Following another hugely successful year for Kendal Calling, tickets for the 20th anniversary of the much-loved Northern festival have gone on sale and are already selling out rapidly.
2024 marked the 19th consecutive sold-out year for the festival, and you can bet your house on Kendal Calling 2025 tickets disappearing before you know it as well.
With more than 40,000 people making their way into Lowther Deer Park in the Lake District every 24 hours over the course of the four-day music and arts festivals, it’s one of the biggest and best festivals in the region.
We certainly enjoyed ourselves the last two years, put it that way.
To better put it into context for you, when broken down to the numbers the festival sees the town suddenly inflate to the third biggest town in the whole of Cumbria thanks to the hordes of new punters, families and returning fans that travel to the Lakes simply for the festival.
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Dubbed by many as a ‘mini Glastonbury of the North’, the organisers have already built a remarkable reputation for themselves, attracting huge names over the years.
From Bastille, Elbow and Snoop Dogg; Catfish and the Bottlemen, Blondie, Chase and Status; Public Enemy, Calvin Harris, Tom Jones and countless others, Kendal Calling boasts some serious pedigree and is only set to go bigger and better from its 20th birthday – a huge milestone for any festival.
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Viral moments from this year’s legendary lineup included Declan McKenna’s iconic set on Thursday’s opening night, Manchester’s very own Corella jumping into the main stage crowd and, of course, Gary Neville delighting crowds with a DJ set some amusing on-stage antics for us Mancs.
It’s moments like these that explain exactly why tickets sell out every year and why they’re already being snapped up not even a week after the 2024 edition wrapped up.
It also needs reminding that the festival is about much more than just the music.
Following this year’s festival, Kendal Calling’s co-founder Andy Smith said: “From Paolo Nutini to Gary Neville, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds to Dick and Dom, packed out fields for Sugababes and The Reytons to the legendary Barrioke, woodlands adventures and swashbuckling parades… even a special visit from the Fury family backstage.
“The history books continue to be written, and 19 years in this could, quite possibly, have been our best one yet! As festival-goers set off for another year and we return the fields to the wildlife who call it home, we want to extend an enormous and heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who makes Kendal Calling the magical place that it is!
“The revelry, the community and the unutterable feeling of joy span every corner of our site and that is all down to you!” They’ve made sure to keep repaying that gratitude too by freezing ticket prices and even, with payment plans also available from as little as £15 per month.
So, with tickets for 2025 and their 20th-anniversary festival already on sale, we can only urge you to give it a go. Taking place from 31 July-3 August, adult early bird passes with camping for the full weekend start from £184.95 including fees.
You can find the full list of options HERE. We hope to see you in the fields next year and you can read our full review of Kendal Calling 2024 down below.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Abbie Jennings (supplied)
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Beyond The Music moves to MediaCity for the first-time ever
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester arts festival and conference Beyond The Music is back for 2026, but this time it will be heading to MediaCity for a Salford debut.
The long weekender is still a relative newcomer when it comes to the Manc events calendar, but it’s quickly gathered plenty of repute not just in the North West but within the industry as a whole.
Holding just its third edition later this year, Beyond The Music ’26 is set to be the most ambitious yet, spread across the three days and promising an impressive lineup both in terms of live performers, but also speakers, industry experts and wider activities.
With MediaCity and dock10 hosting their inaugural Beyond The Music, it’s another big win for the second city, with Sports Personality of the Year sticking over Salford way for the foreseeable future, along with other events like the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Awards moving to the Quayside.
Much of the BBC’s World Cup coverage is also being hosted at their Salfordian studios and main Northern base this summer, too.
Given that so many big annual dates have now made the switch to central Manchester – the BRITs and the MOBOs, just to name two recent examples – you could say it only makes sense to spread things out across the surrounding boroughs and their equally rich heritage.
Not that you should need reminding, but Salford isn’t just part of the region: it’s a city all of its own right that boasts an immense amount of pride over what is nothing short of a sterling musical history.
As for the 2026 Beyond The Music programme, besides both the local artists and more international creatives than ever, there’ll be keynote conversations, industry showcases, and wider networking opportunities for anyone looking to immerse themselves deeper in this world.
You’ll have to wait a little while longer for a full live music lineup, but watch this space…
Mayor Andy Burnham and friends help launch Beyond the Music at MediaCityUK (Credit: Mark Waugh)
Sarah Pearson, Co-founder of Beyond The Music, said in an official statement: “Beyond The Music’s mission is to seize this moment, to come together and drive meaningful and lasting change in the music and content industry.
“It’s undeniable that the impact and importance of music and content are stronger than ever, but this is not reflected in their perceived value.
“The ethical and economic infrastructure of the music and content industries demands urgent attention and bold reform… It is our responsibility to protect creativity in order to ensure it doesn’t just survive but thrives. Things may feel difficult, but they are still possible.”
Mayor Burnham added: “Greater Manchester has always been at the forefront of cultural innovation, and Beyond The Music is a vital opportunity for the sector to come together and address the challenges and opportunities facing music and content creation…
“With its move to MediaCity and a bigger-than-ever programme, Beyond The Music is helping to cement our city region’s place at the centre of the creative economy.”
Taking place between 7-9 October 2026, you can register for early bird tickets right HERE. Roll on an even more extensive festival season than ever.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra at the Albert Hall Manchester – groovy, hazy and effortlessly cool
Clementine Hall
Unknown Mortal Orchestra at the Albert Hall proved exactly why they’ve built such a cult following over the past decade.
Formed in 2010 by frontman Ruban Nielson, the band first broke through with their scrappy, lo-fi self-titled debut and since then, they’ve become known for their signature blend of psychedelic rock, funk, and warped pop.
I first saw the band back in 2023 at Glastonbury, and yes sorry I am one of those annoying people that bring it up all the time.
They’re the perfect band to close your eyes, sway your head and tap your foot to – and that’s exactly what the crowd were doing in unison last night at the Albert Hall.
Image: The Manc Group
From the second they stepped on stage, there was no rush – just that signature hazy groove met with enough stage lights to sink a ship.
You could barely see them on stage, but that made it even cooler. And you can only imagine how gorgeous the Albert Hall looked with hundreds of spotlights in different colours whizzing all over it.
Early tracks simmered and pulled us in before the band stretched out into crowd pleasers like ‘Multi-Love’ and ‘Hunnybee’. What an absolute tune by the way.
Image: The Manc Group
There wasn’t much crowd interaction but, again, there didn’t need to be. They let the music do the talking and by treating us to some of the most epic guitar solos we’ve ever heard (no, seriously), we’ll forgive them for not talking to us.
Each song melted into each other as the band oozed effortless charm and talent throughout the almost two hour set, which is no mean feat.
Of course, a sea of phones shot up for ‘So Good at Being in Trouble‘, their most popular track which prompted a harmonious audience singalong. Not very harmonious by me, admittedly.
It was a fantastic ending that left the audience feeling united by the laidback brilliance of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and I hope they don’t leave it too long to come back this time.
Danny Jones -
8th August 2024 
