KMF Countdown Begins As Packed Programme Of Festival Village Attractions Is Announced
With just under a month to go until the return of Keswick Mountain Festival (KMF) from 20-22 May, organisers have revealed the final details of a packed line-up of attractions for visitors to its main hub. The Festival Village on Crow Park will host a wide variety of family-friendly pursuits, including wildlife walks, virtual tank driving, a Segway course, mountain trike ramble, BMX displays, slacklining, a climbing wall, orienteering, canoeing, bushcraft, stand-up paddleboarding, and the KMF Accessible Adventure Zone. In addition, the Craghoppers' Tent Talks programme will feature inspirational figures from the world of outdoor adventure. All Festival Village attractions are free to experience for anyone who books a place on one of the festival’s outdoor sports events. This includes access to a night of live music on the Friday or Saturday.
The Festival Village on Crow Park is at the heart of Keswick Mountain Festival. On the shore of Derwentwater, the village hosts live music on two nights, the start and finish of the festival’s sporting events, plus a long list of exhibitors. A wide range of food and drink will be available on site, including real ales from Timothy Taylor’s in the Mountain Hut Bar and Lakeside Bar.
As well as having unrestricted access to all of the taster sessions taking place in the Festival Village, ticket holders will also be able gain access to the 2022 Craghoppers' Tent Talks. The line-up includes: Lurking in the Lakes & Himalayan Exploits, with renowned mountaineer Alan Hinkes incorporating dramatic stills and video clips; 3 Dads Walking, a poignant story of hope from three menunited by the loss of their three daughters to suicide, who came together to complete a 300 plus mile walk across England; Climate Explorers, a first-hand account from Isaac Kenyon, one of five eco-adventurers who cycled across the UK and used waterbikes to perform two first of a kind sea crossings; and The Women’s Euro-Arabian North Pole Expedition 2018, an account from Misba Khan of 11 women’s experience of crossing the North Pole, some of whom had never skied before, or even seen snow.
The Festival Village is free to enter during the day, allowing anyone to soak up the atmosphere, and visitors can purchase Friday, Saturday or weekend tickets to enjoy all of the taster activities and the live music on two nights. Friday’s headline act will be English working-class Celtic-folk-punk band Ferocious Dog, supported by Shooglenifty, Gary Stewart’s Graceland, and Batala Samba. DJ, raconteur, author, producer, broadcaster and fun lovin’ criminal Huey Morgan will provide the finale on Saturday night, completing a line-up that includes Badness, The Complete Stone Roses, Lancashire Hotpots and Annemarie Quinn.
Nicola Meadley, Keswick Mountain Festival director, comments: “Once again the Festival Village will be an incredibly varied and exciting hub for visitors, with a huge amount to see and do across the whole weekend for people of all ages and interests. Visitors can try taster activities from our most packed programme yet, hear some inspirational first-hand accounts at the Tent Talks and then finish the day with some uplifting live music. Book a place on any of our sporting events and you can also experience everything else that the Festival Village has to offer throughout the day and evening – it’s fantastic value for money. We also have some great day and weekend festival ticket packages for all of the family.”
Other Keswick Mountain Festival highlights this year include an extensive programme of running, cycling, swimming, multi-sport and hiking events for different abilities, all starting and finishing in the Festival Village, plus the popular Town Trials that take place in the centre of Keswick. Meanwhile, the speaker programme in the Theatre by the Lake will feature leading British mountaineer Adele Pennington, members of The Adventure Syndicate, photographers Nadir Khan and Tom McNally, and a panel discussion featuring ultra-running stars John Kelly, Debbie Martin-Consani and James Gibson.
Keswick Mountain Festival offers an extensive range of ticket options for visitors, for individuals and families, and for day visitors or those who want to stay for the full weekend. Local residents can buy discounted live music tickets in specialist outdoor retailer George Fisher. To find out more about KMF and to book tickets, visit www.keswickmountainfestival.co.uk, email [email protected], find the event on Facebook, or follow @keswickfestival on Twitter and Instagram.