The Kendal Calling lineup for 2024 has officially dropped and we’re not exaggerating when we say it’s an absolute belter.
With Northern names like Blossoms, Happy Mondays, Reverend and The Makers; Rick Astley, The Lottery Winners and many more playing at the Lake District music festival last summer, we had an absolute blast and we’re genuinely worried how they’d be able to top it this year.
That being said, with everyone from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Paolo Nutini and The Streets to Paul Heaton, Keane, Declan McKenna; Pale Waves, The Snuts, and even the Sugababes signed up for Kendal Calling 2024, just to name a few, the latest edition is going to be absolutely dynamite.
As well as bringing back favourites from the previous lineup such as Lottery Winners, The Hunna and Rianne Downey, other new additions include rising local lads The K’s, Liverpool stars Red Rum Club, The Reytons from Rotherham, British rock veterans Feeder and even some special DJ sets…
Kendal Calling has released its 2024 lineup in full / Credit: Supplied | The Manc Group
Yes, as well as another appearance from Manc music icon Bez and a full night of funk from the one and only Craig Charles, Man United legend, pundit and local businessman Gary Neville (you heard) will also be hopping on the decks back-to-back with none other than Tim Burgess of The Charlatans.
Can’t lie, that’s worth a headline slot on its own.
They’ve also bolstered the rest of the entertainment since last year, with live stand-up set to descend of Lowther Deer Park in the form of much-loved comedians Russell Howard and Paul Smith.
As you can see from the full lineup, there are so many names to choose from — over 120 across a total of more than 13 stages, to be more precise — the only tragedy is that you can’t see them all. Still, there’s plenty for you to get up in the late hours once the main acts call it a day.
It goes without saying that Kendal Calling was a huge success last year and with the lineup we’ve got in store, 2024 looks set to be just as memorable as more than 40,000 music lovers are set to pull on their wellies and bucket hats each day.
One of the things that makes this festival so special is how much it champions the North West in particular, so many of the big slots going to artists from this region and the Mayor of Greater Manchester himself, Andy Burnham, even giving the likes of Stockport a shout-out last time round.
If you’ve never given Kendal a go before, we sincerely advise you to consider it this year. It’s probably one of the most underrated live music events in the country but not for long — this thing just keeps getting back and we are absolutely here for it.
Taking place from Thursday, 1 to Sunday, 4 August, pre-sale goes live at 10am on Friday HERE and general admission will be available from Monday, 29 January.
Featured Images – RTP (via Flickr) / Supplied / Paolo Nutini (Press Image)
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Star of hit CBBC show Operation Ouch! to host live Q&A and meet and greets in Manchester this summer
Emily Sergeant
Little Mancs can meet the star of one of their favourite TV shows at the Science and Industry Museum this summer.
In case you hadn’t heard, Operation Ouch! is back in Manchester again with a fresh new experience for 2025, and this time around, visitors can journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.
Thousands of families from across Greater Manchester and beyond have already visited the city centre museum make the most of the new exhibition, and get stuck into the wide range of immersive and interactive activities it has on offer.
But for those who haven’t been able to pay a visit yet, this summer couldn’t be a more ideal opportunity to do so.
That’s because Dr Xand Van Tulleken – who is one of the presenters of the BBC showOperation Ouch! – will be at the museum in a couple of weeks time to meet visitors as part of his myth-busting mission to answer some of the public’s deepest questions about our senses.
The Science and Industry Museum has unveiled its ‘summer of senses’ programme / Credit: Science Museum Group
Dr Xand Van Tulleken will be at the Science and Industry Museum for one day only, and will not only join mini medics on their voyage through the senses, but will also be on-hand to answer brain teasers from the audience during a series of live Q&As.
Whether it’s banging on a super-sized eardrum, venturing into a massive eyeball, or even taking a whiff of a ‘smell library’, this world-premiere exhibition dives into the science behind hearing, sight, touch, taste, and smell – and Dr Xand will be there every step of the way.
Dr Xand’s visit comes amid a senses-themed summer programme at the city centre museum, where visitors can enjoy everything from silent discos and science shows, to a ‘bogie lab’, brain-boggling challenges, and loads more during six weeks of activities inspired by its latest exhibition.
Book your tickets to visit Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You on Tuesday 12 August, for any of the time slots between 11:30am – 1pm, and 2:45 – 4:15pm for the opportunity to grab a selfie with Dr Xand from inside the exhibition.
Tickets will cost visitors £10 each, with those under three going free, and a range of family discounts available.
Find out more about the exhibition and get tickets here.
Featured Image – Science Museum Group
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Aspiring artists can get their work displayed on one of the biggest digital screens in Manchester
Danny Jones
Are you a budding artist looking to get your work seen or know some who is? Well, you might want to pay attention because there’s an opportunity to have your creation seen by countless passers-by and on one of the biggest displays in the entire UK over at the Printworks.
If you’ve passed through the much-loved hospitality and leisure complex over the past year or so, you’ll have noticed their roof is now no longer a roof at all, really; the striking ceiling is now a constantly moving image and the largest of its kind in all of Europe.
Meaning that anyone who got their artworks on there would effectively be securing one of the biggest displays and public installations on the continent.
As Printworks themselves put it: “This isn’t just a screen; it’s an artistic stage viewed by millions of visitors every year, with the power to turn a single artwork into a 360-degree sensory experience.”
With that in mind, they’re giving one lucky individual the chance to grab the spotlight and see their creative expression plastered on the 1,000m² wraparound LED canvas.
“Supporting emerging talent and seeing fresh, creative perspectives is always inspiring, and I can’t wait to see what these young artists bring to the table! It was so surreal seeing my artwork on the digital.”
Past installations have included the ‘Spaces Up-Above’ exhibition by world-renowned light artist, Rupert Newman, as well as an International Women’s Day showcase by Heitzman herself, as a fellow Manchester-based creative.
In case you need a better idea of the sheer scale of this screen and why this is such an exciting opportunity for up-and-coming local artists, here’s how they celebrated Oasis returning to Manchester for their Heaton Park reunion gigs this week:
Synchronised with sound and added motion effects, the competition is now open to students who are currently enrolled in college, university or art school.
Better still, you don’t even have to be from or based in the area to take part – this is a nationwide competition hoping to spotlight the best talents in the UK.
All you have to do to enter this exciting competition in Manchester is simply provide Printworks your details and upload your artwork of choice HERE by Sunday, 3 August.
Danny Jones -
25th January 2024 
