Kendal Calling co-founders Ben Robinson and Andy Smith have celebrated the festival’s journey so far after unveiling the lineup for its 20th birthday next summer.

Courteeners, Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy and Kaiser Chiefs will top the bill at Lowther Deer Park in the Lake District from 31 July to 3 August 2025.

Tickets for the 40,000-cap UK event, which has been backed by Superstruct Entertainment since 2019, went on sale in August and have been snapped up at record speed.

“We’ve sold over three quarters of our tickets for next year, so we better make sure it’s the best one yet,” Smith tells IQ.

More than 80 acts have been announced in total, also including The Last Dinner Party, Travis, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Skindred, Maximo Park, The Lottery Winners, Scouting for Girls, Corinne Bailey Rae, Jason Manford, The K’s, Reverend & The Makers, The Pigeon Detectives, Daniel Bedingfield, Pixie Lott, Tim Burgess and Inspiral Carpets.

“I’ve literally not been mentioning who we’ve got next year, because I feel it’s so special that if I say it too many times, it might not happen,” says Robinson.

“We’re probably the only festival in the world who are booking for 2035”

Here, the duo reflect on the history of Kendal Calling, booking Snoop Dogg and why they’ve already started planning the festival’s 30th anniversary…

The origins of the event…

Ben Robinson: “I started putting on a lot of gigs around Cumbria after I came back from university. There wasn’t much of a music scene to be spoken of, but there were a few good bands so I started promoting little shows in pubs and things like that. Through that process, I met Andy Smith, who was doing something similar over the hill. The two of us identified that there were no venues big enough to put some cool shows in, and we thought we would maybe do something outdoors. I think for the first five years, it was just, ‘Can we get through this year?'”

Andy Smith: “We didn’t want to jinx it, so you just think one year ahead at a time and never had any ambitions to grow to the size we are now because even thinking about such a thing would be too dangerous. So you just think, ‘How could we improve last year and make it better?’ The first year was 900-capacity and the entire tent was probably the size of our catering tent these days. We’ve actually got a contract for an artist to play our 30th anniversary in 2035. So while I say we’ve only looked one year ahead, that one’s been in the bag for a while now. We’re probably the only festival in the world who are booking for 2035.”

Breakthrough years…

BR: “2008 was quite a key year for a few reasons. Before that, it was very much a two-day ticket: one more electronic, one more indie. But then in 2008, we could only get Dizzee Rascal on the Friday so we decided to make it a three-day event and 4,000-cap. We were a little bit caught out about how many people then came and camped, so it really became a festival, rather than a couple of day events.”

AS: “BBC Radio 1 did some fantastic advertisement for us, because Dizzee Rascal was #1 in the charts at the time and they spent the entire week talking about Kendal Calling and how mad it was that Dizzee was playing in Ibiza the nights before and after, and there was no way he was going to make the show. So I think we sold an awful lot of tickets to people who didn’t live in Kendal that time, and that’s the first time it kind of broke the boundaries of the town.”

BR: “I would say it’s a regional festival with a national reputation. It’s definitely still got its heart embedded in the North West, but it does feel like it’s local to the majority of people in the north now. We moved up to Lowther Deer Park, 2009, and that’s been the home of the festival ever since. That was the first time we had an outdoor stage, because the main stage had previously been tented.”

“We’ve missed the boat a few times – could’ve booked Ed Sheeran, didn’t…”

Going international…

AS: “I think Blondie [in 2011] were the first international act we’d had. There was a lot of trust shown there from Steve Strange to offer the act to us, and the audience was blown away. That was surreal – I’ve grown up listening to Blondie all my life, so that was a heck of a year for us.”

BR: “On our 10th birthday, we had Snoop Dogg perform, which was huge – a little bit similar to Dizzee Rascal in that nobody really knew if he was going to make it. The night before Snoop Dogg was going to play, he was arrested walking through an Italian airport because he had about €400,000 in duffle bags. That was in all the news reports as we were going to bed, and our mates were going ‘Are you sure if he’s going to make it tomorrow?’ He was feeding in that he was on his way, but it was getting quite close and we had a capacity crowd waiting at the main stage. As he was coming onto the site, his tour bus was viewable by the audience, driving to the back of the stage and there was this incredible cheer. He literally walked straight off the tour bus and onto the stage.”

AS: “Someone was there holding a microphone next to the tour bus when the doors opened and he just grabbed the microphone, strode onto the stage and played an absolutely amazing set. I’ve never seen such professionalism – he knows what he’s doing! We both grew up in small villages, so that informed our programming policy of having something for everybody. You want to get the whole village out having a great time and that means booking Snoop Dogg, but it also means booking the Beach Boys, Elbow and Kaiser Chiefs. That’s where we’re now going with the expansion of the arts offering as well, so it’s not just going to be a wonderful festival for music, it’s going to be a wonderful festival for everything.”

Surprise successes…

AS: “[Former football player turned pundit] Gary Neville was this year, and I don’t think we’ve ever had so much press.”

BR: “He was signing a few shirts as he was DJing. They’d been thrown onto the stage and I thought loads of people must’ve brought an extra shirt with them to be signed. But then I looked all across the front row and nobody had a shirt on – they were stripping the shirts off their backs to throw at this guy. It was quite the moment.”

AS: “We booked The 1975 when nobody had heard of them, and then as it got closer to the event, you’re saying, ‘Good lord, there’s going to be a issue here; we’re going to have to move them to a different stage.’ But they wouldn’t move to a different stage, so we had to put in various provisions to make sure the tent didn’t overcrowd. That was a big hoo-ha, but then there were other ones, like Mumford & Sons. I listened to [their 2009 debut album Sigh No More] and thought, ‘These guys are going to be superstars,’ and then there were about 50 people in the tent. You watch them play the entirety of Sigh No More to 50 people thinking, ‘Okay, I’ve got that wrong.’ And then obviously [months later], whoosh! We’ve missed the boat a few times – could’ve booked Ed Sheeran, didn’t…”

BR: “The most wonderful thing I find about this festival now is that every single year there will be a collection of artists that emerge. A band like the Lottery Winners have just had their moment and just become this phenomenon within the show.”

AS: “They played 11 years in a row – and your birthday party as well.”

“Production costs went up 25-30% across the board. If you’d have told me that was going to happen before Covid, I’d have told you there wouldn’t be any festivals left”

Challenges…

AS: “When you get to a certain size, every year you’re going to be facing issues one way or another. Only a few years ago, 2019 perhaps, there was a storm and we had to pause music on the main stage for the first time ever. Then on the Sunday, a truck driver hit a bridge on the M6 northbound and our audience was stuck in traffic for about six hours. We had an entire orchestra – Hacienda Classical, the headliners of the show – sat in that traffic jam. But apart from that little blip of having to shut the arena for an hour, the show went ahead and everybody had a fantastic time.”

BR: “I think the challenges are broadly similar to other shows. After Covid, production costs went up 25-30% across the board. If you’d have told me that was going to happen before Covid, I’d have told you there wouldn’t be any festivals left. Fortunately, we’ve managed to work well with our production teams to mitigate those costs, and with our audience to let them understand the ticket price has gone up a bit, but the value for money has gone up with it. You’ve got to stand out as a festival: people have less money at this point in time, so we’ve put everything we can into making the show special on every level.”

Proudest moments…

BR: “The atmosphere that we’ve created. There’s a certain Kendal Calling vibe and a magic. When you walk through those fields, people are having a lot of fun; they’re drinking a lot of beer, but there’s never a fight and there’s never aggravation. They are unapologetically animated, loud and lairy, but in the most wonderful way. They’re just there for fun times and banter, and I take a lot of pride in that. There are a lot of shows across the country that have more money to spend on certain things, or be hyped in different ways, but when I go there, I don’t find the same sense of camaraderie and fun that I find at Kendal Calling.”

AS: “That’s what really makes it special – Cumbrians know how to party.”

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From the Fields boss Andy Smith has spoken to IQ about how Kendal Calling bucked the trend in the UK festival market this summer.

The 2024 scene has been beset by dozens of cancellations – with Gloucester’s Witcombe Festival becoming the latest to fall by the wayside this week.

Yet the 40,000-cap Kendal Calling, which took place from 1-4 August, not only continued a sellout streak that stretches back almost two decades, it was even given a rare break by the weather gods.

“I think it was the first Kendall Calling where it’s never rained, at least since the first one,” chuckles Smith. “We had a nautical theme, which I’d always wanted to do but thought it might be a bit too on the nose, but it was absolutely perfect. It came together in every way. The audience was fantastic, the music was marvellous and the site build was the smoothest ever.”

Held in Lowther Deer Park in the Lake District, the Cumbrian festival was headlined by Paul Heaton with special guest Rianne Downey, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Streets and Paolo Nutini. And despite concerns of a headliner shortage across the board this year, Smith suggests that booking top acts was no harder than usual.

“With 10 being the maximum difficulty, it’s always been an eight or a nine,” Smith tells IQ. “It’s always been very difficult, but I’m not seeing much change there. It was very good last year when we had relatively newer headliners [Blossoms and Royal Blood], but there are a lot of bands coming through the ranks at the moment. Watching The Lottery Winners at the weekend, I was thinking they should be headlining in a matter of years.”

“People have a lot of trust in it being a great weekend, come rain or shine, and we’re very fortunate that we lived up to that”

Acts such as Keane, Paul Heaton, Declan McKenna, Sugababes, The Reytons, The Snuts, Kate Nash, Feeder, CMAT, Heather Small, Pale Waves and Royel Otis were also on the bill, along with a unique DJ set by The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess and retired footballer Gary Neville. There was also a surprise VIP on site in the form of British boxing legend Tyson Fury.

“That was weird,” laughs Smith. “I was stood watching Noel Gallagher and someone said, ‘That’s Tyson Fury.’ And I was like, ‘Where? Oh, good lord, he’s bloody huge!’ He asked a few questions about the festival, and seemed to be having a lovely time.”

Smith also gave an update on the future of From the Fields’ 25,000-cap science and music event Bluedot in Cheshire, which took a fallow year in 2024 to allow the festival site to fully recover from the impact of adverse weather at last year’s event.

“We’ve got our first planning meeting on Monday, looking at next year,” he reveals. “It was a hole in our diaries this year – we very much missed it and look forward to its return. It is an absolutely great show, but it is a tough market out there at the moment.”

Referencing the wider problems facing festivals, such as escalating costs and the cost-of-living crisis, Smith is grateful for the loyalty shown by the Kendal Calling audience.

“People used to go to two or three or four festivals a year, and now they can’t afford it. They are still going to festivals, just not as many.” he notes. “We’ve been going for a very long time and word of mouth spreads. People have a lot of trust in it being a great weekend, come rain or shine, and we’re very fortunate that we lived up to that.”

“We only sold out two weeks before the show, but we knew for a long time that it was on the cards”

He continues: “This year, it was a relatively late sell out – we only sold out two weeks before the show, but we knew for a long time that it was on the cards, because we have strong data from previous years and it’s bizarre how consistent sales patterns can be. But as to when it sells out, we’re just happy that it does.”

Kendal Calling and Bluedot have been backed by festival giant Superstruct Entertainment since 2019 and 2022, respectively. US global investment firm KKR acquired Superstruct from Providence in June, but Smith says operations have been unaffected.

“It’s business as usual, all systems go,” he says. “They’re a brilliant team to work with.”

A ticket presale for Kendal Calling’s 20th year, which is scheduled for 31 July to 3 August 2025, takes place tomorrow (8 August), and Smith’s mind is already abuzz with possibilities of how to mark the occasion.

“We have got so many ideas, it’ll be hard to see what makes the cut,” he concludes. “We want to do this ginormous closing ceremony, or maybe an opening ceremony, but there are a few artists we have our eyes on and it’d be great to get some old faces back as well. We’ve had some fantastic acts over the years who have become in-house bands, or bands that people love and expect to see at the festival, so we’ll be inviting some some of those back.

“Other than that, it’ll just about steady progress, as it always is. It was a wonderful weekend, but there are still a few areas we look at and think, ‘We could change that around slightly and make that even better.’ We brought in three new stages this year, and they all seemed to work perfectly, which makes you look at older stages and think, ‘Could we relook at how we do that?’ So things are always changing.”
 

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The start of August sees no let up in the European festival season, as IQ presents a run-down of some of the biggest events taking place across the continent this weekend.

Poland’s OFF Festival is bringing acts such as Grace Jones, Future Islands, The Blaze, Sevdaliza, Baxter Dury, Mount Kimbie, The Alchemist ft. Boldy James and Bar Italia to Katowice from 2-4 August.

In Greece, concert series Athens Rocks concludes tomorrow (2 August) at Athens Olympic Complex with Lenny Kravitz, backed by Sleaford Mods, The Last Internationale and Ilias Bogdanos & Inco.

German metal institution Wacken Open Air kicked off yesterday (31 July) and runs to 3 August in Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein. Headed by Scorpions, Korn, Amon Amarth and Blind Guardian, the lineup also features the likes of In Extremo, Axel Rudi Pell, Architects, Gene Simmons Band, Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia, Opeth and The Darkness.

Also in Germany, electronic music festival Nature One will welcome more than 350 artists including Paul van Dyk, Moonbootica, Aka Aka, MUZZ (UK), Marten Hørger, Mausio, Vishy, Format: B, Eskei83, Woody van Eyden, Dominik Eulberg and Act of Rage to its 28th edition. Held at Raketenbasis Pydna, it is set for 1-4 August.

Spain’s Arenal Sound, scheduled for 30 July to 4 August in Burriana, Castellón, stars Louis Tomlinson, Aitana, Yandel, Lola Índigo, Morad, Cali Y El Dandee, Funzo & Baby Loud and Juan Magán, among others.

Also in Spain between 1-4 August, Santander Music Festival boasts the likes of Mikel Izal, Louis Tomlinson, Ginebras, La La Love You, Dani Fernandez, Sen Senra, Honey Dijon, Dennis Cruz and Tsha.

Vagos Metal Fest in Portugal is topped by Overkill, Epica and Blind Guardian from 2-4 August, backed by bands including Insomnium, Samael, Primordial, Dynazty, UADA, Suffocation, Elvenking, God Dethroned, Mão Morta and Saor.

Meanwhile, in the UK, Kendal Calling returns to Lowther Deer Park, Hackthorpe, Cumbria, between 1-4 August. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Streets and Paolo Nutini headline the event, which has sold out for the 19th consecutive year. Also on the bill are acts such as Keane, Paul Heaton, Declan McKenna, Sugababes, The Reytons, The Snuts, Kate Nash, Feeder, CMAT, Heather Small, Pale Waves and Royel Otis.

In addition, Y Not Festival, set for 2-4 August in Pikehall, Derbyshire, will be topped by Snow Patrol, Jamie T and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. The bill also features the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, The Kooks, Declan McKenna, Holly Humberstone, Jake Bugg, The Snuts, Frank Turner, Soft Play, Yard Act, Katy B and Pale Waves.

Wilderness will be held at Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire, from 1-4 August, starring Michael Kiwanuka, Faithless, Bicep present Chroma (AV DJ set), Jessie Ware, Alison Goldfrapp and De La Soul.

The “original off-grid festival” Green Gathering will also take place from 1-4 August in Piercefield Park, near Chepstow. Acts include The Trouble Notes, 3 Daft Monkeys, Seize the Day, Headmix, One Eyed God, The Golden Guild, Nuala and Arcadia Roots.

And Ireland’s All Together Now festival will be back at Curraghmore Estate, Co. Waterford from 1-4 August. Acts include The National, Jorja Smith, Future Islands, Barry Can’t Swim, Maribou State, Yaya Bey, James Vincent McMorrow and Natasha Bedingfield.

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Tomorrowland, Kendal Calling, Parklife and Afro Nation Portugal are among the latest raft of major festivals to drop their 2024 lineup announcements.

The 20th anniversary of Tomorrowland Belgium will take place in De Schorre over two weekends from 19-21 and 26-28 July. Held under the ‘LIFE’ theme, more than 400 acts including Armin van Buuren, Amelie Lens, Bonobo B2B Dixon, David Guetta, ANNA, Vintage Culture, Tale Of Us, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Solomun B2B Four Tet and Swedish House Mafia will appear across 16 stages.

In addition, Paradise City Festival has confirmed Bonobo, Marlon Hoffstadt, Maribou State and Lola Haro B2B Marcel Dettmann between 28-30 June at Ribaucourt Castle, Perk, Belgium. Organisers are also introducing a a seventh stage, dedicated entirely to chill-out, downtempo and ambient performance.

Meanwhile, Nicki Minaj, Dadju & Tayc and Lisandro Cuxi have been added to Afro Nation Portugal, joining the likes of Rema, Asake, J Hus, Tyla, Ninho, Omah Lay, Major League DJZ, Uncle Waffles and Focalistic on Portimao beach on 28-30 June.

The second wave of names also includes Musa Keys, MFR Souls, Ch’cco, Yumbs,Tango Supreme, Tman Express, Sfarzo Rtee, Nicky Summers and Brooke Bailey.

“We have the perfect ingredients for a fantastically celebratory weekend”

The UK’s Kendal Calling has announced five headliners for its return to Lowther Deer Park in the Lake District from 1-4 August. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Paolo Nutini, The Streets, Paul Heaton with guest singer Rianne Downey, and Keane top the lineup, which will also feature a unique DJ set by The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess and retired footballer Gary Neville.

Sugababes, Declan McKenna, The Reytons, The Snuts, Kate Nash, Pale Waves, Katy B, CMAT, Lottery Winners and Heather Small also join the bill. More than 60% of tickets have already been sold ahead of Monday’s general sale.

“After the week we have had, bring on the summer,” says Kendal Calling co-founder Andy Smith. “It is with much joy and excitement we share with you the biggest Kendal Calling lineup to date. From the incredible Paolo Nutini closing the Sunday night and Keane, Sugababes, Paul Heaton & Rianne Downey and Katy B gracing our fields for the first time, joined by old friends Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds and The Streets closing the Friday and Saturday night respectively, we have the perfect ingredients for a fantastically celebratory weekend.”

Manchester’s Parklife on 8-9 June will star Doja Cat, Disclosure, J Hus, Kaytranada, Becky Hill, Peggy Gou, Four Tet, Anne-Marie, Sugababes, Camelphat and previously announced European exclusive debut of Fisher & Chris Lake present Under Construction.

The Heaton Park event will also feature Digga D, Mahalia, Rudim3ntal, Nia Archives, Hybrid Minds, Patrick Topping, Barry Can’t Swim, Folamour, Dom Dolla, CASISDEAD, Wilkinson, Shy FX: Specials, Interplanetary Criminal, Sammy Virji b2b Interplanetary Criminal, Kenya Grace, ANOTR, PAWSA, TSHA, Girls Don’t Sync, Max Dean, Hedex, Bou, Uncle Waffles, Skream, Jyoty, Loco Dice and Sub Focus, among others. Early bird tickets rapidly sold out after the introduction of a “festival-first” reduction on ticket prices in December 2023.

“We’ve built up such a beautiful community from the people who put the festival together, the artists who perform on our stages and the people who come along”

Truck Festival will be headlined by Jamie T, Wet Leg, The Streets and Idles. Set for Hill Farm, Oxfordshire, other acts will include The Kooks, Declan McKenna, Yard Act, Holly Humberstone, Sea Girls, Black Honey, Peace, The Snuts, Soft Play, The Mysterines, Sundara Karma, English Teacher, The Magic Gang, Willie J Healey and Bob Vylan.

“When we sit down to plan Truck every year, we treat the weekend like the ultimate summer party – complete with friends, amazing moments and the artists we love all in one place,” says head of marketing Sam Harris. “To welcome long-awaited headliners like Jamie T and The Streets to Hill Farm is a true honour, whilst having Wet Leg headline their very first festival with us is going to make for a very special weekend.”

The Vaccines, Future Islands, Lankum Jockstrap, Ash, Caity Baser, CMAT, The Darkness, Waxahatchee, Corinne Bailey Rae, David Ducovony, BC Camplight, Marika Hackman, and Baby Queen are among 25 new music additions to the Latitude bill.
Duran Duran, Kasabian, Keane, London Grammar and Sara Pascoe headline the event in Henham Park, Suffolk from 25-28 July.

Love Saves the Day will return to Bristol’s Ashton Court on 25-26 26 May, headed by CamelPhat, The Streets, Rudimental and Sub Focus present Evolve. Other confirmed names include Girls Don’t Sync, Shy FX: Specials, Wilkinson, Groove Armada, Ben Hemsley, Hedex, Bou, Eliza Rose, Shanti Celeste and Saoirse.

“We are always honoured to kickstart the festival season with Love Saves the Day,” says festival director Tom Paine. “We’ve built up such a beautiful community from the people who put the festival together, the artists who perform on our stages and the people who come along every year for a good time – it’s absolutely amazing, and we can’t wait to be back at Ashton Court for 2024.”

“When we’re thinking about our bookings, the line-up has always been put together with the fans at the core of our decision-making”

Placebo and James Arthur are the latest additions to Bristol Sounds – joining Skindred, The Breeders, Gentleman’s Dub Club and The Skints which runs from 22-30 June. The harbourside concert series has expanded from five days to seven for 2024.

“Bristol Sounds is fundamentally a festival for the people of Bristol, and each year we like to curate a programme that will catch the attention of everyone and anyone,” says promoter Conal Dodds of Crosstown Concerts. “It’s such an eclectic mix of genres and gigs, you’re guaranteed to have a great time. When we’re thinking about our bookings, the line-up has always been put together with the fans at the core of our decision-making, and we can’t wait to watch the crowd’s reactions as their favourite artists take to the most incredible stage in the city.”

Skepta has revealed the full lineup for the inaugural Big Smoke Festival, the new one-day music event heading to Crystal Palace Park on 6 July.

The grime MC has curated two stages personally and will headline the Big Smoke stage with his only UK performance of 2024. He will be joined by The Streets, Mahalia, JME, Lancey, K-Trap, Odumodublvck, The Den featuring Frisco, Flowdan, Sir Spyro, Infamousizak, Manga, Thafirst and a special guest to be announced. The Más Tiempo Stage will see sets from the likes of Loco Dice, Uncle Waffles, Syreeta and Kitty Amor.

And Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in North Wales will feature Bryan Adams, Simple Minds, Paloma Faith, Kaiser Chiefs, Jess Glynne, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Madness, Paloma Faith, Tom Jones, Gregory Porter, Katherine Jenkins and Manic Street Preachers & Suede between 18 June-13 July.

“At long last, we’re thrilled to bring Doja Cat to Roskilde Festival”

Denmark’s Roskilde, set for 29 June-6 July, has unveiled Doja Cat as part of its lineup. The rapper was due to play to play the festival in 2020, prior to the onset of the pandemic.

“At long last, we’re thrilled to bring Doja Cat to Roskilde Festival,” says head of programme Anders Wahrén. “In 2020, she was a star in the making, and in the meantime, she has arguably become the most hyped and popular rapper in the world. The years of waiting to bring her here is finally coming to an end.”

Alongside previously confirmed acts such as Foo Fighters, Kali Uchis, Skrillex, and PJ Harvey, Roskilde has added Ice Spice, J Hus, Jane’s Addiction, Jungle, Khruangbin, Brutalismus 3000, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Lankum, Medina and Nia Archives (UK), to name a few.

Elsewhere in Denmark, Camila Cabello, Janelle Monáe, Beth Hart and MØ have bolstered the Tinderbox bill, which already boasts the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Future Rave aka David Guetta and MORTEN, Bryan Adams, RAYE, Avril Lavigne, Kaizers Orchestra, and James Arthur. Tinderbox takes place in Odense from 27-29 June.

“We’re very excited to be able to present Camila Cabello in Denmark for the first time,” says festival booker Nikoline Skaarup. “She’s been part of shaping the global pop scene of today and bringing new music traditions into pop culture with a string of irresistible releases. Janelle Monáe too has constantly been pushing the limits for popular culture and throughout their career shed light on important cultural and social issues while crafting some of the best music we’ve heard.

“To be able to present these two artists alongside Beth Hart and MØ – who’ve also been and still are voices of their generations – makes it a very rewarding day to be a festival booker.”

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From the Fields co-founder and MD Andy Smith has reflected on the mixed fortunes of the UK promoter’s Kendal Calling and Bluedot festivals this summer in a new interview with IQ.

Held in Lowther Deer Park in the Lake District from 27-30 July, the 40,000-cap Kendal Calling sold out for the 17th successive year, headlined by Nile Rodgers & Chic, Kasabian, Blossoms and Royal Blood.

“It’s been a phenomenal year,” Smith tells IQ. “It’s been a hard year, but it’s definitely been worth it.”

The goodwill generated from this year’s festival has helped it break its first-day sales record for the second successive year, with more than 40% of tickets for next year’s edition, set for 1-4 August 2024, snapped up yesterday.

“We’ve got a very eager and passionate audience,” Smith tells IQ. “People love the festival – it’s as simple as that. We’ve got a very strong, loyal audience who come every year and they know that it sells out every year – 17 years in a row – so they just want to know that they have a ticket and then not think about it again until we announce the line-up, at which point they get all excited again. I wish I was that organised!”

In another positive development, the festival saw a greater uptake for its Thursday opening night attractions this year, which helped ease traffic issues over the weekend.

“It’s normally a three-day camping ticket with the addition of a Thursday night for traffic measures, trying to reduce the amount of cars arriving at once,” explains Smith. “With Scouting For Girls and Chic & Nile Rodgers, we had about 60% of the audience coming in early, which resolved the traffic issues, so that was a great success.”

“Every year we seem to have record amounts of rainfall, and this July is no exception with it being 40% above the norm”

The site’s infrastructure also held up well against the expected weather challenges – with the help of some novel tactics from organisers.

“Every year we seem to have record amounts of rainfall, and this July is no exception with it being 40% above the norm,” says Smith. “It normally turns into quite a mud bath, but we managed to avoid that this year despite having our fair share of rain.

“One of the things we did, which we’d never done before, is we didn’t cut the grass,” he continues. “People turned up and thought we were mad because the grass was up to their knees in places, but there was a theory behind it and it was twofold. Firstly, for the immediate enjoyment of the customers – once you’ve had 10,000 people walk across any high land, it isn’t knee-high anymore and you end up with a carpet below you. That meant that, even after 10 hours of rain on Saturday night, the fields were green and they still were 12 hours later.

“Secondly, from a sustainability [perspective], when you mow 2,000 acres of grass, you turn it all into silage, which goes straight to the cows and into the atmosphere as methane, which is no good. But when you trample it into the ground, it stays there. It’s like a carbon sink, so that was very good for our sustainability policies and very good for the environment and for customers.”

From the Fields’ 25,000-cap science and music event Bluedot was not so lucky in its battle against the elements, however. Taking place at Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire, between 20-23 July with artists including Pavement, Roisin Murphy, Leftfield and Max Richter. But it was forced to cancel Sunday day tickets due to extreme weather conditions after an “unprecedented amount of rainfall” rendered the day ticket holder car park, pick-up and drop-off point and entrances “impassable”.

“It was a shame we had to refund day ticket holders on the Sunday, but it just wouldn’t have been fair to drag them in and out of the car park”

“That a was a very tricky production,” concedes Smith. “We had more rain there than we’ve ever had before, but we had an audience that was prepared for it: they know to wear cagoules, they know to wear the right shoes and they know to bring some spares. With certain shows, you get audiences who are more or less prepared and Bluedot’s 100% saw it coming.

“When we knew [adverse weather] was inevitable, we got an extra 1,500m of trackway down – I think they got 130 tons of wood chip from our local [supplier] – and a number of other measures that were put out throughout the weekend, which ensured the show could go on. Considering the amount of rain, it was very impressive work by the site crew and by the management to keep it going.

“It was a shame we had to refund day ticket holders on the Sunday, but it just wouldn’t have been fair to drag them in and out of the car park. But for everybody on site, it’s strange – the audience seems to come together a lot more in times of adversity. So whilst one may not have expected it to be so well received, looking at the socials afterwards, it seems to have been one of the best we’ve had yet, if not the best, which is just phenomenal.”

Returning to Kendal Calling’s Leave Nothing But Memories sustainability programme, From the Fields launched new game Flappy Tent to raise awareness of the impact of festival-goers leaving tents behind and commissioned local band The Lancashire Hotpots to write a song about the issue.

“Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better, and surveying Kendal Calling site on the Monday morning in 2019 was very depressing,” says Smith. “Then we had the two years off, and then last year pretty much everybody took their tents away. It went from being an uncountable mess down to about 284 tents.

“I was very worried this year, because it rained a lot. But by the initial count, it’s looking like we’ve done the same as last year, which I actually think is really good. Through all these initiatives, I think the message has got through.”

Kendal Calling and Bluedot have been backed by Superstruct Entertainment since 2019 and 2022, respectively.

“We’ve got support where we need it,” adds Smith. “We’ve always had great team but there’s that extra level that’s very refreshing, especially when you’re days into a festival and it’s quite tiring. It’s great to have somebody on the end of the phone who’s got a fresh mind and fresh pair of eyes. Nothing’s changed unless it’s been needed and we find their level of support so refreshing. It’s a wonderful partnership.”

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The organisers of Download Pilot – the UK’s first major camping festival of its kind since lockdown – are hailing it a resounding success and are confident that the test will encourage government to green-light other summer events.

The specially created three-day festival took place over the 18–20 June weekend as part of the second phase of the UK government’s scientific Events Research Programme (ERP). The Download Pilot involved 10,000 metal fans welcomed to the hallowed grounds of rock in Donington Park to enjoy a fully-fledged festival experience with no social distancing, no masks and moshing allowed.

All attendees were required to take both a PCR and lateral-flow test prior to the event, sharing details with the NHS contact-tracing system. Attendees had to show proof of a negative result to enter the festival gates and have committed to submitting a second PCR test five days post-event to help scientists monitor any Covid-19 infection activity.

Headlined by Enter Shikari, Bullet for My Valentine and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, 40 acts in total from the UK’s world-leading rock scene waived their fees, united by the prospect of moving the live events industry forward and playing in front of an audience for the first time in over a year.

As the last of the fans left the venue today, promoter Festival Republic dismissed any notion that live events are not possible while the Covid-19 pandemic continues. “[This] is 100% evidence that this is not true,” stated managing director Melvyn Benn. “This is a very clear demonstration that you can do it.”

“This is a very clear demonstration that you can do it”

He continued, “It’s really fantastic. I am very heart-warmed by it all. The level of compliance around the testing and requirements we have is absolutely extraordinary. It is coupled with a level of normality that is equally extraordinary when you have been out of it for so long.”

Benn believes the data gathered through the festival will prove similar events can take place this summer. “In fairness, the [Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport] are on board with the message which is that these things can happen and they can happen safely,” he told reporters.

“What we want from Download is data that scientists can analyse that will effectively reinforce that position, and that data is being gathered and I am certain it will do just that.”

Indeed, another Festival Republic gathering, Latitude, has confirmed it will go ahead for its 22–25 July event, while it’s expected that the Reading and Leeds festivals in August will also proceed as planned.

Benn added that following talks with the DCMS in recent days, he felt “sufficiently encouraged” to push ahead with Latitude and he suggested the UK government is finalising plans to launch a limited coronavirus insurance scheme that will allow other festivals to push ahead with their 2021 editions.

“There is no guarantee, but I believe the government will come forward with a limited government-backed insurance scheme,” he commented. “It wouldn’t be everything that we want, by any means, but it would certainly be enough to encourage us to all get going again.”

“We urge the government to reappraise its approach and to listen to the recommendations of its own reports”

However, while that optimism will buoy the UK business, any government backing has come too late for Kendal Calling festival, which today criticised the government for delaying the publication of ERP report, as it outlined the decision to shelve its festival for the second year running.

“Without this safety guidance, there are numerous aspects of the festival we cannot plan, and which could lay us wide open to last minute unforeseen regulations or requirements which could scupper an already built festival,” reads a statement on the Kendal Calling website. “Capacity or density restrictions, track and trace protocol, testing regime, Covid certification – a host of unknown actions required, yet potentially requested too late to be implemented.

“Our understanding is that the DCMS are keen to publish the ERP findings and guidance, but that it now does not fit around [the British government’s] communications plan. This is insulting to our entire industry, who have been awaiting the results of a pilot event that took place almost two months ago to inform our approach to staging events safely this summer.

“This has been a frankly devastating 16 months for our industry. If calls for a government-backed insurance scheme had been heeded – as recommended by the DCMS, emulating successful schemes now up and running in other countries – we could have potentially continued to plan and invest in the coming weeks. We take this opportunity to urge the government to reappraise its approach and to listen to the recommendations of its own reports, as the continued lack of leadership hampers the recovery of our live event industry.”

Meanwhile, the iconic Notting Hill Carnival will also not go ahead in 2021, it has been confirmed, for similar pandemic concerns.

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From the Fields, the UK festival promoter behind popular summer events Kendal Calling and Bluedot, has hired Chris McCormick to oversee a new brand partnerships division.

McCormick joins Manchester-based From the Fields from Bluepeg/Star Live, where he was commercial director, working with brands including the Mercury Prize, Heineken and Amazon Music. As partnerships director, he will oversee partnerships for both festivals, as well as working with external clients.

Co-op is the newest client for From the Fields Partnerships, with the retail group planning to bring its pop-up festival food and drink store to Kendal Calling (25,000-cap.) from July 2021.

Ben Robinson, From the Fields’ managing director, comments: “The addition of Chris to our team marks an exciting new era for From the Fields, allowing us to service a wider range of clients with a full complement of services from online and offline sponsorship delivery, activations, curation, marketing and production.

“Now, more than ever, brands expect a joined-up approach, and thanks to our portfolio of award-winning major events and our highly-respected team, From the Fields is now uniquely positioned to deliver incredible campaigns.”

“From the Fields is uniquely positioned to deliver incredible campaigns”

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining From the Fields,” adds McCormick. I’ve worked with Andy [Robinson, co-founder], Ben and the team for over a decade as clients to my own businesses, and their creative and entrepreneurial spirit has always impressed me. Having the chance to join the dots of our combined skills and experience was an opportunity not to be missed.

“I’ll be steering the partnership strategy for Kendal Calling and Bluedot, as well as working with external clients. We will also be harnessing our creative, marketing and production expertise to deliver experiential and strategy for brands within music, entertainment and live events.”

In addition to launching From the Fields Partnerships, the company has announced a new addition to its event roster in the form of Manchester Food and Drink Festival.

From the Fields’ core festivals, Kendal Calling and Bluedot (21,00-cap.), will return in July 2021, with Björk, Groove Armada and Metronomy having already been announced as Bluedot 2021 headliners.

Bournemouth’s Arts by the Sea, curated by From the Fields, will go ahead this month in a Covid-secure format.

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Event production veteran Jon Drape has launched Engine No.4, a new production company headquartered in Manchester, UK, as he retires the Ground Control brand.

The new company counts Parklife, Snowbombing Austria, Bluedot, Kendal Calling, Lost Village, Depot at Mayfield and the Warehouse Project among its clients.

Drape, former MD of Ground Control Productions, director at Broadwick Live and founder of Festival Safe, forms part of a core team of equal partners with Tommy Sheals-Barrett (Back On Your Heads Ltd), Jim Gee (N4 Productions) and Will McHugh (CC Events).

The decision to create Engine No.4 follows the withdrawal of Broadwick Live and Ground Control parent company, Global, from the festival space earlier this year.

“It was the ideal time for a rethink – it’s not just a rebadged version of Ground Control,” comments Drape. “We came to realise that a more streamlined business was the only sustainable option.

“With a desire to focus on quality events and festivals, I thought the best move forwards would be to form a new partnership of four equal shareholders and directors together, covering all elements of the industry and able to deliver more bespoke and considered solutions.”

“It was the ideal time for a rethink – it’s not just a rebadged version of Ground Control”

With over 30 years’ experience in the live industry, Drape managed production at legendary Manchester venue the Hacienda, later founding Ground Control in 2013. Drape is a patron for music charity Attitude is Everything and drug safety testing group the Loop.

Sheals-Barrett takes on the role of head of technical production, with 25 years’ experience managing production for Festival No. 6, Bluedot and Parklife.

Kendal Calling and Parklife operations director McHugh will handle the sponsorship side of the business, building on existing relationships with clients such as EE, Lynx, Nintendo and Carling.

Gee, whose recent projects include reopening Manchester’s 10,000-capacity Depot at Mayfield, will serve as the director and head of site management.

“We’re immensely proud of what we have achieved so far at the Depot,” says Gee. “Our remit was to transition the Warehouse Project from Store Street without losing the spirit and the vibe in a much larger venue. Somewhat of a challenge but something we have delivered.”

Operating from September 2019, Engine No.4 has new projects lined up to add to its existing client base.

International event production professionals will be gathering at the ILMC Production Meeting (IPM) on Tuesday 3 March at the Royal Garden Hotel in London.

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Extreme weather tested Manchester, UK-based promoter From the Fields at Kendal Calling and Bluedot festivals this year, but did little to detract from the events’ best ticket sales to date.

Bluedot and Kendal Calling, From the Field’s biggest events, took place on two consecutive weekends from 18 to 21 and 25 to 28 July.

Both festivals were an “absolute success”, From the Fields co-director and Bluedot festival director Ben Robinson tells IQ. Bluedot, now in its fourth year, sold out in advance with a 30% increase in capacity.

“I think we’ve reached our happy size there at 16,000,” says Robinson, stating “we have no ambition to increase further.”

The longer-running, larger Kendal Calling also saw record sales, shifting 30,000 tickets and maintaining a capacity crowd throughout the weekend, despite “a lot of extreme weather”.

“Every stage went ahead as planned and the festival opened on time every day,” explains Robinson, commending the site crew on their efforts “against the elements”.

Taking place each year at the Jodrell Bank Observatory, recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the gigantic Lovell Telescope, the fourth outing was a special one for Bluedot, coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of the moon landing.

“[The moon bounce] was the most unique thing I’ve ever seen at a festival and something you’d only find at Bluedot”

Audio clips recorded by headliners Kraftwerk, New Order and Hot Chip were used in a moon bounce, a radio communications technique that reflects waves from the moon back to an Earth-based receiver.

Robinson says the Bluedot moon bounce was “the most unique thing I’ve ever seen at a festival and something you’d only find at Bluedot”, which fuses music, science and technology.

The festival received a one-off license extension to 5 a.m. on the Saturday, allowing organisers to projection map onto the telescope and broadcast radio clips in real time with the original moon landing fifty years before.

According to Robinson, the “niche electronic programming” and music/ science combination – scientific speakers such as astronaut Helen Sharman and wildlife documentary presenter and biologist Liz Bonnin shared the main stage along with musical acts – attracts a “more specific audience” than Kendal Calling.

“Kendal Calling really feels like a broad cross section of the northwest of the UK,” says the From the Fields co-director. “There’s something for everyone.”

Orbital, Nile Rodgers and Chic, Manic Street Preachers, Doves, Courteeners and Tom Jones were among those playing the main stage over the weekend at Kendal Calling. Bristol punk rock band Idles were joined on stage by rapper Slowthai in a “truly unique” collaboration.

“There’s a real sense of community at both Bluedot and Kendal, and that makes people feel safe”

Despite their differences, both festivals provide a family-friendly environment, which Robinson puts down to “robust back of house services” and “good security and stewarding”.

“There’s a real sense of community at both Bluedot and Kendal, and that makes people feel safe,” says Robinson.

Both festivals have “landmark” years coming up in 2020, with Bluedot’s fifth anniversary and Kendal Calling’s 15th edition.

If this year’s Bluedot was about looking backwards at an iconic historical moment, says Robinson, next year’s festival will be a lot more future-facing. “The collaboration between music, science and tech gives ample opportunity to keep things fresh, as there are always new and exciting elements within those areas.”

Robinson describes the longevity of Kendal Calling as a “really bold achievement for us”, as the promoter confirms plans to continue the festival for the next ten years at least. Following “quite a muddy year”, the From the Fields co-director believes it is the right time to take a step back and look at “refreshing the site and design” in time for the festival’s anniversary.

Tickets for Bluedot 2020 are already available, with weekend camping priced at £168.75. Tickets for next year’s Kendal Calling go on sale on Friday at 10 am GMT.

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Independent UK festival Kendal Calling has announced a unique collaboration with anti-climate change, civil disobedience campaign group Extinction Rebellion (XR).

The socio-political group has been staging protests in London since 15 April and met with British environment secretary Michael Gove yesterday (30 April).

The group will commandeer an area at the festival to raise awareness around climate change and species extinction, hosting in-depth talks, workshops, film screenings and yoga sessions.

Founded in 2006, this year’s Kendal Calling (25,000-capacity) will take place from 25 to 28 July in Lowther Deer park in the Lake District, a Unesco world heritage site. The theme for this year’s festival, Kendal Calling Goes Jurassic, ties into XR’s anti-extinction protest.

“We’re very happy that we had such a good turn out from our supporters in London and beyond, and connected with new rebels who created a wonderful friendly atmosphere,” says XR spokesperson Oli Nichols.

“To take our global message to a festival like Kendal Calling is a further extension of how we like to conduct ourselves, with good spirit, determination, and good intentions”

“To take our global message to a festival like Kendal Calling is a further extension of how we like to conduct ourselves, with good spirit, determination, and good intentions.

“Although we created disruption, the XR actions sparked imagination and further action around the climate emergency and all done with festival vibes, focused around positivity and hope, on all sites,” says Nichols.

The group hopes to make “deep and long-lasting connections” at the festival

In addition to the XR area, Kendal Calling’s programming includes art installations, comedy, cabaret, cinema and children’s activities.

The festival sees headline performances from disco group Nile Rodgers and Chic, as well as Manchester-based indie groups Doves and Courteeners. Miles Kane, the Pigeon Detectives, Idles and Manic Street Preachers are also among those on the bill.

Kendal Calling won the marketing campaign of the year award at the 2018 UK Festival Awards, following its 2016 best medium festival win.

Tickets for Kendal Calling can be found here.

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