Don Broco Step In to Headline 2000trees After Alkaline Trio Cancel UK Tour

Don Broco are officially your new Thursday night headliners at 2000trees. The Bedford four-piece stepped in within hours after Alkaline Trio pulled the plug on their entire UK tour yesterday, and the turnaround here was genuinely impressive.

Here's what happened. Alkaline Trio were set to kick off their UK run on July 3 at O2 Institute in Birmingham, with dates booked through July 8 in Manchester before heading to headline 2000trees on July 9. But just hours before the Birmingham show, the band announced they were cancelling everything. Frontman Matt Skiba's health had worsened to the point where he couldn't walk, talk, play, or sing properly.

The band's statement was straightforward: "We are immensely sorry but we must cancel our dates in England, including tonight's show in Birmingham, due to medical issues Matt has been suffering from that have worsened. He's gonna be okay but needs to be treated stateside as soon as possible." All ticketholders for the UK dates will receive full refunds.

While the band hasn't gone into specifics, Skiba recently posted on Instagram about recovering from a motorcycle crash in Los Angeles in late June that left him with a severe leg injury and exhaust pipe burn. Whatever the full picture is, wishing him a speedy recovery. That's what matters most here.

It's also worth noting that Alkaline Trio have a US tour with Rise Against scheduled for this fall. No word yet on whether those dates will be affected.

Don Broco Save the Day

So the 2000trees team found out about the cancellation and immediately went into scramble mode. From the middle of a field, no less. And somehow, within hours, they locked in Don Broco as the replacement Thursday headliner.

The festival put it perfectly on their Instagram: "This band are total heroes for stepping in at the 11th hour to help us out (putting the DON in DON BROCO), and we know they're gonna belt it into the stratosphere... two years ago they put on one of the biggest headline sets Upcote has ever seen, and now they're gonna one up it."

I'll be real, if you're going to lose a headliner five days before the festival, Don Broco is about as good a replacement as you could possibly ask for. This will be their second time topping the bill at 2000trees, having first headlined back in 2024. And they are not the same band they were two years ago.

Nightmare Tripping Era

Don Broco dropped their fifth studio album Nightmare Tripping back on March 27 via Fearless Records, and the record is genuinely their heaviest and darkest work to date. Rob Damiani, Simon Delaney, Matt Donnelly, and the boys have been tapping into something way more aggressive this cycle. The album features a collab with Nickelback's Chad Kroeger and Ryan Peake on the title track, plus Architects' Sam Carter showing up on the track "True Believers." If you haven't heard that one yet, the energy Sam brings to it is unreal.

They've already been road-testing the new material across Europe this summer, playing Rock am Ring and Rock for People in June before supporting Biffy Clyro at Finsbury Park in London. These are a band that have sold out Wembley Arena and Alexandra Palace. They know how to command a big stage, and 2000trees is about to get a serious dose of that energy.

What Else Is Happening at 2000trees

2000trees runs July 9 through 12 at Upcote Farm in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and the lineup beyond the Thursday headline swap is stacked. PVRIS, Taking Back Sunday, Coheed and Cambria, and Alexisonfire are all at the top of the bill. Hot Milk headline the Forest Stage on Wednesday, and the wider lineup includes Glassjaw, Scowl, Superheaven, High Vis, Lambrini Girls, Kneecap, Frank Turner, and even a Million Dead reunion. Over 100 acts across five stages for more than 15,000 fans. Honestly, this is one of the best mid-size festival lineups in the UK this summer.

Don Broco's UK Autumn Tour

If you can't make it to 2000trees, Don Broco also have a nine-date Nightmare Tripping UK headline tour coming this autumn. Here are the confirmed dates:

September 28 – Engine Shed, Lincoln

September 29 – Octagon, Sheffield

October 1 – Corn Exchange, Edinburgh

October 2 – Manchester Academy, Manchester

October 3 – Mountford Hall, Liverpool

October 4 – O2 City Hall, Newcastle

Birmingham, Norwich, and Bristol dates are also confirmed but exact dates haven't been announced yet. Tickets are available now via Ticketmaster UK.

The Bottom Line

Obviously the circumstances are unfortunate, and everyone should be sending good vibes Matt Skiba's way. But from a festival standpoint, 2000trees pulled off something remarkable here. Getting a replacement headliner locked in within hours, from the middle of a field, is no small feat. And Don Broco aren't just a fill-in. They're a band that has headlined arenas, dropped one of the most interesting records of 2026, and already proved they can own the Upcote Farm main stage.

If you're heading to 2000trees next week, Thursday night just got a serious upgrade. Don't sleep on it.

Cover photo courtesy of Ticketmaster.