more comfortable and confident with their sound and where they want to take it next, then there is much to look forwards to. – Avrian O’Brien
The cowboy hat-wielding metalcore chuggers Gideon have dropped their second track since signing to Sumerian Records. ‘Wrong One’ contains all of the hallmarks of Gideon‘s career so far, hefty grooves, powerful vocals and almighty breakdowns that serve to make you yeehaw in delight as you punch your drywall. With the fantastic reception to the last album clearly still in their mind, they’ve not changed things up too much but if their next record is refining their formula, then it spells good news for the band’s fans. Get your two stepping boots on for this new era of Gideon. – Chris Earl
With the announcement for their upcoming January album Boycott Heaven, Arizona indie, emo, and power pop duo The Format return with their long-awaited first project since 2007 after the success of frontman Nate Ruess’s last project Fun and guitarist/multi instrumentalist Sam Means’ shift to music for film. First single ‘Holy Roller’ is three and a half minutes of catchy pop-punk that showcases Ruess’ impressive and varied vocal range with soaring highs and emotive lows, and Means’ poppy, yet endearingly fuzzy guitar work that darkens in tone during the bridge makes ‘Holy Roller’ another standout from The Format’s interesting choices in lead singles. – Ez Luscombe
A lot of mid 2010s emo and pop-punk have stayed loyal to one particular genre and sound throughout their careers, but certainly not Joyce Manor. Starting their career as an emo band and flirting with a more indie and jangle-pop sound on August single ‘All My Friends Are So Depressed’, Joyce Manor take inspiration from the arguably golden era of pop-punk of the 90s and 2000s on latest single ‘Well, Whatever It Was’ with matter-of-fact lyrics expressing the mundane day-to-day reality of modern life and the ability to see the positive in stressful situations. The bright, poppy guitar chords alongside cheerful backing vocals and Weezer-esque harmonies will surely put a smile on your face when walking to work, or as the lyrics state; getting run over by your dream car. – Ez Luscombe
Starting as the one-man project of Long Beach native Jade Lilitri, midwest emo and indie rock project Oso Oso takes his eclectic blend of alternative genres in a more lo-fi and shoegaze inspired direction on latest single ‘Bad News’. As a contribution to the Cosmic Debris Vol 2 compilation alongside Origami Angel and Prince Daddy & The Hyena among others, the mellow guitars and laid back vocals paint a stark picture of a narrator second guessing themselves in a relationship. With upcoming shows in London and Bristol alongside 2010s emo icons such as The Hotelier, Tigers Jaw, and Joyce Manor, ‘Bad News’ will surely be a crowd favourite due to the mellow tone of the track, alongside the sheer variety of Oso Oso’s multiple EPs and albums. – Ez Luscombe
