Information

Please see our frequently asked questions for more information

Opening Times

Friday
Campsite: 9am opening
Arena: 12 noon til 3 in the morning
Saturday + Sunday
Campsite: 24 hours
Arena: 10:00 til 3 in the morning
Monday
Campsite: Go home & recover start plans for next year!

Thursday: The festival site opens for camping at 12noon on Thursday 26th July (for Thursday Camping ticket holders only). Food stalls and a bar will be open in the evening in the Village Green.

Box Office

Thursday: 12noon - 9pm

Friday - Sunday: 9am - 9pm

Opneing times may change so please check back here nearer to the festival.

Entry rules, ID, children accompanied by adult, alcohol policy, security presence.

Entry to the festival is by advance ticket purchase only. No tickets will be available on the gates. Please see the ticket section on this website for full details of ticket types and where you can purchase them.

Children up to and including the age of 10 can attend free of charge but you must obtain a ticket for them and you must accompany them at all times. Age 11 to 15 Weekend Tickets must be accompanied by a Ticket holding parent or guardian over the age of 30. Also, all teens (aged 11 to 15) MUST camp in the same area as their families with a maximum of 2 teens per adult (over the age of 30). Teen Ticket holders (Age 11-15) are not allowed in the arena field unaccompanied after 10pm.ID will be checked at the gate and entry will be refused to those not accompanied by an adult aged 30 or older. By purchasing a Child (age 10 & under) Ticket or a Teen (age 11-15) Ticket you are confirming that you are either the parent or legal guardian of the teen or child for whom you are purchasing

Alcohol is allowed into the campsite. We ask that each person brings only a reasonable amount for themselves to enjoy (note - no glass bottles).

Alcohol is not allowed to be taken into the arena. We apologise to those who think this is unfair however the festival is subsidized by the profits made from the bar and without it we simply would not be able to bring you all the great acts and entertainment on offer without drastically increasing the ticket price (which we don’t want to do!).

Security and stewards are on site to assure you have a safe weekend of fun and frolics.

How to get there

Location

Kendal Calling is held at:


Lowther Deer Park,
Hackthorpe (nr Penrith),
Cumbria

There will be plenty of signs to the festival from all directions.

There is a shuttle bus operating between Penrith Train Station and Lowther Deer Park on the Friday and Monday  - tickets can be purchased via the website (www.kendalcalling.com).
 

From the South (M6):

All ticket holders:
M6 Exit Junction 39
Turn L onto A6 at end of sliproad
Turn R at T Junction to follow A6 North
Keep on A6 through village of Shap
Then, depending on your ticket type:
 
Standard campsite ticket holders:
Look out for the A6 passing underneath the Motorway
Approx 1 mile after this turn L into the Lowther Estate
Follow driveway to main car park

Campervans, Emperors Fields and The Deer Lodge ticket holders:
Directions to the NEW Emperors Field area, in which both Campervans and The Deer Lodge is sited will be available in advance of the festival.
 

From the North  (M6):

Standard campsite ticket holders:
Continue on M6 to J39 and follow directions from South
 
Campervans, Emperors Fields and The Deer Lodge ticket holders:
Directions to the NEW Emperors Field area, in which both Campervans and The Deer Lodge is sited will be available in advance of the festival.

The home of Kendal Calling is 25 minutes north of Kendal up the M6 and South down the A6 from Penrith. (yes, we’re aware it’s closer to Penrith than Kendal..!).

Click here for an exact pinpoint in Google maps

Drive Times

  • Manchester - 1 hour 30 mins
  • Newcastle - 1 hour 30 mins
  • Leeds - 2 hours
  • Liverpool - 2 hours
  • Edinburgh - 2 hours 25 mins

Coach Travel & Shuttle Bus

Big Green Coach - The music travel company

We will be working with the Big Green Coach company again in 2011. Coach pick-ups will take place from selected destinations across the UK. There will also be a Shuttle Bus service from Penrith Train station and back again after the festival. Coach tickets must be purchased in advance. So why not leave your car at home and go the greener way to the festival?

Trains

We’re fortunate to be 10 minutes down the road from Penrith Train Station on the West Coast mainline – so direct trains from Manchester and Edinburgh are easy.

Train travel tickets available at www.virgintrains.co.uk. See above for information regarding the shuttle bus from the train station.

Parking

Our car park is adjacent to the campsite, however the later you arrive the further away you will have to park!

To encourage people to share vehicles and reduce the impact of cars on the Deer Park we have a small charge for parking. Each vehicle will need a £5 parking ticket which can be purchased on entry to the site car park.

Once parked you will not be able to leave the car park and return. We have a pickup and drop off point for those people only giving someone a lift – please follow the pick up and drop off road signs.

Pass Outs

No, except in extenuating circumstances. If you have booked accomodation out of the festival then please call in to the box office for a passout!

Nearby places of interest

The Lake District is home to some of England’s finest scenery and a fine place for those of us with a more active persona. If you fancy making more of your trip to Kendal Calling then we say Go Lakes is well worth the visit

Camping Facilities

Upon Arrival

Upon arrival head towards the wristband exchange and get yourself wristbanded and then you will enter the campsite where our friendly stewards will point you in the right direction to your desired campsite.

Camping

In a nutshell this years Kendal Calling has 5 campsite areas adjacent to the arena:

  • Traditional festival camping - consisting of Party (loud) camp, Quiet camp (keep the noise down after the main stage headliners) & family camping (as it says on the tin)
  • Emperors Fields (For those after a few more comforts. This is a quiet area, ideal for families).
  • Campervan field (within Emperors fields) 
  • The Deer Lodge (affordable luxury camping with Bell Tents and Tipis available for hire)

As regular festival goers ourselves we are aware that some of the most memorable festival experiences take place in the campsites but please have respect for people in the Family and Quiet campsite and keep noise down - this will be enforced and persistent sinners will be asked to move to the party area in Traditional Camping.

Traditional Weekend camping inc. Quiet & Family Camping section is included within the weekend ticket price.

Emperors Fields Camping requires an additional ticket at £25 per Adult, £12.50 for 11-15 and FREE for 10 and under

The Deer Lodge accommodation must be booked in advance. More details can be found at Please email the reception on reception@kendalcalling.com

Campervans and Caravans are welcome but require an additional ticket.

NOTE: all additional camping tickets for Emperors Fields, The Lodge and campervans are limited and must be purchased in advance through Ticketline.

Those with Emperors Fields or Campervans tickets must use the Emperors Fields road entrance to the festival, accessible through Hackthorpe itself (so that’s not the main car parks entrance).

Please do not bring any gazebos with you - we just don't have the space!

 

Emperors Fields – a great place for families

We know how much kids love coming to festivals, but we’re also aware that it can sometimes be quite a struggle for parents – especially those with younger children. This year Emperors Fields will be moving to allow us to improve the area. We've taken on board your feedback and made some key improvements. As 91% of you said that improved toilets would enhance your stay in the fields we've got the best ones on the festival circuit... Pootopia toilets. These eco friendly compost toilets are usually 'pay to poo'  but will be free to use for Emperors Field campers, and only them too! There will be a private entrance seperate from the main box office, thus speeding up entry to the festival, a car park adjacent to the campsite, hot showers, and of a more spacious area per tent.

A family camping area is also available at no extra cost within the traditional camping area.

Respect the deer...

Kendal Calling takes place in a 1000 year old Deer Park. The park is home to a herd of Deer who were originally a present from the King (Edward? Henry? Harry? Answers on a postcard...) We are thrilled that we have the opportunity to host the event in such an outstanding natural setting however we need your help to assure that we can have a future on this site without affecting the Deer and wildlife who’s home it is the rest of the year. This ensures the future of the festival at such an amazing location.

So with that said, please adhere to these rules

NO GLASS BOTTLES of any kind are allowed in the Deer Park as smashed glass does not mix well with Deer and hoofs.

We ask you please DO NOT climb any trees. They are in the most part ancient and protected creatures!

Rubbish

The Lake District is a beautiful place. Green fields and untouched landscapes are what make it so breathtaking. It is not acceptable to litter and abandon possessions while you are in Lowther Deer Park. We all want to have a magical time in wonderful surroundings and that involves each person taking responsibility for their own mess.

We will be supplying many more bins within the arena and campsite this year and we are massively increasing the amount of people working to keep the site clean. Please work with them to keep the site clean... many hands make light work as they say.

Please be sure to take your tents with you at the end of the weekend. Vandalism and littering are not the nature of our event and will not be tolerated.

On site facilities

Cash machine

We’re happy to say we have ATM cash machines on site. We’d still recommend bringing enough money for the weekend though as even a few minutes wasted queuing for cash is a few minutes wasted from a blinding weekend.

Vitals – tobacco, toothpaste, water, toilet roll.

Our General Store will stock all the sorts of festival vitals that we’ve learnt you can’t do without.

Sound-Systems

No private sound-systems or generators will be allowed onto site (that’s requested by the council in order to keep our licence).

The Info Shed

This will be the main info point of the festival over the weekend. The Info Shed will be near the entrance to the arena and clearly signposted. Here you’ll find any changes to the programme and all the info you’ll need over the weekend.

Lost & Found

This will be in the Campsite Managers office in the main campsite and after the event will be dealt with by Cumbria Police.

Disabled policy, equality policy

We welcome all to the festival and are happy to make extra arrangements for those with disabilities. It’s best to get in touch well in advance. There are a limited number of discounted tickets available for people with carers - please contact the festival office for details (see below).

There are disabled toilets available in both the festival site and the Emperors Fields campsite. There will be a viewing platform in the Mainstage area, for wheelchair users.

We advise festival-goers with disabilities to camp in the Emperors Fields, that way they can camp next to their car or alternatively can bring a campervan or caravan to the Campervan Field, adjacent to Emperors Fields. The access to this area of the site is more suited to those with limited mobility.

PLEASE NOTE camping and parking places are strictly limited, so please contact us to let us know about your needs, check on facilities and request a space. Disabled concession tickets are only available whilst there are tickets on sale, once the event has sold out, it has sold out!

For all queries re: our disabled policy contact Julie on 01524 761598.

Programming policy

From its inception the festival has been a combination of the cream of the local crop billed alongside national (and international) talent.

We build special moments and performances in the spirit of originality so you’ve got more to take home with you than just a T-shirt!

Over the years we have also learned that it is the small moments and unexpected chaos that happens away from the main stages that can be the pinnacle of the festival experience. So watch out for walkabout performers, spontaneous magicians and most importantly don’t hesitate to get involved yourself. /p>

Changes to running order

Unfortunately sometimes changes to running order occur due to circumstances beyond our control - this is the nature of live events! If there are any changes to the programme over the weekend revised running orders will be put up at the entrance to the stage or area where the change takes places and we will notify you as soon as possible. In the event of changes to and non-appearances in the running order there will be no refunds issued.

The Info Shed & Campsite Managers Office

This will be the main info point of the festival over the weekend. Here you’ll find any changes to the programme and all the info you’ll need over the weekend.

If you need any help at all whilst in the campsite visit our Campsite Manager whose office will be open 24 hours in the main campsite. It’ll also be where Lost & Found will be based too.

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Residents passes

As a gesture of goodwill and by way of thanks for your continued support we will again be offering local residents tickets.

All residents qualifying for the local ticket offer will be sent a letter ahead of the festival that contains instructions on how to apply for their tickets.

If you have any queries please email the office at residents@kendalcalling.com

Do’s and Dont’s, watch out for theft

We advise you don’t bring anything valuable but non-essential to the festival, and anything you do bring keep a close eye on.

Don’t shy away from the First Aid tent. St. Johns Ambulance staff are onsite to offer confidential help and advice. If you see someone passed out or in need of care get help immediately.

Do buddy up with your campsite neighbours and our stewards. It’s important to look after each other and those around you at a festival.

Do keep an eye on possessions… check Lost & Found at the The Campsite Managers office and if anything goes walkabout please report it! If you do lose something make sure you check back at Lost & Found before you leave site.

We can say in no uncertain terms that no matter which festival you go to in this country we call home you should never, ever leave valuables unattended in your tents.

Do keep an eye on your kids! Report any missing or found children to The Info Shed, Security or the Police. We’ll send out search parties immediately.

Don’t use the toilets as a bin and please flush the toilets after use. If you use it as a bin and don’t flush this means they will get blocked despite our best efforts to keep clean and empty. You have been warned.

Do obey the laws of the land. Drugs are no more legal at a festival than in the outside world. Drug dealing and consumption will not be tolerated.

Do pace yourself and don’t crash and burn. Don’t binge there is all weekend to enjoy. Drink plenty of water, but not too much. Try sipping a pint of water an hour. Watch out for your friends too.