As nights out go, it doesn’t get much more Manc than this – Courteeners, back in their home town, in a field, in front of tens of thousands of adoring fans.
This gig – their third in Heaton Park – is for a very special occasion. The group are here to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their eponymous debut album, St Jude.
It’s an album that means so much to so many – a coming-of-age record, the soundtrack to countless sticky nights out in our city, the album that proved Manchester’s music scene had so much life after the Madchester era.
It’s also a record-breaker, recently hitting number one and going Platinum 15 years after its initial release.
So with 40,000 Courteeners fans pouring in to the outdoor arena that will later become Parklife’s main stage, you know you’re in for a night of rowdy noughties indie nostalgia.
Songs from that iconic St Jude album are peppered in throughout Courteeners’ set, which ends up spanning almost two hours.
It’s hard to pick out the songs that meant most to us all.
At any other gig it’s pretty obvious which are the crowd favourites, the ones that get everyone chanting together and throwing pints and bouncing in unison. At a Courteeners gig in Manchester – it’s all the same. It’s all one massive, very loud, non-stop sing-along.
You know the sort. You make friends with 200 new people because everyone who walks past wants to sling their arm over your shoulder and have a cuddle and belt some lyrics into your face.
Snippets of conversations overheard in front of the stage are heartwarmingly nostalgic.
During Acrylic, I hear one person turn and say ‘Oh my god this was my polyphonic ringtone at uni’.
During Please Don’t, we catch someone easily in their 40s giddily preparing to scream ‘It’s got f*ck-all to do with me’ at their friend before bursting into peals of laughter.
When How Come hits the speakers, someone immediately bursts into tears and wails ‘I miss uni’, despite definitely graduating in 2009.
As wild and rowdy as a Courteeners crowd always is, the atmosphere is almost aggressively happy. There’s a moment where all the people who are on shoulders congregate together for a two-storey cuddle with strangers.
Even during a very quiet acoustic section, where we’re left begging for the speakers to be turned up a bit, there are enough people squawking along to keep energy levels high, especially when the tempo picks up enough for Smiths Disco
It means as much to the band as it does to us, that much is clear. Liam takes a moment to tell the audience: “We’re nothing without everyone standing in this field.”
And then the sentimental moment is over, replaced with screams and flares in all different colours, with Not Nineteen Forever arriving in a burst of colourful streamers blasted from the stage.
Courteeners wrap up with What Took You So Long, leaving Heaton Park once again in a blaze of grinning glory.
Kendal Calling 2025 festival guide – everything you need to know ahead of a milestone year
Danny Jones
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?
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.
You can see the full stage splits via Clashfinder HERE, but you’re still best downloading the official Kendall Calling app, which should see you right all festival long.
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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 DinerThe Stagger Inn pubShit Indie Disco at Calling Out stageOnce 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Now, it’s not all airborne pints and tunage, though there is plenty of that; one of the things that makes Kendal Calling 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.
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.
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:
Featured Images — Audio North/The Manc Group/Press shots (supplied)
Audio
Cult favourite clothing brand Clints has dropped the lineup for the first-ever music festival
Danny Jones
Popular Manchester street and footwear brand, Clints Inc., has now revealed the lineup for its first-ever music and culture festival to mark five whole years in fashion – and it’s looking big.
The highly sought-after clothing and sneaker make started out from a bedroom in Moston and is now a premium label in British urban, skating, UK grime and hip-hop culture, having been worn by many famous names and welcoming even more through the door of their Deansgate shop.
Located in the ABC Buildings on Quay Street next to Spinningfields, the flagship Clints store opened back in 2022 and is much more than a place to buy some new drip: it’s a place that showcases art, music, and a whole sub-sect of shopping beyond just skate silhouettes and trendy trainers.
As hack as it might sound to some, wearing this brand comes along with immersing yourself in the wider style and scene; the very same scene being celebrated in tandem with their fifth birthday.
Up until recently, details were still scarce, but now the debut Clints Fest lineup has dropped, and there are some big names on board.
Set to take place at Barton Aerodrome, a.k.a. City Airport, over in Eccles, the live performers confirmed for 2025 span multiple genres, spotlighting both music veterans and up-and-coming artists from all over.
Legendary DJ, producer and MC Mike Skinner – most famously for his music with The Streets – tops the bill, alongside Tottenham-born rapper and grime artist, Chip (formerly known as ‘Chipmunk’).
There’s plenty of local love on show too, with Manc R’n’B, jazz and soul singer, Victoria Jane, also set to perform, among many other acts from around the region and beyond.
Other names include the equally soulful hip-hop and rap star, Kofi Stone, New Zealand actor and solo artist, Sammy V, as well as plenty more.
On the launch of the event, Founder Junior Clint said: “We’ve built Clints on the back of our supporters embracing the DIY spirit. This festival is the ultimate expression of that ethos. Housing both music legends with upcoming artists is our ambition with Clint Fest, and we can’t wait to deliver it.”
Clints Fest (the inaugural one, at that) will take place on Saturday, 6 September, over in the Salford suburb of Barton-upon-Irwell, kicking off from 12pm and wrapping up around 10:30pm.
You can expect the festival to be packed to the rafters with die-hard followers of all things Clints and streetwear; here’s hoping this is just the first of many.
While the pre-sale and the first phase window for early access have both fully sold out, the second phase has now gone live, with general admission tickets available from £45.
Daisy Jackson -
10th June 2023 
