Kendal Calling

About Kendal Calling Festival

Kendal Calling Festival 2027 is a music festival at Lowther Deer Park, Hackthorpe near Penrith, Cumbria, with indie, rock, pop, dance, electronic, hip hop, funk, soul, reggae, ska and jazz on its programme.

The 2027 event runs from 29 July to 1 August. The festival began in 2006 as a two-day event at Abbot Hall Park in Kendal, moved to Lowther Deer Park in 2009, and was described by the festival as recording its 19th consecutive sellout in 2024.

The official site is weekend-only; it does not sell day tickets.

Lineup and Programme

The 2027 line-up has not yet been announced on the official site. Confirmed stage and area names include The Main Stage, Calling Out, Parklands, Woodlands, Lost Eden, Tim Peaks Diner, The Soapbox, Desert Island Disco and Chai Wallahs.

The wider programme includes live music, DJ sets, indie disco, comedy, cabaret, drag bingo, late-night sets, woodland activity in Lost Eden, and family programming at Kids Calling. Kids Calling includes children’s workshops, yoga, theatre, inflatables, circus workshops and face painting.

Who Is It For?

Children and teens aged 16 and under must be accompanied by a ticket-holding parent or guardian aged 21 or above. Each adult can accompany up to two children, and anyone aged 16 or over can attend without an adult.

The audience is mixed-age and family-friendly across the weekend. Dedicated family camping and Kids Calling support families attending with children.

The Venue and Site

Lowther Deer Park became Kendal Calling Festival’s home in 2009. The site is split between campsites and the arena, with the main arena entrance at the top of the Main Stage field and the main stage set on a natural bank.

General camping is included with weekend tickets. Official general campsites include Great Holmes/24 Hour Party People, The Shire, Haye Parks, Saddleback View/Family Camping and Quiet Camping, with upgraded options including Emperors Fields, Great Plains, Deer Lodge and Tangerine Fields.

Facilities include portaloos and compost toilets, water points, food and drink traders, the Village Green welfare and information point, a Co-op store, cashless payments, CCTV, phone charging, accessible toilets and a wheelchair-accessible shower. Soap Opera provides hot showers, flushing toilets and a pamper or makeover area.

Travel and Access

Penrith, also listed as Penrith North Lakes, is the nearest railway station, with an official shuttle bus to the festival site. The station is about a 15-minute taxi journey from Lowther Deer Park.

• Rail: Penrith Railway Station has an official festival shuttle bus.
• Road: Access routes include M6 Junction 39 to the A6, the A6 following Silver Gate, Red Gate or Purple Gate signage, and the A66 via Kempley roundabout to the A6.
• Local access: Drivers turn left north of Hackthorpe for the Lowther side of the event.
• Parking: General parking is adjacent to the general campsites, with separate car parks for Deer Lodge, Emperors Fields and Great Plains.
• Parking passes: Latest official information lists general parking at £24.50 in advance or £40 on the day, and parking passes are required. Camping or sleeping in car parks is not allowed.
• Road distances: Manchester and Newcastle are both about 1 hour 30 minutes by road; Leeds and Liverpool are about 2 hours; Lancaster is about 50 minutes; Edinburgh is about 2 hours 25 minutes by road or about 1 hour 21 minutes by train.