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Kendal Calling 2025 festival guide – everything you need to know ahead of a milestone year

Back to the fields!

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 30th July 2025

The fields are beckoning us back once more as Kendal Calling returns for its 20th anniversary, and we’re to deliver all the important information to you yet again, from the stellar lineup, stage splits, site map and more.

It’s hard to believe the Lake District‘s leading live music event has been going for two whole decades now and, as cliché as it may sound, it really has gotten bigger and better each and every time.

Having been three years in a row ourselves, we can certainly vouch for the recent form.

In fact, their big birthday edition saw the beloved Northern favourite festival sell out – as it has done every 12 months since it began – in record time and now we can’t think of anything else other than singing our hearts out in Lowther Deer Park. Hence why we wrote this guide.

Kendal Calling guide 2025 – all the key info

Without further ado, here are all the important details you need to know ahead of Kendal Calling’s milestone anniversary festival. Let’s start with the bread and butter, shall we?

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Kendal Calling 2025 lineup and stage splits

We announced the Kendal Calling’s 2025 lineup late last year, which is set to be headlined by Greater Manchester’s very own Courteeners and The Prodigy, with other big names packing out the main festival stage and beyond.

Other regional acts were looking forward to seeing include Leigh’s The Lottery Winners, Sheffield’s famous sons and daughters, Reverend and the Makers; Leeds legends, Kaiser Chiefs, as well as The Wombats and The K’s, just to name a few.

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You can see the full stage splits via Clashfinder HERE.

What are the Kendal Calling stages this year?

  • Main Stage – Where all the action and big headliners are playing at the northernmost spot.
  • Parklands – The second largest stage, pretty much smack bang in the middle of the site; there’s also a brilliant Glow takeover by night.
  • Calling Out – Rounding out the trio of Kendal stages with even more big acts to the west.
  • Woodlands – Exactly what it sounds like: a cosy stage set within the Lost Eden forest.
  • Chai Wallahs – Another large tent towards the North East of the site, boasting a variety of genres.
  • The Soapbox – Just northwest of Parklands, it’s where most of the live comedy is taking place.
  • Tim Peaks Diner – Named after Salford icon Tim Burgess himself, this little hut is built for more pared-down sets.
  • Desert Island Disco – Where the electronic scene goes to shine and usher in the late-night fun.
  • Roots – Built to spotlight emerging talent from across the region, there are gems to be found here.
  • The Town Hall – The latest addition to the festival alongside the official Kendal Calling pub, which debuted last year.
Tim Peaks Diner
The Stagger Inn pub
Shit Indie Disco at Calling Out stage
Once you’ve made it into Kendal Calling 2025, feel free to consult this mini-guide/overview of the stages. (Credit: George Harrison/Jess Huxham/Supplied)

Kendal Calling 2025 map

Now, while Kendal Calling is just generally considered a Lake District festival, it’s technically located in the sloping valley that dips down into Lowther Deer Park.

The large, woodland-lined expanse is situated within the Cumbria town of Penrith; the park itself is roughly 3,000 acres but forms part of the much larger 75,000-acre Lowther Estate.

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For context, the increasingly popular event now welcomes around 40,000 festival goers every year, with Kendal Calling having grown from a 900-capacity seed to a giant, forest-spanning attraction.

Not much has moved around since last time, so you can always check out our video tour from 2024, but you can find an up-to-date site map down below.

kendal calling 2025 details
kendal calling festival map
Here’s a quick guide on how to get into the Kendal Calling festival site and a map of stages, facilities, etc. (Credit: Supplied)

Travel info – how to get there, parking and more

If you’re wondering how to get to Kendal Calling, once again: the festival takes place at Lowther Deer Park in Hackthorpe near Penrith, Cumbria (no, it’s not quite Kendal)

For the sake of ease when it comes to popping the location into the SatNav, the postcode is CA10 2HT.

By car

Located roughly 25 minutes north of its namesake Kendal, you can drive up there via the M6 and south down the A6 from Penrith. You can easily download full directions on Google Maps.

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Parking

The general car park is adjacent to the general campsites, but BE AWARE, the further away you park, the longer the walk up that hill – and it is a big one, we’re afraid.

Also, pre-warning, you must bring any alcohol purchased from outside the festival site up on the first trip up to your pitch. We found out the hard way…

Hoping to encourage people to carpool and ride share where possible, with Kendal remaining a dedicated and environmentally-conscious event (see their ‘Leave Nothing But Memories’ mission statement, for example), there is a charge for parking separate from festival admission.

Passes can be purchased online in advance for £24.50, or you can pay on the day for £40, but just like downloading/printing out your tickets prior to entry, we’d obviously advise you plan ahead and get them ready beforehand.

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Emperors Field, Great Plains, Deer Lodge and Tangerine Fields all have their own respective car parks, which require specific parking passes as part of campsite upgrade packages. You can see all the options and secure your parking HERE.

By train, then taxi/shuttle

The nearest train station to the festival site is Penrith (also known as Penrith North Lakes), which is just a 15-minute taxi journey from the site.

Alternatively, you can hop on the special shuttle bus service that runs from the station to the festival at various points over the weekend. Various services are available from Scotland, Birmingham, London, here in Manchester and across the North West – for example:

  • From Birmingham New Street to Penrith (2h31m) — trains every hour
  • From London Euston to Penrith (3 hours) — trains every 30 minutes
  • From Glasgow to Penrith (1h21m) — trains every hour
  • From Edinburgh to Penrith (1h30m) — trains every hour
  • From Lancaster to Penrith (34 mins) — regular service
  • From Manchester Piccadilly to Penrith (1h41m) – trains every 30 minutes, change at Preston

Shuttles will run to and from Penrith (North Lakes) Station to Kendal Calling from 10am-18:45pm on Thursday and 8:30am-19:15pm on Friday. They won’t resume again until early Monday, with the final service lasting from 8:30am-13:15pm.

The festival has a dedicated pick-up and drop-off point (PUDO) outside at Green Gate. Follow the road signage as you get closer to the site for directions to the PUDO, which is also where you’ll find the taxi rank alongside our coach drop-off spot – just a short 5-10 minute walk to the wristband exchange too.

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By coach/mini-bus

Speaking of coaches, you can find ticket prices for official services from destinations like Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, and many more places across the UK HERE.

For all other info on other options for getting to Kendal Calling 2025, consult the travel section on the festival website.

What else is on besides the music?

Now, it’s not all airborne pints and tunage, though there is plenty of that; one of the things that makes Kendal one of our favourite festivals not only in the North but the entire country is the wide range of entertainment, activities and spaces it offers beyond just bands and artists.

For instance, this special anniversary year also marks the debut of Bongo’s Bingo at Kendal Calling, which we simply cannot wait for.

As well as child-friendly facilities like laid-back Picturehouse social cinema, the annual parade, a dedicated ‘Kids Calling’ zone for said little ones, and the chilled-out Green Room outdoor area, there’s live alternative theatre, silent disco and tonnes more.

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For instance, Mancunian comedy veterans Jason Manford and Justin Moorhouse will both be performing their own stand-up sets, which should provide a nice sense of home even while you’re away in the fields. And that really is just the tip of the iceberg.

We here at The Manc will be there in person as part of our Audio North team as somewhat of a boots-on-the-ground representation of our Kendal Calling 2025 guide, so feel free to say hello if you happen to spot the logo bouncing around.

Not if we’re in the middle of the pit or dancing though – that’s private time and you daren’t interrupt one of us mid-groove.

And if any of you are first-timers facing some newbie jitters or simply wondering how good a time you’re about to have this weekend, we think our most recent review sums it up pretty well.

See you in the fields!

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It’s no wonder Kendal Calling sells out every year – it’s one of the most well-rounded festivals in the North
The one thing a Kendal Calling 2025 guide can’t tell is how much of a ball this festival is.

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Featured Images — Audio North/The Manc Group/Press shots (supplied)

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The Cure announce outdoor summer gig at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The Cure have announced a Manchester gig at Wythenshawe Park

The Cure have just been announced as a headliner for next summer’s Live From Wythenshawe Park.

The legendary band will be performing at the outdoor venue with support from Slowdive and The Slow Readers Club.

Formed in the late 1970s, The Cure – fronted by Robert Smith – are considered one of the most influential bands of all time.

Their big hits span generations and include Friday I’m In Love, Boys Don’t Cry, Lullaby, The Lovecats, and The End of the World.

Taking place on Friday 21 August 2026, The Cure will be performing hits from across the five-decade-long career.

The Sussex-formed band have performed nearly 1,800 concerts worldwide, released 14 studio albums, more than 40 singles, as well as live albums, books, soundtracks, concert films and loads more.

The Cure were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

Joining The Cure in Manchester next summer will be shoegaze pioneers Slowdive, who’ve gone from strength to strength since reuniting more than a decade ago.

Also taking to the stage at Wythenshawe Park will be The Slow Readers Club, one of Manchester’s proudest exports known for their blend of electro-driven rock.

Live from Wythenshawe Park has become the hottest ticket in Manchester in recent summers, with previous headliners including Sam Fender, Fontaines D.C. and New Order.

Next year’s line-up already includes a show from Lewis Capaldi, and now The Cure too.

Tickets to The Cure at Live From Wythenshawe Park in Manchester will go on general sale on Friday 10 October at 9am.

Pre-sale tickets will go on sale on Wednesday 1st October at 9am (you can sign up for pre-sale HERE)

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Featured image: Publicity picture

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Five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this month | September 2025

Danny Jones Danny Jones Latest Manchester music new band and artists September 2025

‘Hello… is it more Manc tunes you’re looking for?’ because if so, you’re in the right place, as it’s time to reel off a whole new list of new music and Manchester artists we’ve been listening to over the past 30 days or so.

Give or take – you know how months work.

If you are new around here, it’s all very simple: every few weeks, we round up a load of local bands, duos, solo acts and everything in between to help spread some love and exposure to the wonderful talents that have been stuck in our rotations and so on.

Honestly, it really is that straightforward, and there’s no point in faffing around any longer, so let’s just get stuck into September’s Manc artists of the month.

Manchester music we’ve been listening to lately

1. SHADE

Now, this first one is rather bittersweet, because despite having just gotten back into SHADE, we’ve sadly learned that the lads are seemingly looking to wrap things up as a musical unit in just a matter of days with their final ever headline show right here in Manchester.

The native four-piece band have always managed a good balance of the indie-rock split and, in our opinion, only gotten better with time; the instrumentation is tighter, Luke Owens’ vocals have come into their own, and the overall music itself is better produced.

Unfortunately, the lads never quite got the following we feel they deserved, and for whatever reasons, they confirmed they’re calling time after five years with one last gig at Gorilla. There’s a farewell after-party at Night and Day too, so come help us sing ‘Neverdie’, ‘Break Out’, ‘Lost in The World Together’ and more one last time.

2. Roxanne

From an example of a group coming to the end of the journey to one just at the beginning of theirs, number two is fellow Manc indie and alt-rock outfit Roxanne, who look to be developing a slow-moving, haunting, ethereal wave/shoegaze sound. It’s still too early to tell, but we’re certainly interested.

These guys recently caught some attention via grassroots events at the likes of Stage and Radio, and Mother Mary’s; now they have ours. A minor gripe, ironically, is that these lot are yet to put on the red light and record much studio material – at least nothing that they’ve dropped as far as we can find so far.

On the upside, you can at least be in from the ground floor for when they do finally release stuff, and even from the little demo teasers they’ve shared on social media so far, we think it’s well worth keeping an eye on how their first proper releases fare.

@roxannebandmusic ‘Say Yes’ #newmusic #manchesterband #altrock #indierock #lyrics ♬ original sound – Roxanne

3. BC Camplight

In at number three is someone at the opposite end of the spectrum: New Jersey-born BC Camplight – real name, Brian James Christinzio – who’s been around for some 20 or so years now, releasing plenty of music, but that we’ve somehow only just started cottoning onto now he’s based in Greater Manchester.

Camplight released album number seven just this past June, and it’s nothing short of one of the coolest, most creative, candid and most surprising things we may have EVER listened to. It feels abstract, post-modern and absurdist at times, but the highly idiosyncratic and anecdotal lyrics remind us of John Grant and a slightly calmer sounding Petey USA.

We’ll definitely be working our way backwards through his discography over the coming weeks to see how he’s developed such a unique sound over the decades, but for now we’ll reccommend you start with ‘The Tent’ and ‘Two Legged Dog’, which features Abigail Moss from The Last Dinner Party, as well as the title track, ‘A Sober Conversation‘. Some truly staggering and style-sprawling work.

You can help but wiggle your head and shoulders within seconds of hitting play.

4. Mae Grace

Switching from post-modern vibes to post-punk, next up is a fledgling five-piece fronted by, you guessed it: Mae Grace Williams. Another product of BIMM (British and Irish Modern Music Institute) University’s city centre campus, like Roxanne, they’re also still very early days, but there’s undeniable talent there.

Backed by the monthly ‘New Cult’ nights, which are hosted by indie record label Heist or Hit and held at NQ pub turned live music venue, The Rat and Pigeon, not only must we praise the showcase itself, but we’re not the only ones who have been intrigued by their embryonic stages.

There are elements of spoken word and prog rock guitar at points; we don’t know exactly what genre we’d call it or what they’re even going for in their infancy, but with another gig this autumn supporting Adult Leisure on Sunday, 2 November, your best chance of judging for yourselves is seeing them live.

5. Moss Side Sauna Club

Last but certainly not least is another Manchester-based project we’ve only just come across, but with just three songs to their name on Spotify, we don’t think we’ve been quite this excited by a local debut for a while now. And for bloody good reason, we think.

Moss Side Sauna Club isn’t just one of the best band names we’ve heard in ages, but the highly alternative, DIY, almost garage-rock act which throws in all manner of distortion, electronics, pedals, and more to build their deeply-layered and admittedly rather noisy experience. MSSC is its own sonic profile.

Even with all the processing and effects, it somehow doesn’t sound too cluttered either – at least not on tape, anyway. We’re yet to see them live for ourselves, but the triumvirate consisting of Will Brooks, Maddy Storm and Sam Craighan have got us gassed with their first trio of tracks. Watch. This. Space.

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Would you look at that? We’re done with September’s round-up of new Greater Manchester music we’ve been listening to lately, just like that.

It wasn’t intentional, but by and large, we really did spotlight some very up-and-coming acts on the scene for the most part. We love finding musicians right at their inception or riding the crest of a fresh wave of interest.

As always, we’ll be back again next month with more for you and in the meantime, you can always look back at Manchester bands and artists, be they new, current or old, that we’ve spotlighted in the past.

Five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this month | August 2025
August’s Manchester artists of the month are also belters, if we do say so ourselves.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Bella Union/press shot (supplied)/SHADE (via Facebook)

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