Fancy a Festival in an English Paradise? Kendal Calling’s Got It All..
Ever been to the Lake District? Chances are, that if you have, then it was against your will to go on a walking holiday in the rain with your family. And it was crap (Cheers, Dad, I’ve now got blisters and hypothermia). But Kendal Calling festival is here to change your view of the Lake District forever. Located in the Lowther Deer Park in the Lake District, and taking place on 28th – 31st July, Kendal Calling offers something of a unique festival experience, and one which we at Licklist are very much excited about. Screw you, shitty walking holiday, this is what the Lake District is really all about.
If you take a gander at their effortlessly cool website (honestly, it’s really snazzy), you’ll see that the line-up is unbelievable. They’ve got an eclectic musical mix, with headliners Rudimental and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, among others. The list is also unfathomably long, which is certainly a good thing. My particular highlights include Pete Doherty (yes, he really is still alive), Kelis, Ghostpoet, Sugarhill Gang, Shy FX, Redlight, Eton Messy, Craig David’s TS5, David Rodigan, Toddla T, the Riot Jazz Brass Band, and, finally, possibly the most amazingly named band I have ever heard of, Thingumabob & The Thingumajigs. I mean, what an absolutely incredible name for a band. Hats off to you, Mr. Thingumabob, you’ve really outdone yourself there.
And Kendal Calling is hardly a small-scale affair. The music will take place across over six stages. We’ve got the main stage, a remarkable natural amphitheatre, which is playing host to headliners, Rudimental, Madness, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and the Charlatans. Next up is the Glow Tent, home to cutting edge dance music and legendary DJs, which this year include Shy FX, Redlight and Toddla T. Here’s the place to really let yourself go and let the music take you! They’ve also got the HouseParty stage, the Calling Out stage, and the Chai Wallah stage (no idea what that means, but it certainly sounds cool) for your listening pleasure, so it’s gonna be wall-to-wall music all festival long.
But if the music’s not enough for you, then Kendal Calling have got a fabulous array of other splendid stuff to keep you preoccupied! Let’s start with the mouth-watering selection of food on offer: from British faves to creole to Mexican, Tibetan and Indian, the foodie-loving folks at Kendal have really got enough to get those taste-buds truly tingling. And, being the Lake District, the festival wouldn’t be complete without a Real Ale Festival. Yes, you read correctly, a Real Ale Festival. Showing off the amazing produce from the Lake District’s best breweries, and also with their own ales, Kendale and Oh Deer *rolls eyes*, they’ve really got the tipples to go alongside their world-beating musical line-up.
Moving onto the other entertainment (yep, there really is more). Kendal Calling have got a cinema, where you can take a movie-break with some popcorn and ice-cream; their website suggests ‘and even make-out on the back row if you want to relive your teens’ but, to be honest, I think we’re alright thanks. We’ve left our tragic early teen days far behind us, and, boy, aren’t we happy about it. Anyway, there’s also an art exhibition for the more cultured among us, called Lost Eden, while pieces from independent artists feature in every corner of the site. How very artsy and cultured of you, Kendal Calling.
And Kendal Calling even offer the option of camping in style in their Deer Lodge! They have a range of stylish accommodation, including Bell Tents, Tipis, Yurts and Podpads among others, all of which come with free car parking, clean enviro loos, free hot showers, free phone charging facilities, and a dedicated concierge to look after you during your stay (!). So, yeah, you can essentially get your own butler for the duration of the festival. Not bad, eh?
Before we go, just some more practical details (yawn). Actually, you might be interested to hear this. So, tickets are selling fast, unsurprisingly, and they’re now on the final tier (cue dramatic music) but are still only 135 quid, which is ridiculous value! And the lovely team at Kendal Calling have even given you guys the option of paying in three instalments. So, if you haven’t quite got the money to stump up just yet, no need to worry! You can grab your tickets here...we can’t wait to see yall in the Lakes!
Nicholas Cooke