Continuing its reputation as one of the UK’s best loved music festivals, Kendal Calling continues to add even more exciting and diverse names to the bill for its unmissable weekend of music, arts, comedy, food and drink – this year revealing the festival’s dino-mite theme as Kendal Calling ‘Goes Jurassic’!
Heralded for its incredible comedy lineups, this year the inimitable Josh Widdicombe will headline Kendal Calling’s Soapbox Stage. Best known for his angelic curls and appearances on long-running Channel 4 series The Last Leg and newly launched show Hypothetical, the Devon-born comedian has spent the last 10 years making a name for himself on much-loved shows such as Mock The Week, QI, Live at the Apollo and Have I Got News For You… so much so that “it’s hard to flick through the television channels after 9pm and not find him on at least two of them” (said The i earlier this year). Hopefully there’ll be lots of Dave re-runs for those at home while Josh entertains crowds over the Kendal Calling weekend!
Also taking to the Soapbox Stage to get festival-goers giggling is American comedian and honeyed-toned philosophiser Reginald D Hunter. Renowned for his searingly honest material, Hunter is a panel show favourite, as well as recently selling out his season at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, so we can’t wait for him to join us in the fields. Can he make you laugh? You bet Jurasshican!
Award-winning Liverpool comedian and Hot Water Comedy Club resident Paul Smith also joins the bill today, along with fellow funny-men and Northern souls Justin Moorhouse – a self described undercover vegan and dog walker who cut his teeth in Phoenix Nights – plus Lancashire’s own Dan Nightingale andborn and bred Sunderlandian Mat Reed.
Over on the Kendal Calling mainstage the musical lineup continues to grow with stellar new additions. A true phenomenon in British rock, Don Broco have risen to the tricera-tops of their game through three incredible studio albums. Fronted by powerhouse presence Rob Damiani, they stand as one of the most in-demand live acts in the country, and fresh off the back of a headline show at London’s Wembley Arena, they’re set to bring their A-game to Lowther Deer Park.
Promising to transport revellers back to the glory days of mid-noughties indie disco are Sheffield rockers Reverend & The Makers, bringing bangers such as ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’, ‘Bassline’ and ‘Open Your Window’ to the fields, alongside Leeds’ outfit The Pigeon Detectives for raptor-ous renditions of ‘I Found Out’, ‘This Is An Emergency’ and ‘Take Her Back’.
A festival like no other, Kendal Calling has earned itself a community feel with familiar faces, famous or otherwise, returning year after year.
One such face is Tim Burgess, known internationally as the lead singer of The Charlzatans, a solo recording artist, record label boss, author, and head honcho of the Tim Peaks Diner, which returns this summer for its Kendal Calling residency. Housing hot brews, food and exclusive stripped-backed sets, the Tim Peaks diner is an unmissable Kendal experience, and reveals the likes of a Bella Union takeover with Vashti Bunyan, Piroshka, Penelope Isles and Simon Raymonde, plus sets from Average Sex, Violet, Liines, Shards and The Lake Poets, and is also set to host the T-Rex T-Party.
And of course, no Kendal Calling would be complete without the Lancashire Hotpots! Back due to popular demand, blast away hangovers with hits such as ‘Chippy Tea’ and ‘I Fear Ikea’. Frontman Bernard said: “It’s always an honour to be asked to play Kendal Calling and we’re delighted to be on this year’s line up. Get ready for a big dollop of Hotpot fun in the fields!”
Elsewhere over the weekend, Twisted Wheel, one of Manchester’s finest bands are back with a fresh take on rock and roll. The former Oasis tour buddies have an irrepressive live energy that will serve as a perfect compliment to this year’s headliners Courteeners, Doves and the Manic Street Preachers. The band are set to perform on the Woodlands stage, alongside German indie pop band Giant Rooks and late 70s post punk outfit The Membranes & Choir.
Also joining the bill today is a diverse collection of up and coming talent from the UK, including Oxfordshire’s electronic four-piece Low Island, London’s socially conscious industrial noise makers Black Futures, Northern Irish songwriter Ryan McMullan, Chester three-piece PEANESS and the BBC Introducing Merseyside favourites The Ambition. The line up of promisingnew acts continue with alt pop duo APRE, arty electro pop four-piece Balcony, and Parisian indie pop band Juniore.
The Soapbox continues to expand its huge programme of entertainment, with appearances from locally renowned and award-winning story-teller Taffy Thomas, Edinburgh Fringe favourite Chris Betts vs The Audience, experience a Sunday service from Oh My God! It’s The Church, fire up the balls with Dabbers Social Bingo plus Raymond & Mr Timpkins Ham,La Lucha Britannia Wrestling, Gospeloke, Last Man Standing, Punk in Drublic, Beautiful Magician’s Club and Digital Funfair.
Welcoming the many wonderful sounds from around the world and the underground, Chai Wallahs adds Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra, Amy True, De-tronic, Honeyfeet, Psychadelephant, LayFullStop, Necktr, Dan Webster, Emily Capell, Joe Fleming Band, The Plimp Souls and Simon Lynge to the veritable melting pot. In-keeping with the theme for this year, we can also look forward to Jurassic 5’s Soup presents Fullee Love Collective.
Expect a unique rendition of Brassic Park by the Flat Cap Brass Band over the course of the weekend, with even more Jurassic gemsto be discovered over at the House Party stage – where Jurassic Party will be found amongst a brilliantly daft 3-day knees up with Mike Sweeney, Hello Bulldog, Secluded Sea, Hello Cosmos and more.
All set in the incredible location of the Lake District’s Lowther Deer Park, this innovative, fan-focused, independent festival is renowned for more than just music andvisitors will also enjoy four days of artsinstallations, comedy, cabaret, cinema, magic, gourmet food and real ale all within the confines of what is surely the most beautiful festival site in the UK, with lots more entertainment for all the family still to be announced.
Kendal Calling has firmly established itself as one of the undisputed highlights of the increasingly busy summer calendar, regularly picking up awards including UK Festival Awards’ Best Medium Festival in 2016 and Marketing Campaign of The Year in 2018.
Tickets always sell out for the festival well in advance so fans are urged to get their tickets now to avoid disappointment. See you in the fields for an epic Jurassic show of Spielberg-ian proportions!
Follow @KendalCalling and like the festival on Facebook for more info.
FULL LINE UP
COURTEENERSDOVES MANIC STREET PREACHERSNILE RODGERS & CHIC ORBITAL TOM JONES YEARS & YEARS RIVAL SONS GERRY CINNAMON MILES KANE DON BROCOGOMEZ THE FRATELLIS IDLES KT TUNSTALLDERMOT KENNEDYMYSTERY JETS SLOWTHAI REVEREND & THE MAKERS THE PIGEON DETECTIVES BADLY DRAWN BOY MAHALIA TIM BURGESS THE SUBWAYS NINA NESBITT TWISTED WHEEL THE LANCASHIRE HOTPOTS THE CUBAN BROTHERSTHE JOY FORMIDABLE DREAM WIFE THE BIG MOON THE RIFLES BLOOD RED SHOES SEA GIRLS BEANS ON TOAST KYLE FALCONER TEN TONNES ARKELLS GIANT ROOKS CASSIA SPORTS TEAM EASY LIFE THE SNUTS LOW ISLAND THE PEARL HARTS BLACK FUTURES RASCALTON JUNIORE RYAN MCMULLAN PEANESS ZUZU APRE SOPHIE & THE GIANTS BALCONYONLY THE POETS AVERAGE JOE THE AMBITION
DJ SETS FROM:MARIBOU STATE LEFTFIELD JAX JONES HIGH CONTRASTCHRIS LORENZO DANNY HOWARD DARKZY KRYSTAL KLEAR MELE PAUL WOOLFORD BARELY LEGAL CINTHIE JUNGLE WARRIORS MONKI WAZE & ODYSSEY ELLIE COCKS HARRIET JAXXON JAY CARDER TRUDY KNIGHT
JOSH WIDDICOMBE PAUL SMITH REGINALD D HUNTERJUSTIN MOORHOUSEDAN NIGHTINGALE MATT REED CHRIS BETTS VS THE AUDIENCE RAYMOND & MR TIMPKINS HAM OH MY GOD! IT’S THE CHURCH LA LUCHA BRITANNIA WRESTLING DABBERS SOCIAL BINGO GOSPELOKE LAST MAN STANDINGPUNK IN DRUBLICTAFFY THOMAS BEAUTIFUL MAGICIAN’S CLUB DIGITAL FUNFAIR
GOLDIE LOOKIN’ CHAIN FLEETMAC WOODTHE SAMBA STONES TWISTED WHEEL GIANT ROOKS THE MEMBRANES & CHOIR
COLT 45 HARDWICKE CIRCUS MYLITTLEBROTHER THE CASE OF US DROLL MAN SALLOWS INDIGO YOUTH THE CASE OF US THE NORTHERN THREADS THE POSTCARD BAND ELIZA GUTTERIDGE GLASS PHANTOMS SLOW MOJO REPTILLIANS FALSE FLAGS KVEIS SHOT BALOWSKI HOLIDAY CANADA SQUARE COSMIC CAT OCRES OF GO-GO BEACHMASTER JIGGY BEAST BUILDING GIANTS RECORD STREET BARRY POSTLETHWAITE MARBLMOON CELESTIAL NORTH THE UNSUNG
(late night)SUPERGIANT BETHLEHEM CASUALS MAMA MOONSHINEJEREMIAH FERRARI SMOGGY RIDDIM THE STRINGBEANS ODWANA THE THINGUMAJIGS BROKEN 3 WAYS SAM SETH
KOG & THE ZONGO BRIGADE BROKEN BRASS URBAN FOLK QUARTET JURASSIC 5’s SOUP presents FULLEE LOVE COLLECTIVE DELE SOSIMI AFROBEAT ORCHESTRA TROPICAL TEA PARTY ft HIPPO SOUNDSYSTEM & GUESTS AMY TRUETHE ALLERGIES BLOW 3.0 MC XANDER THE HEMPOLICS DE-TRONIC HONEYFEET MUNTO VALDO STOMPY’S PLAYGROUND COCO & THE BUTTERFIELDS KADIJA KAMARA PSYCHADELEPHANT TETES DE POIS LAYFULLSTOP LYDIAN COLLECTIVE SNAZZBACK NECKTR ANNIE MCLUCKIE BINBAG WISDOM DAN WEBSTER EMILY CAPELLJOE FLEMING BAND THE PLIMP SOULS SIMON LYNGE
BELLA UNION: VASHTI BUNYAN PIROSHKA PENELOPE ISLES SIMON RAYMONDE [DJ]TIM BURGESS [DJ] TIM PEAKS FM WITH CHRIS HAWKINS OUR GIRL AVERAGE SEX THE SILVER FIELD THE TWO SHOT PODCAST PABLO’S PAINTINGS COBAIN JONES FRANKIE FRANCIS’ AMAZING RADIO ROADSHOW BECKI’S CHOIR VIOLET KEEL HER MARK RADCLIFFE’S UNE LIINES SHARDS KEELEY FORSYTH ROXY GIRLS THE NORTH BY SOUTH THE LAKE POETS TINY TIM PEAKS WITH ALEX WINTERS THE WEATHER WITH CLARE NASIR
BAND OF HOPE TRASHED TV CLINT BOON [DJ] MIKE SWEENEY HEY BULLDOG THE SMITHS LTD DELIGHTS ELIZA & THE BEAR Y.O.U.N.G THE 99 DEGREE THE SALFORD JETS HOWLING RHYTHM VULTURE AUTHORITY SECLUDED SEA SCUTTLERS HELLO COSMOS FLAT CAP BRASS THE PAGANS S.O.H RUBBER JAW THOMAS TURGOOSE [DJ SET] FLEX 80s DISCO WORKOUT CLASSICSJOHN LEATHER’S TARANTINO DISCO THE UNGOOGLEABLE QUIZ
BANDS F.C HOUSE PARTY TAKEOVER! DAVE HASLAM [DJ SET] NICK BRIGHT [DJ] BANDS FC QUIZ THE LAKE POETS BIS DIRTY LACES THE K’S BRIAN CANNON