Camping at a festival is one of the best parts (Image: undefined)
It’s fast becoming one of the brightest, biggest and best festivals in the country and with more than half of tickets already sold out for next year – just days after this year’s ended – Kendal Calling shows no sign of slowing down.
The festival, which started life just outside the town it’s named after more than two decades ago, has now grown into a four day party attracting 40,000 people to the stunning fields of Lowther Park.
Pulling in headline acts like The Kooks, Two Door Cinema Club, Biffy Clyro (who many are hailing as Kendal Calling’s best ever headliners) and Wolf Alice, this festival also has no problem pulling in some of the biggest names in music.
Heavyweights such as The Libertines, Ash, The Coral, Scissor Sisters and Primal Scream also had spots at 2026 Kendal Calling – but the main acts are only part of what makes this time in the fields so special.
As well as a raft of other, smaller stages, there is also comedy galore and even a magical woodland wonderland, Lost Eden.
Inside The Who tent at Kendal Calling (Image: undefined)
One of the things that left me stunned this year was the huge food offering available with almost every cuisine you could imagine.
However, now I’m no longer a 20-something (hey, you should never ask a lady her age) one of the things which always fills me with a little dread when heading up to Lowther Park for Kendal Calling is the thought of camping.
Yes, it’s fun, yes tents have moved on since the 1990s, yes I always take an airbed but let’s face it, you don’t get a lot of sleep and finding a pitch next to your pals unless you’re one of the first ones there is always a battle.
The Who tents resemble a fairytale house (Image: undefined)
So this year, I was lucky enough to get a spot in Deer Lodge, the glamping side of Kendal Calling. We stayed in a The Who tent, which comes with two twin beds, chairs, a cosy mat, a light, a duvet and pillows.
If you think staying in a VERY comfortable tent is all you get for upgrading to luxury camping, this is where you’d be very wrong. As well as toilets that flush – and miraculously stay clean and well-stocked all weekend, no awful festival toilets for us – there are hot showers. Top tip, go early in the morning, later in the afternoon or even late at night to avoid the queues.
There is also a dedicated coffee tent, an actual lifesaver on the morning after the night before, stalls selling the perfect breakfast in a bun and several pizza stalls, which are not only delicious but much cheaper than in the arena site itself.
On top of that, there is just so much space. The tents are, obviously, already erected in neat lines and you have bags of room. The campsite is full of picnic benches and places to perch as well as its own bar and even a music tent for emerging acts.
The luxury campsites are really something else (Image: undefined)
Yes, it’s pricier than general camping but the only regret I have is not booking into Deer Lodge on previous visits to Kendal Calling.