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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Lovely last-minute Mother’s Day ideas from Selfridges in Manchester
The Manc
Mother’s Day is this Sunday – and if those words have just sent you into a blind panic, just take a breath and head straight across to Selfridges.
The huge department store has come up with all sorts of things that make for perfect last-minute gifts and experiences.
That includes a carefully curated selection of gifts available in-store, plus a very special Morning With Mum beauty workshop so you can spend some quality time together on Mother’s Day.
Selfridges can be your one-stop shop for the big day.
In both Exchange Square and Trafford Centre stores, you can pick up lovely gifts like feast-filled hampers, fabulous accessories, luxury chocolates, candles, and even cards.
As always, there are gifts you can have personalised in-store for a sentimental present for the mother figure in your life.
If you’re really stuck, you can pop along to the Beauty Concierge and book her an experience.
And over in Selfridges Exchange Square, you can pick up a beautiful fresh bouquet from The Royal Exchange Florists.
Selfridges has loads of last-minute Mother’s Day ideas
There’s rarely a gift more precious than quality time together, which is why Selfridges will be hosting a special Mother’s Day floor-wide beauty event on Saturday 14 March.
Ticket-holders will receive expert beauty advice from your favourite brands, while enjoying complimentary drinks and sweet treats.
There’ll also be plus exclusive gifts with purchase available, and giveaways on the day, and you can redeem the £20 ticket price against products purchased on the day.
You can even grab an artist print for mum at the vending machine.
Tickets for the Morning With Mum beauty workshop are on sale HERE.
You could also share a moment over a glass of champagne at San Carlo in both locations, or grab a sweet treat from the bakery in the Trafford Centre store.
First look at enormous The Mystery of Banksy exhibition as it opens in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Europe’s most popular Banksy exhibition has officially landed in Manchester, displaying hundreds of reimagined works inspired by one of the world’s most prolific artists.
Making its UK debut, The Mystery of Banksy – A Genius Mind documents the street artist’s illustrious global career and showcases his most famous artwork.
An enormous purpose-built exhibition space has taken shape at Depot Mayfield in the city centre, where visitors weave their way through a maze of documentary footage, sculptures, prints, graffiti, photographs and paintings.
The exhibition has already stunned millions of visitors across 36 cities, from Berlin to Stockholm, and now it’s Manchester’s turn to step inside the mind of Banksy.
Huge pieces have been spraypainted on site to suit and fit the mammoth space that is Depot Mayfield.
95% of the art pieces are recreations of lost Banksy artwork – whether those originals have been sold, covered, or destroyed, removing them from public view.
The fascination collection highlights artworks which have often been placed in locations that raise awareness for political and social issues, whether it’s the steelworks in Port Talbot, or the rubble of war-torn cities.
Installations include Palestine Wall, a remodelling of the walls in Gaza and the West Bank, where Banksy has sprayed a range of murals since 2003.
One gallery showcases Banksy’s work in war-torn UkraineThere are photo opportunities throughout the exhibitionRecreations of Banksy’s most famous artworks are on display
You can also step inside a set inspired by The Walled Off Hotel, Banksy’s boutique hotel in Bethlehem which overlooks the concrete separation wall.
While you can no longer safely visit many of these artworks in real life, The Mystery Of Banksy is doing its best to bring them to life here in Manchester.
His political works are displayed in every room, including reimaginings of his pieces created on ruined buildings in war-torn Ukraine.
There are also famous sculptures like Death of a Phone Booth, Angel Bust, and Suicide Bomber.
And visitors can walk through a recreated London Underground carriage that was turned into an immersive Banksy artwork in 2020, called If You Don’t Mask, You Don’t Get.
Recreations of Banksy’s most famous artworks are on displayThere are sculptures, documentary footage, and loads morePaintings by patients of The Christie are also on display
You’ll be able to explore a timeline of milestones in Banksy’s career, from his graffiti work in Bristol in the early 90s all the way through iconic cultural moments like his Dismaland theme park and his documentary film Exit Through the Gift Shop.
The exhibition also explains why Banksy began using stencils – something he is best-known for – and shows his early and most famous stencil work, like Mild Mild West and Kissing Coppers.
As you weave through the custom-built exhibition space, you’ll pass sets like the Barely Legal Room, which gives a glimpse inside his three-day warehouse installation in LA, dominated by a gigantic red elephant sculpture (the real exhibition used a live elephant).
There are photo opportunities along the way too, where you can pose with work like Girl with Balloon.
The Christie is the official partner for The Mystery of Banksy, which will raise money towards a new Total Body PET-CT scanner through ‘tap to donate’ spots around the exhibition, alongside a dedicated charity event takeover and an exclusively commissioned artwork which will be donated for auction.
John Carrigan, Director of Cartel Events Limited, says “We’re excited to launch the ‘Mystery of Banksy – A Genius Mind’ in Manchester, the UK’s hub of modern culture. In partnership with Europe’s leading entertainment promoter, COFO Exhibitions, who holds 50 years of experience in revolutionary international exhibitions, visitors can expect a spectacle of reenvisioned accessible artworks for all.’’
Louise Hadley, Chief Executive of The Christie Charity, says: “We are absolutely thrilled to be the chosen charity for The Mystery of Banksy, A Genius Mind exhibition. It is an incredibly exciting opportunity for us and one that will ultimately benefit cancer patients both now and in the future.”
Open to all, standard adult tickets start at £22. Tickets are free for curious minds under the age of six, with concession tickets also available for seven-16 year olds, seniors and all NHS workers.
Danny Jones -
5th August 2024 
