Kendal Calling 2025 was always going to be special: it was yet another sellout edition of a live music and cultural celebration that impresses every year, shifting its ticket capacity in record time.
Even after two decades of success, genuinely getting ‘bigger and better’ each time, the local event that started off as a cult favourite for roughly 900 people somehow remains one of the most underappreciated festivals not just in the North but in the country.
To be honest, there were so many factors that went into making this our best visit to Kendal Calling to date, but we thought we’d rattle off some of them in our review of 2025’s 20th anniversary year, in what was a truly momentous milestone weekend.
Here are just a few.
Kendal Calling 2025 review
The sun shines down on Lowther Deer Park
For starters, 2025 was comfortably the best weather we’ve ever had at Kendal Calling, as the rays beamed down on the valley pretty much all weekend long.
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In fact, the only bit of rain we had came overnight/in the early morning during the final 24 hours, and while there was a bit of showering later that night, we got to enjoy the bulk of the daytime making the most of dry ground – by which we mean jumping up and down every chance we got.
As much as there’s something very romantic about the inevitable wet and muddiness of a UK music festival, this particular tree-encased corner of Penrith is just so pretty set against pure sunlight and clear blue skies. Just gorgeous.
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The next big plus may come down to bias, but it gave us a buzz nevertheless. Cue Friday night’s headliners:
It’ll surprise none of you to hear that the Greater Manchester music scene was flying its big festival flag high, wide and handsome at Kendal’s 20th anniversary.
Tell me something I don’t know, right?
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From youngsters The Guest List, and fellow indie up-and-comers like M60, to now established main stage stars like The Lottery Winners and, oh, you know, a little-known band called The Courteeners, we had plenty of top-tier representation this time around.
This is not to say that we haven’t in the past, by the way. Everyone knows how prolific and influential our city is when it comes to the arts, in general; nevertheless, it felt like this year, extra eyes were on us.
We’d be fools not to surmise that some of this may have been down to Oasis fever still firmly gripping the nation by the neck with both hands (a sea of their adidas merch was certainly a tip-off), but seeing acts we’ve featured in our artists of the month to look out for felt affirming.
Another thing we can never get over is just how much fun we have after the headliners walk off around 11pm…
Beyond the nine stages located around the sprawling festival site, there are so many little nooks and crannies we are still finding three years in, such as a cosy tea tent with cushion seating and low lamplight, the new ‘Green Room’, which serves as a little taste of VIP, and tonnes more.
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The best part about all these bits is that they usually get better the longer the night goes on, and as we found from our two nights dancing until 3am to the silent disco over at the Woodlands stage amidst a trail of fairy lights and flashing headphones, Kendal has endless stamina.
Even on the walk back from the technicolour forest full of ravers, those warming their hands by open fires, or simply lying back and gazing up at the stars in the night sky, you’ll see the big Ferris wheel still spinning, food traders slinging out late-night scran, and people still dancing.
As for some of the names that really impressed us this year, Keo, Sports Team and The Big Moon were up there for some of our favourite sets of the weekend, but we have to say that Sheffield’s very own Reverend and the Makers were truly brilliant.
We’ve had the pleasure of seeing Jon McClure and co. live on a number of occasions over the course of our lifetimes, and while they’ve never quite been as massive as we feel they should be, Kendal Calling 2025 proved they deserve not just main stage but headline slots.
Barring arguably Fatboy Slim on Saturday night, they got the biggest energy and movement of the crowd we’d seen since we got there – and it came as no surprise, either, as the case was very much the same last time.
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They acknowledged themselves that they’re having a bit of a ‘Rev-naissance’ and we couldn’t think of a more deserving group of musicians.
Honestly, at this point, we’d say we were getting tired of trying to convince people to give Kendal Calling a go if they haven’t before, but we’re not sure we’ll ever be able to put into words a review that’s fitting enough of how much we adore this festival.
Happy birthday to one of the best. Thanks again for having us back, and here’s to 20 unbelievable years.
As ever, we cannot wait until we’re back on the fields again soon.
There are pairs of tickets to a load of events up for grabs as part of ‘The Great Christmas Giveaway’
Danny Jones
International ticketing platform See Tickets is gifting selected pairs of tickets to a lucky bunch this winter as part of ‘The Great Christmas Giveaway’.
After all, they do call it the ‘season of giving’.
Teaming up with promotion partners, music artists and other organisers, See Tickets has decided to give out a bunch of passes, ranging from gigs and sporting events to theatre and comedy.
We wouldn’t be doing our jobs properly if we didn’t at least try to let you in on the possibility of winning some live entertainment freebies.
Thankfully, there are plenty of them; there are over a dozen tickets up for grabs in total, split across the six different dates running into next year.
Here’s a quick rundown of what’s on offer:
See Tickets Great Christmas Giveaway – the full list of events
Fancy seeing a Disney classic brought to life on stage? There are a possible four tickets to see Herclues: The Musical to be won, not to mention drinks vouchers and a bonus goodie bag.
All you need to do is follow @seetickets and @eventimuk on Instagram, like and share the post below to your story; tag a friend and tell your best Christmas joke by 00:01am this Monday, 8 December 2025. You can see a trailer from the highly praised performances down in the capital down below.
Two tickets to see Greg Davies
Yes, the second event revealed by See Tickets as part of this year’s Great Christmas Giveaway is the latest live stand-up tour show by the quite literally massive funny man, Greg Davies.
Playing at the Hammersmith Apollo down in London, this time you need to like, follow, share and tag a friend naming your favourite character by Tuesday, 9 December 2025 – again, before 00:01.
In case you somehow missed it, Take That are heading back out on the road for the 10th anniversary of The Circus album and tour – this time, you can pick the show of your choosing.
Same idea again: follow both pages, like and share, tag a friend, and this time, tell them your favourite album by the band. You enter by 00:01 this Thursday, 11 December.
This one is for all the rock fans. Slam Dunk Festival celebrates 20 years next summer, and what better way to toast the milestone than to be there not only in the flesh but in VIP?
You can pick either North or South, but let’s be honest – Leeds is the only place to be. Follow the same terms as above, and then just tell the comments which artist you’re most excited to see. Again, entry closes at 00:01 on Thursday (11 Dec).
Never giving up on a Rick Astley gig
Up next, how about seeing a living music legend of the North West on his upcoming arena tour? The one and only Rick Astley isn’t just back on the up, but if confirmed as the winner, you can select the date of your choice.
Once again, meet the usual requirements listed previously, plus leave your favourite Rick Astley song in the comments. Yes, you can pick that one – just make sure you do it by a minute after midnight on Wednesday, 10 December…
Last but not least, if you’re partial to a bit of pugilism and/or bloodsport, you can watch cult favourite combat sport Cage Warriors at your preferred venue AND win a signed pair of official Cage Warrior gloves too.
With the winner due to be announced just after midnight on Friday, 12 December, make sure you’ve met all the standard entry requirements and let other fans know which fighter you’re most looking forward to seeing. Simple as that!
Best of luck to everyone throwing names into the hat for their event of choice, and let us know in the comments if any of you win!
We’re not done there either; there are plenty of other free tickets coming up in Greater Manchester ahead of the new year, too.
Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)/Audio North
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Ed Sheeran at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for ‘intimate’ UK tour
Thomas Melia
The red-headed, guitar-strumming, lyrical genius, also known as Ed Sheeran, is back, and he’s heading to Co-op Live for one night only as part of his current UK tour.
‘Bad Habits’, ‘Shape of You’, ‘Thinking Out Loud’, Sheeran has built quite an impressive music catalogue over the years and amassed a whopping 60 billion streams while doing so.
The UK music heavyweight scored his ninth number one album with Play, all while adding two more top ten hits to his discography with ‘Azizam’ and ‘Sapphire’, driving his overall top ten singles total to 43 – that’s ‘Perfect’.
Last week, Sheeran dropped his latest musical addition, Play (Deluxe), which features 14 brand new tracks, and lucky fans who have tickets to these upcoming shows will be eager to see which ones he adds to his setlist.
Ed Sheeran at Co-op Live, Manchester – all the key info you need to know
Ed Sheeran is performing a run of ‘intimate’ shows in the UK (Credit: Press Shots via Petros Studio)
Now he’s bringing his huge hits to Manchester’s biggest indoor entertainment venue, Co-op Live, just across from the ‘Castle on the Hill’, Etihad Stadium, which Sheeran has performed at on eight occasions.
If you’re patiently trying not to get your hopes up, thinking about tickets for Sheeran’s latest gig while simultaneously saying ‘I Don’t Care’, think again.
All you ‘Beautiful People’ after tickets to go see Ed Sheeran when he plays out at Co-op Live on 7 December, you’re in luck as there’s a handful waiting to get snapped up HERE.
Ed Sheeran setlist
Prepare yourself, but with 43 top ten hits next to his name, it’s no surprise Sheeran’s setlist is quite a lengthy one; here’s what he performed at his Paris show earlier this month:
Give Me Love
Castle on the Hill
Shivers
Sapphire
The A Team
Don’t
Boat / Life Goes On
Galway Girl
Nancy Mulligan
Old Phone
Celestial
One / Photograph
Thinking Out Loud
Eastside / 2002 / Cold Water / Little Things / Love Yourself
I See Fire
River / Peru / Beautiful People / I Don’t Care
Camera
Slowly
Perfect
Symmetry
Bloodstream
You Need Me, I Don’t Need You
Shape of You
Azizam
Bad Habits
Afterglow
Merry Christmas
What are the stage times for Ed Sheeran in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you can ‘2step’ to this chart-topping superstar’s tracks and get tucked up in bed before the early hours of the morning.
Anyone attending can expect the doors to open from 6pm, and not one but two very special guests as the support acts: contemporary Irish band, Biird, and folk duo, Nizlopi, who Ed Sheeran has been a big fan of for a long time now.
You can hear more about his connection with the group down below.
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
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For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Danny Jones -
4th August 2025 
