Your guide to the Festival

Your 5 simple steps to an amazing weekend!

  1. Save the Festival dates in your diary - 20th to 23rd November 2025
  2. Choose between a Festival Ticket Pass or Individual tickets
  3. Mark in your diary - first confirmed events will be launched mid-July
  4. Book your travel and accommodation
  5. Come and enjoy the Festival - we look forward to seeing you!

  

Overview

Every November, we deliver a Festival that unites a global community of adventurers, storytellers, artists and filmmakers, who share a passion for nature, the environment, adventure and exploration. This year will be no exception.

During our four-day Festival, you can enjoy over 200 events including over 300 speakers, 150+ films, and 60+ activities, all while socialising with more than 25,000 adventure-seekers and outdoor enthusiasts. 

The Festival transforms the entire market town, with events taking place in a range of venues across Kendal. We offer a brilliant mix of films, talks and activities, ranging from free to no more than £25*, ensuring everyone can get involved. We offer multiple options to attend the Events through the Festival Ticket Pass or buying individual tickets - allowing you to design your own programme and budget for the weekend.

Our ever-growing Basecamp is situated in Abbot Hall Park. It's free to enter and hosts a variety of engaging talks, as well as opportunities to meet leading outdoor brands, charities, and organisations.

Join us on Thursday night for the Festival Opening Ceremony. The festivities wind down on Sunday at 10:30pm after the 'Best of Kendal' Film Collections. Why not continue your Festival experience, stay overnight and take Monday off!

*Excluding the Skyline Ultra Run. 

Events at the Festival

There is something for everyone at the Festival! Our extensive programme includes:

  • Speakers from the worlds of nature, adventure, mountaineering, and activism
  • World film premieres, feature films, and short film collections
  • Book events – including children's authors
  • Arts events
  • Live music and parties
  • Secret Speaker Sessions & Secret Film Screenings
  • Trail & Ultra runs
  • Family friendly events
  • Environmental films and talks
  • Yoga and other wellness activities
  • Small group hikes, runs, and bike rides 

Tickets

In mid-July, tickets will go live as we will launch the first set of confirmed events.

Between July - October, we will be releasing newly confirmed events with the final Film Programme announced mid-October.

New for 2025: click here to read more about the Festival Ticket Pass. You can choose between a Festival Weekend Pass, Day Pass or buy individual tickets to suit your time, budget and interests.

From July, browse the programme to create your own Festival itinerary - all through our ticketing site, hosted by Eventive. You can explore and save events before making an account, but will need to set one up to buy a pass or book your tickets – this account means your pass and all your tickets will be safely stored in one place. You will also receive your tickets by email.

If you purchase multiple tickets for your family and friends, you will be able to easily transfer these tickets to their own accounts.   Please note: you are unable transfer passes between accounts.

Festival Ticket Passes

A flexible and cost-saving Festival pass that invites you to enjoy the Festival - your way!  Allowing you to manage, cancel and swap tickets. A one-off payment will provide unlimited events* for the weekend or just for the day, depending on your preferred option. With 48-hr priority booking, no booking fees and no addtional ticket costs.

If you are a pass holder, event tickets can be cancelled up to 15 minutes before the Event's advertised start time. 

*tickets cannot be booked for events that overlap.

Free Ticketed Events

We provide a selection of activities and events that are free for everyone to enjoy. To book (or cancel) any of our free activities, you need a Free Event Pass – get this via ‘My Passes’.

If you can no longer attend a free event, please do try to cancel your tickets. This will be hugely appreciated by others trying to attend the event and helps make for a better experience for all.

Some general e-ticketing tips

At the Festival

Tickets will be scanned on the door of each ticketed event – present your tickets on your device or print them off before you head to the Festival.

If you can’t find your ticket, do not have a smartphone, or require a physical ticket for accessibility reasons, the Festival Box Office at the Brewery Arts Centre will be happy to provide you with one. Please note that the Box Office is only open to help with Festival tickets over the 4 days of the Festival.

A small selection of events have unassigned seating, if you are attending one of these events please make sure you arrive in plenty of time to avoid any disruption.

It might be a good idea to screenshot your tickets if you’re concerned about wifi access.

If you’ve booked tickets for a group, please try your best to show up together.

Above all, be kind – e-ticketing is still fairly new at the Festival, for venue staff as well as audience members, so try to bear this in mind if there are any hold-ups.

Accommodation

There are lots of options for places to stay in Kendal and the surrounding area – hotels, self-catering, B&Bs, hostels, camping and caravan sites – but please be aware that these need to be booked separately. We would advise booking early to avoid missing out. 

The DoJo (Kendal Judo Club) offers campervan spaces and basic hostel accommodation with shared rooms, showers & breakfast included: 

  • 50+ Beds in same sex Dorm- Hostel
  • Discounted family or group rooms
  • 40+ Camper Vans
  • 10+ Tent Pitches

Food and Drink

You can refuel at our Food & Drink Village located in Basecamp. There are also plenty of great restaurants, cafes and takeaways in Kendal for you to enjoy throughout the weekend!

Stay in the loop

Whether you’re a seasoned Festival veteran or interested in coming for the first time, we will be sure to let you all know in advance of each wave of ticket releases via our newsletter. If you're not already signed up, make sure to click the link below and be the first to hear about the latest updates.

You can also catch up on Festival updates through our social media channels:

Facebook

Instagram

If you have any questions that aren’t answered here or on our FAQs page, please feel free to contact us.

Have a great Festival!

© Kendal Mountain Festival 2024
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