Another year, another absolutely stunning festival in the fields at Kendal Calling 2024, which also happened to be the 19th consecutive sell-out year – and it really is no wonder.
The massive music, arts and cultural event, along with tens of thousands of festival-goers, descended upon the beautiful multi-coloured, flag-laden valley of Lowther Deer Park to kick off August in style and, naturally, Audio North just had to drive down for another taste of it.
Arriving early on Friday after already seeing the superb scenes on Thursday’s opening night – with the likes of Paul Heaton, Declan McKenna, The Covasettes and more all playing – we were keen to get stuck straight in and we did just that, landing at the main stage just in time to see CMAT.
Start as you mean to go: by waving your cowboy/bucket hat in the air with pride.
Safe to say our day one was pretty packed, ticking off some names that for many might be considered bucket list gigs, not least the likes of Keane, Noel Gallagher and, of course, Dick and Dom (no, seriously, they’re genuinely mint).
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And that’s just the day-time music. From walking around the expansive 3,000-acre national park, sampling far too many of the fantastic food vendors than our waistlines would care to admit, to walking through the forest village and seeing bits of live theatre, comedy and more, there was something different around every corner.
One of the things we love most about Kendal Calling is the all ages crowd, with countless families in fun festival fits, bucket hat-wearing teenagers enjoying their first big live music weekend, plus plenty of older punters still gigging only from the comfort of a camping chair, it all warmed the heart just the same.
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We also had some pretty stunning weather this year, with much warmer temperatures than 2023 and plenty of sunshine throughout to the point that the short spells of spitting rain came as merely a faint and somewhat refreshing little reminder that we were in fact in the Lake District.
Credit: Tom MartinCredit: Abbie JenningsCredit: Nat ArgentCredit: George HarrisonA different vibe every few yards.
Once again, Kendal Calling 2024 also had a theme, so it was fun to stumble across hordes of pirates, sailors, sea creatures and pretty much anything related to the ‘High Seas’, not to mention to see the continued committment to being one of the most evironmentally friendly events of its kind.
The ‘Leave Nothing But Memories’ initiative underpins the entire festival’s approach to delviering a good time, from creating carbon neutral productions wherever they can to making the facilities as sustainable as possible, it’s no mean feat given the 40k people that attend each day, let alone the artists and all those beind the scenes.
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This stuff doesn’t go unnoticed either; even in a short chat with our very own Manchester-based music collective The Untold Orchestra, when pressed for an answer on what makes it so special and why the Northern music indsutry is the best, the first thing they did was shout out all the staff making it happen.
Another big higlight for us was watching Gary Neville’s b2b DJ set with The Charlatans frontman and Manc music legend Tim Burgess over at the Parklands stage. The Man United legend may have been a bit shy at first but he definitely grew into things.
As The Manc representatives attending the festival, we particualrly enjoyed this moment…
Last and certainly not least, a special mention simply has to go to Kendal Calling’s after hours scene, where you can potentially have an even better time than you ever would have expected.
It only takes walking through the aforementioned forest village known as Lost Eden to literally feel transported to some kind of flourescent, kaleidoscopic alternate reality where fantasy and sci-fi seem to merge in a perfect marriage.
Whether you pull on a pair of headphones for the silent disco, stare up at the night sky with a rainbow of streamers hanging overhead, or do we what we did and literally stand mesmerised by the floating Earth for what felt like half an hour, it does feel like some much-needed escapism.
All in all, it was another incredible year for Kendal Calling, with some incredible perfomances across the whopping 17 stages.
Some of our highlights included Peace, Franz Von, the masterful DJ set from Vookoo inside the Chai Wallahs tent; Manc locals Sugarstone, finally hearing The Streets play ‘Blinding Lights’ live, and being part of a pub quiz hosted by The Lottery Winners at the festival’s flagship pub, The Stagger Inn.
In the spirit of that wonderful name, we can’t wait to do just that again next year and we’ll see you back in the fields come August 2025 – consider that a promise.
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As vibrant and wonderful a world as it looks. (Credit: The Manc Group)
Featured Images — Nat Argent/George Harrison(supplied)
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Where to drink game-changing non-alcoholic aperitivo Botivo in Greater Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Whether it’s Dry January, a hangover-free night out, or total sobriety, there are a lot of options for non-alcoholic drinking these days.
But they don’t come much better than Botivo, a game-changing aperitivo that’s 0% alcohol but 100% tasty.
This delicious small-batch drink has been carefully crafted with just as much attention as you’d put into an alcoholic cocktail, from the hand-picked thyme leaves to the bottles hand-dipped in a buttercup yellow wax.
Founder Sam Paget Steavenson said: “I wanted to bring the true craft and depth of flavour we all see in the alcohol category, to the non alc category. This meant using real ingredients, no flavourings and low intervention techniques.”
The result is Botivo, a bittersweet, citrusy, herbal drink that can be added into summer drinks, winter warmers, after-work concoctions and just about anything else you can think of.
And if you do love an alcoholic drink, Botivo is still a great addition to your boozy cocktails.
It’s popping up on shelves right across Greater Manchester – here are 10 places you can drink Botivo locally.
Reserve Wines – Didsbury
Reserve Wines in DidsburyReserve Wines in Didsbury
This fantastic local wine bar and bottle shop is one of the best spots in Manchester to get your hands on rare and unusual drinks – and also, Botivo.
The Didsbury institution serves theirs simply with soda and a delicious kick of ginger, or with blueberry and ginger kombucha.
Tawny Stores – Stockport
Tawny Stores in Marple Bridge. Credit: The Manc GroupBotivo at Tawny Stores. Credit: The Manc Group
Tawny Stores is a lovely little cafe, restaurant and grocery store right on the water’s edge in Marple, where you can do everything from having a romantic candlelit dinner to scoffing a morning pastry to grabbing a loaf of bread to take home.
Here, Botivo is added to a warming spiced apple drink, reminiscent of a mulled cider. You can even have it served in a takeaway cup to take it on a walk down the neighbouring canal, if you so fancy.
Bundobust – Oxford Road
Manchester Indian street food restaurant Bundobust. Credit: The Manc GroupBotivo at Bundobust Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike love Bundobust, a Leeds-founded Indian street food restaurant that now has two sites in Manchester city centre.
Among the long benches and beneath the skylights (weirdly, both sites have similar ceilings), you can pair your Indian small plates with a tasty glass of Botivo and soda.
Delve – Delph
Delve in Delph, Saddleworth. Credit: The Manc GroupDelve in Delph, Saddleworth. Credit: The Manc Group
Delve is a gorgeous restaurant and bar that’s recently opened in the Saddleworth village of Delph, inside an old bank building.
They’ve come up with a suitably sophisticated Botivo serve, the Pink Lady, made with chilled fruit tea.
Something More Productive – Withington
Something More Productive in Withington. Credit: The Manc GroupBotivo at Something More Productive. Credit: The Manc Group
This is a lively neighbourhood bar and cafe, as famed for its sturdy sandwiches as it is live music nights.
Tuck yourself away inside with a Botivo, served here with delicious ginger and yuzu kombucha from Cheshire-made Hip Pop.
North Westward Ho – city centre
Botivo at North Westward Ho in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Easily one of the city centre’s best watering holes, North Westward Ho is a charming pub operated by the same team behind Pomona Island brewery.
A perfect alternative to their massive beer selection, Botivo comes with soda and a wedge of fresh orange.
Caravan – St John’s
Botivo drinks at Caravan ManchesterCaravan in Manchester city centreCredit: The Manc Group
Caravan is another huge newcomer in Manchester city centre, where it has an all-day menu inspired by the vibrant flavours of New Zealand and Australia cafe culture.
Get cosy in the huge, light-flooded space and order yourself a Botivo and soda with a sprig of rosemary to really enhance those herbal flavours.
The Pearl – Prestwich
A Botivo espresso martini at The Pearl, PrestwichThe Pearl in Prestwich has made it onto the list of the Top 100 Local Restaurants in the Good Food Guide. Credit: The Manc Group
You’ve never had an espresso martini like this before – and you’ll never want to drink it another way.
Award-winning neighbourhood restaurant The Pearl has added Botivo to its espresso martinis, for a delicious citrus hit to the classic drink.
Hinterland Bar – Northern Quarter
Inside Hinterland in the Northern Quarter. Credit: The Manc GroupBotivo Elixir at Hinterland. Credit; The Manc Group
Tucked down in a Northern Quarter basement is Hinterland, a proudly alcohol-free bar that is the perfect cosy spot to sample Botivo.
They’ll serve you a Botivo Elixir, made with chai tea, lime, and cucumber – or you can have it more simply with soda.
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10 Tib Lane – city centre
10 Tib Lane in ManchesterInside 10 Tib Lane Manchester
If you’ve never been to 10 Tib Lane, let this be your sign – the three-storey restaurant and bar is a real beauty, serving delicious small plates that pair perfectly with Botivo.
They serve it ice cold, with soda and fresh orange. Delicious.
Danny Jones -
5th August 2024 
