Kendal Mountain Festival – Everything you need to know
It is a couple of weeks since I attended Kendal Mountain Festival for the first time and I am still buzzing! What an event, what a weekend!
Kendal Mountain Festival has been on my radar for a while, but I always felt a bit overwhelmed by how it works and didn’t have anyone to go with and didn’t fancy it alone. So when Komoot asked if I was up for joining them and being on a panel I leaped at the opportunity.
Having now spent a full weekend at Kendal Mountain Festival I thought I would share everything I learnt so you can make the most of your time visiting.
I also spent 5 months working in Kendal a few years back and was pleased to see some of my favourite places to eat were still there too. I’m almost, kinda a local… or at least I was for a while!
So read on all for all my tips for Kendal Mountain Festival below!
Everything you need to know before attending Kendal Mountain Festival
What to expect at Kendal Mountain Festival
Do you like the outdoors? Do you love learning about people’s adventures in the outdoors? Follow lots of adventurers on Instagram? Or maybe you love to read books about nature or the environment?
If you answered YES to any of these questions, then Kendal Mountain Festival is the place for you. Imagine all the best adventurer authors, film makers and nature loving heroes in one place and you’re coming close to what Kendal Mountain Festival is all about.
Kendal Mountain Festival is based in Kendal on the edge of the Lake District National Park.
There is so much happening it is easy to get overwhelmed. Events happen all over the town, some are paid for and some are free. Most are promoted via the Kendal Mountain Festival website, though sometimes there are extra things taking place around the town too.
It is definitely worth doing your research and spending some time to plan. Alongside talks, panels, films and interviews there are plenty of active events taking place too.
You could start your morning with wild swimming, end it with live music and go for a trail run, some yoga and a nature connection walk in between.
You could fill your day with back to back talks or you could just wander freely through Basecamp and mooch about the town. Whatever you do I am sure you will leave inspired and ready for an adventure.
To give you an idea over 4 days they had… 136 live sessions were hosted, inviting 340 speakers to share their adventures, across 18 venues. Plus there were 45 feature films and 145 films screened. And…over 70 free talks were shared across 3 Basecamp stages with over 60 free activities enjoyed! Wowsers!
PS. I was part of one of those free Basecamp talks! So much fun! We talked about multi day hiking, my A Walk in the Parks adventure and making friends on group trips.
The thing I enjoyed most about Kendal Mountain Festival was the talks and interviews. The ones I attended often talked more about nature connection, nature restoration and how we ARE nature and need to look after it and nurture it.
Nature and our natural world isn’t something to be conquered. The talks weren’t about the fastest time, highest peak or world first, but instead about real people doing interesting things to connect with our natural world in a way that is good for our mental and physical health and good for the planet.
I booked a few talks and events and also made sure I had plenty of time to just wander around. I recommend not overfilling your diary so you have time to join last minute things too.
Some of my favourites included:
- An interview with Ruby Free (interviewed by the wonderful Immy Sykes) on her book ‘Rathlin – A wild life
- A great talk, music and poetry by the team behind Right To Roam
- A fab nature connection walk by Trash Free Trails and Komoot
I was also involved in a panel in basecamp, where I sat alongside two fellow hikers, Jen Scotney and Habeebah Ahmad, and we shared our experiences of multi day hiking and being part of the Komoot hiking rally in the Peak District earlier this year. It was amazing to be on stage and part of this brilliant weekend.
I will definitely be returning next year. I left feeling inspired and reinvigorated with the world and that there really are lots of people who care and want to make the world a better place.
How to book events at Kendal Mountain Festival
The 2025 festival will be from 20th – 23rd November and tickets for events go on sale around August/September time.
It is free to attend the festival, in that you can wander around Basecamp, join any of the free talks and have a fab weekend in Kendal. However, a lot of the author talks and film screenings are paid and each event is booked separately, so it can get a little overwhelming.
I would recommend signing up to their mailing list so you know when tickets come on sale and keep an eye on their website for updates.
There are certain events that sell out quickly, such as the secret talks and screenings, where you don’t actually know where you’re going or who you’re seeing until you get there (exciting!), however some talks you might get lucky and be able to book on the day.
Take your time to read through the events and try not to double book yourself, it can quickly get expensive if you book back to back paid events. A few tips:
- Check the location and give yourself time to get between venues if you are booking back to back events
- See a mix of talks, film screenings and activities
- Anything food related you might get free food! Always worth a ticket 😉 I got a free sausage cob at a talk by outdoor cooker/bbq extraordinaire Genevieve Taylor
- Save some free time to wander around Basecamp and take in some of the free talks, they are still super inspiring!
So get your diary out and make a plan… but make sure there is flexibility in there too!
Where to stay in or near Kendal
Accommodation is probably the thing you need to book before the tickets even go on sale as the good ones go quickly! Whether you want an airbnb, a hotel or a spot for your campervan, everything can get booked up pretty quickly.
Some people braved the November weather and camped, but considering it rained (a lot!) at the festival this year, I wouldn’t recommend it. Even in an airbnb I spent my weekend getting wet, then dry again and wet again each time I went outside and ended up with the ‘traditional’ Kendal Cold when it was all over on Monday.
A few options of where to stay:
- This Travelodge is cheap and close to town
- I stayed in this beautiful Airbnb – it was a family home and so cosy!
- If you don’t mind driving and fancy a bit of luxury added into your visit then the Beech Hill Hotel and Spa is gorgeous.
- A temporary campsite is set up over the festival for campers of all types. I imagine it is a lot of fun to stay here.
- The Riverside hotel is a great location too.
- Loads more hotels and guest houses in Kendal to choose from.
There’s loads more places if you want to travel in each day, but be warned the roads get busy and parking can be tough.
How to get to Kendal
Train & Bus
There is a train station in Kendal, so you can get the train relatively easily, though the final bit can sometimes be the trickiest with few trains going into Kendal centre.
However, Oxenholme is on the mainline and there are buses into town or it is only a 40 minute walk into the centre… we are outdoorsy folk after all!
Driving
If you’re driving make sure you’ve thought about parking. The town can get busy over the weekend with people ‘commuting’ in and out of town each day.
The festival team have a Kendal Mountain Festival Liftshare webpage and there is also a BMC Liftshare webpage.
Plane
If you’re coming from further afield you can fly to Liverpool or Manchester airport. Both are about 1-2 hours on the train into Kendal.
Human Powered
If you really want an adventure you could hike or cycle to the festival. There are lots of places to leave your bike and hiking would show some great views! Though you might be tired before the festival even begins!
So, is this everything you need to know about Kendal Mountain Festival or have I forgotten something?
Will I see you at next year’s Kendal Mountain Festival?
