2017 Any help or advice needed ?

[ramragon]

I'll start the help thread off early this year as it always seems popular and the line up has come out earlier than usual. I would imagine after the line up announcement that ticket sales will be sold out in the coming weeks, and so....

 

if anyone has any questions they wanna ask about Kendal Calling or need some advice or clarification on something then fire away. It doesn't matter how trivial you think the question is im sure you'll get a response. Nobody on here works for the festival so the answers you'll get are based on our experiences going to it over past years. Don't hit us if we're slightly wrong though as the rules, layouts and plans change a lot

 

Plus if any non members want to join to ask anything please feel free. Introduce yourself and join in, the more the merrier

[4AssedMonkey]

Off the top of my head:

best time to arrive?

recommended campsite (I'm no prude or early bird but I am 42 so will need some sleep)?

also wondered looking a photos of the main stage where the best place to stand is in your opinion.  Looks like the view from the back and one of the sides might be obscured by trees? And do you need to get there very early for a decent spot when the headliners are on?

Thanks.

[ramragon]

They tend to use the thursday tickets as a way to split the crowds arriving over Thurs and Fri.  If you've got a thursday ticket it's fairly relaxed all day, you're still gonna queue a bit but the music doesn't start till around 5pm an the gates open at around 8am. Friday tends to be mad in the morning so I'd prepare it to take a while to get in if you arrive then. Friday afternoons are still busy but not as bad as the mornings. If you've got emperors tickets or campervan it's a lot more relaxed, still a wait but it's in your car.

The fields names could changes but there's a decent place to camp that's not too noisy or quiet. When you get in main enterance there's a path going diagnal towards caravan field. Follow that till you reach the road between general and campervan then follow it down about 100 metres. Camp site there is decent. Not too far to arena or car park

Depends what the weather's like for where to stand. If it's dry I like the hill heading up to the bar at the back of stage although you can see from most places. Between bands you can usually wander fairly close to the main stage but the views often better a bit further back. There's 2 big screens either side of stage as well

[Rolfy]

hello, I've got some questions about Kendal Calling. The closest thing to a festival I've been to is 5 days camping at Silverstone, so virtually a novice! I also go to quite a few gigs.

1. what is the 'bechilled' service? I've picked up on that it sells cold multipacks of beer, but I'm imagining its quite expensive?

2. Is there anything going on in the campsites after the arena's shut? is it just private parties and gatherings all around peoples tents?

3. If you take your own crates in, is there anyway of keeping them cold, or do you just make do with them warm?

4. Storage - how does that work? Do you just take everything out of your tent and bung it in a locker before going to the arena, then get it all out when you return?

5. Is it a total nightmare to try and arrive for opening time on the Friday morning?

6. If you come by car, are you permitted to go back to it over the 3 days to get stuff from it?

7. what type of luggage would you advise me to use for my stuff?

8. Any money saving tips , golden nuggets of advice?

Any other advice would be appreciated

[ramragon]

2 hours ago, Rolfy said:

hello, I've got some questions about Kendal Calling. The closest thing to a festival I've been to is 5 days camping at Silverstone, so virtually a novice! I also go to quite a few gigs.

1. what is the 'bechilled' service? I've picked up on that it sells cold multipacks of beer, but I'm imagining its quite expensive?

No idea ! Someone else might be able to answer this one 

2. Is there anything going on in the campsites after the arena's shut? is it just private parties and gatherings all around peoples tents? Several stages go on till 3am which is 4 hours after the main stage closes. The general campsite stays mad most of the night so it's tent parties. Other campsites prefer peace and quiet

3. If you take your own crates in, is there anyway of keeping them cold, or do you just make do with them warm? I've got a coleman cool box that I put frozen bottles of water and ice cubes in. I usually still have ice in it on Monday morning when the festivals over

4. Storage - how does that work? Do you just take everything out of your tent and bung it in a locker before going to the arena, then get it all out when you return? I wouldn't leave anything in the tent you don't want stolen, although very little gets stolen other than valuables and your unlikely to leave these in the tent. Take your cash and phone with you

5. Is it a total nightmare to try and arrive for opening time on the Friday morning? Takes a while Friday morning. Friday afternoon when the stages are open is more peaceful

6. If you come by car, are you permitted to go back to it over the 3 days to get stuff from it? You can go back to the car yeah. I would plan to do several trips rather than be bogged down like Clint Eastwood mule when you go in

7. what type of luggage would you advise me to use for my stuff? Backpack, trolley or a wheelbarrow if your taking loads. I prefer several trips to the car cos it's more relaxed that way

8. Any money saving tips , golden nuggets of advice? 

Any other advice would be appreciated

 

[Rolfy]

Thanks much appreciated 

[Rolfy]

Sorry another question if you'd be so kind. What do you do with all your booze when you go off to the arena? 

[bottonrob]

6 minutes ago, Rolfy said:

Sorry another question if you'd be so kind. What do you do with all your booze when you go off to the arena? 

leave it in your tent, if there are tinkers about they'll be after phones/ wallets etc not cans of stella! a half decent idea is to fill a plastic box with cold water (free from the campsite taps dotted all around) and sink your booze in there with a towel over overnight for a chilled breakfast bevvie!

[Rolfy]

Cheers mate! 

[ramragon]

At night put your valuables like wallet and phone in the bottom of the sleeping bag with you and your cash should stay safe. The thieves tend to go mad on the 1st night when everyone's in bed drunk. They take cash, dodgy substances and phones and usually leave in the middle of the night with their haul. There was loads taken on the 1st night a few years ago and by 8am some had been traced in manchester

[Comfy Bean]

It was Baltic at night last year. Cans under the ground sheet. Cold beers after breakfast.

Hopefully baggy Mondays will be booked again to dj after the headliners in calling out. Great tunes and tent was rammed. Chai wallahs normally goes on for a while after the main stage is finished plus the dance tent. I think the late night stuff has improved in the last couple of years.

[Comfy Bean]

On the money saving tips....get yourself a wee gas stove and cook breakfast and lunch by the tent. 

Really good choice of food in the arena but obviously it ain't cheap if your buying 3 meals a day.

Halfords are doing stoves for a tenner just now and you only pay about a quid nowadays for the refill canisters. I've got a spare stove now as my neighbours at kc last year left theirs. It was still in the black case and had only ran out of gas :-)

Also the real ale tent does deals on beer that you don't get in the main arena bars. Was it 3 pints for a tenner can anyone remember?

 

[Rolfy]

Cheers for all the tips so far. Sorry if I'm sounding reet thick! So the late night stuff, are you stopped from taking your own beer to that too? 

[ramragon]

You can keep beer in the tent. If you try and take it into the arena then the stewards take it off you. 

 

You may be able to smuggle a few cans or hip flask in. I'm sure a beer smuggling thread will appear soon enough !

[johnl]

Hi there

Thinking of giving this a go but I'm old and stay offsite usually these days. Could anyone point out clearly where the festival entrance is so I can see what options I have?

Many thanks, John L

[4AssedMonkey]

How tough is it to get booze into the arena? Was just thinking of a hip flask maybe.  Do they search people? Worth a try or not?

Edited January 29, 2017 by 4AssedMonkey

[Comfy Bean]

1 hour ago, 4AssedMonkey said:

How tough is it to get booze into the arena? Was just thinking of a hip flask maybe.  Do they search people? Worth a try or not?

With the price and choice in the arena it`s defo worth a try. The searching is pretty extreme. Patted down, frisked, bag search etc and everyone channelled into lanes from the general camping side so each person is searched by the high vis crew. 

[bottonrob]

3 hours ago, johnl said:

Hi there

Thinking of giving this a go but I'm old and stay offsite usually these days. Could anyone point out clearly where the festival entrance is so I can see what options I have?

Many thanks, John L

Hi Johnl, try this https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Shap,+Penrith/@54.5825965,-2.6967969,871m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x487cf6d17d9b5fe1:0xa7f61234919cbd1b!8m2!3d54.531661!4d-2.678081

This is where you leave the A6 (from the South) to get drive into the grounds.

Is this what you were after?

 

[johnl]

Thank you for that

[ramragon]

7 hours ago, 4AssedMonkey said:

How tough is it to get booze into the arena? Was just thinking of a hip flask maybe.  Do they search people? Worth a try or not?

I'm sure you'd get away with a hip flask down the back of the wellies ! 

[LOCHLAND5]

On 29/01/2017 at 4:07 PM, johnl said:

Hi there

Thinking of giving this a go but I'm old and stay offsite usually these days. Could anyone point out clearly where the festival entrance is so I can see what options I have?

Many thanks, John L

If you put in google maps Kendal calling the entrance is pinned.

the fields on either side of pin below are the PUDO this is probably the only place you can walk to if your not driving on a standard ticket.

taxi will pick you up here late but be prepared for £25 min to get back into Penrith late at night .

closest place to stay is the punchbowl in askham it's a 10 min walk from the PUDO.

hope this helps .

[Lowther Calling]

2 hours ago, LOCHLAND5 said:

closest place to stay is the punchbowl in askham it's a 10 min walk from the PUDO.

I'd say 20 minutes walking quickly.  30-40 minutes full of beer

[Mr_Grump]

1 hour ago, Lowther Calling said:

I'd say 20 minutes walking quickly.  30-40 minutes full of beer

20 mins is about right walking back to The Punchbowl (downhill almost all the way apart from the last 100 yards)...no idea about walking back to the festival uphill as a kind friend (cough cough) picked me up!

However, you might find that The Punchbowl is fully booked...could also try The Queens Head (just up the road from The Punchbowl) if it's still open.

[Lowther Calling]

22 hours ago, Mr_Grump said:

20 mins is about right walking back to The Punchbowl

I used to work in there! (many many moons ago)

[mattrik3]

My first year this year, cant wait.

1. We're travelling down from Edinburgh on the train and getting the shuttle bus from the station. The buses don't start until 10am I believe, does anyone know if there will be much of a wait to get on a bus?

2. How far of a walk is it from where the shuttle bus drops you to the general campsite?

3. How extreme are the searches going into the campsite?

4. I'm sure I read you can take sealed bottles of water in with you to the arena, is this true?

5. How many stages/tents are there?

6. What sort of age is the crowd? I'm 30

Thanks in advance