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Kendal Calling Festival 2024 guide – lineup, stage splits, site map and more
Kendal Calling has come back around and we CANNOT wait.
Danny Jones -
31st July 2024 
One thing we love about festival season is that as soon as one has passed us by, the next one rocks up right on time and, just like that, Kendal Calling kicks off this Thursday, 1 August.
Running through till the end of the weekend, Kendal Calling will once again be taking over Lowther Deer Park in the Lake District, turning a lovely little valley into one of the best music festivals not just in the North but the entire country as far we’re concerned.
2023’s festival was well and truly one of the best weekends we’ve had in a long time and even the weather held up for the most part, so we can only hope it lives up to the very high bar it sets every year.
So, without further ado, here’s everything you need to know about Kendal Calling Festival 2024.
Are there tickets left?
One of the easiest and best reviews for Kendal Calling is that the much-loved North West music festival not only hits record attendances each time it returns but it also sells out every year without fail – and no, we’re not exaggerating.
2024 marks the 19th consecutive year that the event has sold out, having first started way back in 2006 and gone on to become not just a cult favourite but one of the biggest dates on the British music calendar.
That being said, while Kendal is once again sold out this year, upgrades when it comes to camping, parking and tickets for early access on Thursday’s opening night are still available. You can also keep your eye out for spares and last-minute passes but, as always, be cautious and only use trusted sites like their official reseller Tixel.
Kendal Calling festival map and stages
Now, we can’t lie, Lowther Deer Park is pretty darn big so it helps to know where you’re going, especially when heading into the full site itself.
You can find a full lay of the land including where specific camping zones, car parks, entrances and pick-up/drop-off points down below.
We’ve also included the specific stage map on the right-hand side for once you’re into the main area and need a better idea of the layout.
- Main Stage – Where all the action and big headliners are playing at the northernmost location
- Parklands – The second largest stage pretty much smack bang in the middle of the site
- 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 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 and The Stagger Inn – The latest addition to the festival alongside the official Kendal Calling pub where The Lottery Winners Thom Rylance will be pulling a few pints as landlord. We had a lot of fun with this announcement.
Kendal Calling headliners and stage splits
Now, here’s what you all came for: a reminder of exactly who is playing Kendal Calling Festival 2024. We could be here forever writing out every name playing every single stage, so for now, we’ve put together a quick summary of the biggest names playing the main stage across the weekend.
Kendal Calling lineup – Thursday, 1 August
- Paul Heaton
- Declan McKenna
- The Hunna
- Beth McCarthy
- Hardwicke Circus
- The Allergies
- Tom McGuire & The Brassholes
- Freshly Squeezed
- Stone Cold Hustle
- Tricky Disco
- Twisted Time Machine
Friday, 2 August
- Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
- Keane
- The Snuts
- CMAT
- Flowerovlove
- The Untold Orchestra perform ABBA
- Deadletter — we loved this lot last year and it looks like they’ve had an upgrade (see below…)
- Alfie Jukes
Saturday, 3 August
- The Streets
- Sugababes
- Kate Nash
- Heather Small
- Andrew Cushin
- Corella
- Russell Howard
Sunday, 4 August
- Paolo Nutini
- The Reytons
- Feeder
- Pale Waves
- Royel Otis
- Red Rum Club
- The Lancashire Hotpots
- Revivalry
You can inspect the full lineup down below:
How to get there
For those of you wondering how to get to Kendal Calling, the festival takes place at Lowther Deer Park in Hackthorpe near Penrith, Cumbria (no, it’s not quite Kendal) and the postcode is CA10 2HT.
By car
Located roughly 25 minutes north of its namesake Kendal, you can drive up there via M6 and south down the A6 from Penrith. You can easily download full directions on Google Maps.
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 which will run 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 until 13:15pm.
The festival has a dedicated pick-up and drop-off point (PUDO) located 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 to the wristband exchange too.
By coach/mini-bus
Speaking of coaches, you can find ticket prices for official services from locations like Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and many more places across the UK HERE, and for all other info on other options for getting to Kendal Calling 2024 consult the travel section on their website.
Other experiences, entertainment and beyond at Kendal Calling
But of course, one of the things we love most about Kendal Calling is that it’s much more than just a music festival – there is literally something for everyone including plenty of family-friendly activities for people of all ages.
From an Oktoberfest tent, the Soapbox stage and the Picture House where you can sit back and just watch a film amidst all the running around, to hordes of dancers, the puppet parade, the Lost Eden forest trail and so much more.
Don’t even get us started on the wide variety of food vendors that will be rolling into the festival site and helping rinse out bank accounts all weekend long. You can find the full list HERE.
Kendal Calling after dark is also quite the sight to behold…
So, @KendalCalling after dark is pretty sick.😅
— The Manc (@TheMancUK) July 30, 2023
Thanks for having us, folks, it’s been a blast — and we’ll always remember the bloke who shoved a firework up his arse. pic.twitter.com/opV4CkXi1m
Read more:
- The full programme for The Warehouse Project 2024 has finally been revealed
- Five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this month | July 2024
- The Lottery Winners and The K’s are teaming up for the return of a North West music festival
And that should be just about everything you need to know ahead of Kendal Calling 2024, which kicks off on Thursday, 1 August and runs until this Sunday.
We’ve got a lot of love for this annual event which continues to draw in bigger crowds and push the boundaries year after year.
The new and improved Audio North (a.k.a. the artist formerly known as The Manc Audio) will once again be heading over, so make sure to say hello if you see us around and show off your best festival fits.
Have the best time guys and see you in the fields!
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — George Harrison/Tom Martin via Kendal Calling (supplied)/The Manc Group
