2026

[northernangel]

Yeah that's the best out the lot although lower down has undercard but a bit smaller. The TBA I reckon will be The Enemy which is the only missing downside

[efcfanwirral]

Whoa this is incredible 

[efcfanwirral]

9 minutes ago, northernangel said:

Yeah that's the best out the lot although lower down has undercard but a bit smaller. The TBA I reckon will be The Enemy which is the only missing downside

 if it them it's like someone has gone into my head and created the ultimate lineup for me.

 

I have always drawn the line at a solo mission for a camping festival but this is tempting me....

[49Lawson]

Now I've had time to digest it, I really love this. I've long since banged the drum about Biffy being my dream Kendal booking for reasons I don't know, but that alone nearly sells me a ticket. Tourist History was a massive album with me and my mates at college so Two Door will be properly nostalgic and Wolf Alice just seem to go from strength to strength live. Even The Kooks will be fun on the Thursday. 

 

Coupled in the fact a couple of year ago the like of Scissor Sisters and The Libertines would have been headlining fests like this, and then some turns I always have a great time at like The Vaccines, The Lathums, Doves (a personal favourite, even without Jimi), The Cribs, Circa Waves, Hard-Fi and We Are Scientists. Cracking weekend for me. 

 

My personal dream would be The Maccabees but I think the blurred out name will The Lottery Winners with them trying to sell out the stadium in Leigh.  

[DomDom1984]

I don't see any reason why they wouldn't just announce The Enemy, and theyre too small for that top TBA anyway. My first thought was Manic Street Preachers. 

[Ozymandias]

The 2nd Blurred out name looks like 3 short words, my guess would be Red Rum Club.
They have a show in Liverpool (their biggest headline show to date I believe) which isn't sold out yet.

[Ozymandias]

Headliners are great for a festival like Kendal, as are the subs so far. 

A lot of bands I am going to have to listen to but I'm pleased with what has been announced.

The Kooks are a band that I love so that's a nice surprise, Gabrielle reminds me of being driven to school by my Mum as a child so I think that'll go down a treat, never seen The Coral before but know the classics and I've been listening to Divorce regularly recently too.

 

[northernangel]

45 minutes ago, DomDom1984 said:

I don't see any reason why they wouldn't just announce The Enemy, and theyre too small for that top TBA anyway. My first thought was Manic Street Preachers. 

In fairness they were added later to one of the lineups in previous years too but still probably right. I think that moment of Biffy being a top tier headliner has now passed. While they are still the biggest headliner announced there, being in the mix with who they are has cemented their place.

 

Scissor Sisters, The Libertines and still a sub the come plus The Vaccines special guest is a good get.

Edited December 16, 2025 by northernangel

[DDave]

Another festival that's got a decent undercard but duff headliners. All a matter of taste I suppose

[northernangel]

12 minutes ago, DDave said:

Another festival that's got a decent undercard but duff headliners. All a matter of taste I suppose

I think the headliners and subs are the best part of it myself. Can't figure out the sub though looking like 4 words, Rev and the makers fits but they surely won't be that high. 

 

I'd actually prefer Ashcroft to not have been there.

 

I don't think it's necessarily better that this years anniversary edition but it has strong options. Overall Fatboy and The Prodigy I prefer combined but TDCC and Biffy stand out more for me. I'd rather have Wolf Alice over Courteeeners though and The Kooks over Kaisers currently. I do think The Libs, Scissor Sisters and a yet to come sub are better than Wombats, Travis and TLDP.

Edited December 16, 2025 by northernangel

[superhans]

Think that’s as good as it gets with superstruct, fair play. 

[Sillysalmon]

1 hour ago, Ozymandias said:

The 2nd Blurred out name looks like 3 short words, my guess would be Red Rum Club.
They have a show in Liverpool (their biggest headline show to date I believe) which isn't sold out yet.

I thought the same, can kind of figure it out and how short the words are and spaced 

[DomDom1984]

Could Chic and Nile Rodgers be back so soon? That second line one might actually be four words. And I could see them doing it having just been the Thursday last time. 

[Stuart1000]

Do they announce day splits at any point? There’s a solid 5 or 6 acts I really want to see but not enough to buy a weekend ticket. 

[FeverDream]

8 minutes ago, Stuart1000 said:

Do they announce day splits at any point? There’s a solid 5 or 6 acts I really want to see but not enough to buy a weekend ticket. 

I'm pretty sure Kendal don't do day tickets 

[Sparticus]

I've not been to Kendal before, is there likely to be additions? Between the indie landfill, guilty pleasures and Biffy (one of my favourites) there's a good 20 bands I would see and it's an hour down the road!

[DomDom1984]

There won't be much added by the looks of it.

[Pr0paneNightm4re]

Never been bothered for Kendal Calling / Truck / Y Not adjacent festivals but quite keen this year with Glasto being off and the lineup being decent.

Does Kendal Calling sell out quickly? I.e. do I need to be buying tickets as soon as they go on sale, or would I be fine waiting a couple of months?

 

also, does Kendall have a seperated arena and campsite? Not being able to bring alcohol in from campsite makes festivals a lot more expensive and less enjoyable !

 

anything else to know about Kendall?

[Kempleton]

14 minutes ago, Pr0paneNightm4re said:

Never been bothered for Kendal Calling / Truck / Y Not adjacent festivals but quite keen this year with Glasto being off and the lineup being decent.

Does Kendal Calling sell out quickly? I.e. do I need to be buying tickets as soon as they go on sale, or would I be fine waiting a couple of months?

 

also, does Kendall have a seperated arena and campsite? Not being able to bring alcohol in from campsite makes festivals a lot more expensive and less enjoyable !

 

anything else to know about Kendall?

I would expect Kendal to sell out tomorrow morning, when the final tickets go on sale. Apparently 95% of the tickets have already gone.

 

The arena is separate from the campsite. I’m told, by hardened criminals, that it’s entirely possible to smuggle alcohol into the arena - but i wouldn’t know anything about that.

 

To be fair, the alcohol available in the arena is very good.

 

Im not going next year, but I’m a big fan of Kendal Calling. It’s a great little festival. Obviously leans heavily towards Northern indie landfill, but i honestly think it’s wonderfully curated and organised.

 

Some of the smaller stages are so good that you could spend a lot of time there, even if you weren’t familiar with the acts playing. Good selection of food vendors. Lost Eden is a really beautiful area in the trees, with art installations, which really comes alive at night.

 

The low number of knobheads cannot be understated either.

 

So, if you can’t be arsed to read all that, it’s a thumbs up from me. You’d definitely stand a good chance of getting resale tickets nearer the time.

[northernangel]

4 hours ago, DomDom1984 said:

Could Chic and Nile Rodgers be back so soon? That second line one might actually be four words. And I could see them doing it having just been the Thursday last time. 

I'd rather it not be but I wouldn't be against it either over something I don't like. They could fit below Wolf Alice but it would be a top two that's a bit, not bothered. Interesting to see who second stage one's are because they only has Daniel Bedingfield,  Maximio Park and Scouting for Girls last time so I presume all those bigger names apart from maybe Groove Armada who could be Sunday second stage, are likely all main stage and that's a lot of depth.

[DSG2100]

Overall think the line up is not as strong as last year based on todays line up announcement - does make me wonder if KC have spent a large chunk of their headliner budget on Biffy Clyro which has impacted the rest of the line up and the quality of the sub headliners for the festival. 

 

Also noticed no mention of a well known comedian for main stage like they have had in previous years - 2024 was Russell Howard and this year was John Bishop, hopefully, on the next release of acts released there will be stronger sub headliners announced? Strange no lottery winners on the line up this year either. 

[Ozymandias]

6 minutes ago, DSG2100 said:

Overall think the line up is not as strong as last year based on todays line up announcement - does make me wonder if KC have spent a large chunk of their headliner budget on Biffy Clyro which has impacted the rest of the line up and the quality of the sub headliners for the festival. 

 

Also noticed no mention of a well known comedian for main stage like they have had in previous years - 2024 was Russell Howard and this year was John Bishop, hopefully, on the next release of acts released there will be stronger sub headliners announced? Strange no lottery winners on the line up this year either. 

I think the higher up blurred artist is the Lottery Winners - Far from Certain but that's my suspicion 

[DomDom1984]

1 hour ago, DSG2100 said:

Strange no lottery winners on the line up this year either. 

 

I think it'd definitely be harder the time after them getting a very decent slot this year.

 

They've got a house band. They don't need another one.

[Goer190]

11 minutes ago, DomDom1984 said:

 

I think it'd definitely be harder the time after them getting a very decent slot this year.

 

They've got a house band. They don't need another one.

I still think they will end up at KC tbf but agree with the sentiment 

[northernangel]

See Pistols with Frank could be the sub as well but Nile would be my current shout.