Whether you’re taking it easy and getting a coach or train to Kendal Calling or fancy car sharing with pals, discover how to get to Kendal Calling from all over the UK below.
Don’t forget – you can offset the carbon footprint of your journey to the festival by donating to Energy Revolution when you purchase your ticket. 100% of your donation will be invested directly into renewable energy.
When navigating around the festival site please stick to the marked roads and avoid driving on the verges.
WHERE IS KENDAL CALLING?
Kendal Calling takes place at:
Lowther Deer Park
Hackthorpe (nr Penrith)
Cumbria, CA10 2HT
The home of Kendal Calling is 25 minutes north of Kendal, up the M6 and South down the A6 from Penrith. (Yes, we know it’s closer to Penrith than Kendal)
TRAINS TO KENDAL CALLING
The nearest train station to the festival site is Penrith (also known as Penrith North Lakes) which is a 15 minute taxi journey from the site. A special shuttle bus service will run from the station to the festival. Fast and direct hourly services are available from Scotland, Birmingham, and London, and from Manchester & North West (with a quick change at Preston or Crewe).
- From Birmingham New Street to Penrith North Lakes (2 hours 31 minutes), trains leave every hour
- From London Euston to Penrith North Lakes (3 hour), trains leave every 30 minutes
- From Glasgow to Penrith North Lakes (1 hour 21 minutes), trains leave every hour
- From Edinburgh to Penrith North Lakes (1 hour 30 minutes), trains leave every hour
- From Lancaster to Penrith North Lakes (34 minutes)
PENRITH STATION – FESTIVAL SHUTTLE
Kendal Calling is at Lowther Deer Park, so it’s just a short journey on the dedicated shuttle bus from Penrith Railway Station to the festival. Please note in peak times we advise you allow ample time for your journey. You can purchase tickets for the shuttle bus in advance on the ticket page of our website. Please check back closer to the festival for exact timings but as a guide, the shuttle will run from:
PENRITH TRAIN STATION TO THE FESTIVAL (Pick Up / Drop Off Point)
THURSDAY 10:00 – 18:45
FRIDAY 08:30 – 19:15
THE FESTIVAL (Pick Up / Drop Off Point) TO PENRITH TRAIN STATION
MONDAY 06:00– 13:15
THE SHUTTLE DOESN’T RUN ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
pick up / drop off point
We have a designated Pick Up and Drop Off point (PUDO) located at Green Gate. Please follow the road signage as you get closer to site for directions to the Pick Up / Drop Off point. This is also where our taxi rank is located alongside our coach drop off spot. It is a short 5-10 minute walk onwards to the wristband exchange.
From the PUDO, we also offer a free on-site shuttle running to Great Plains, Deer Lodge and Tangerine Fields. Please see further information below.
If arriving via a minibus or a private hire vehicle, please complete this form here so we can better maintain the traffic flow through the pick up / drop off point.
free on-site shuttle
For those that are camping in Deer Lodge and Great Plains and arrive via the pick-up and drop off, there is a shuttle bus that runs from the red bus stop at the pick up and drop off to take you to those campsites.
Please check closer to the festival for exact timings but as a guide, this shuttle runs from:
Thursday & Friday: 09:00 –21:00 and Monday: 07:30 – 13:00.
COACHES TO KENDAL CALLING
We’re delighted to have Big Green Coach on board as our official travel partner.
Travel sustainably to Kendal Calling with like-minded music fans. Your carbon-neutral coach will arrive on Thursday or Friday and return to your pick-up location on Monday, hassle-free.
Pick-up locations: Travel from Barrow In Furness, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bolton, Bradford, Carlisle, Dumfries, Glasgow, Kendal, Leeds, Liverpool, London Victoria, Manchester, Newcastle, Preston, Sheffield, Stockport, Sunderland, Warrington, Whitehaven, Wigan and Workington.
Guarantee your seat with the UK’s largest events travel company from £30 here. £1 payment plans are available when booking in advance.
TAXIS
The taxi rank is located at the Pick Up / Drop Off point located at Green Gate. Taxi services within Eden are limited and so we recommend booking as far in advance as possible. Please note that as the festival gets closer, operators will begin to get booked up and travel via taxi cannot be guaranteed.
The short journey between Penrith Railway station and Lowther Estate Office is approximately 5 (and a bit) miles, and typically costs around £25 – £30 in a regular taxi however this may vary depending on operator.
- Eden Taxis 01768 867890
- Penrith Taxis 01768 899298
- A1 Acclaim Taxis 07482 289021
- Bluebell Taxis 07594311421
- Cumbria Taxis 07738 151078
- Netts Taxis 07771 883369
- Abacus Taxis 07754 155939
Private hire operators are different as they don’t have meters and don’t necessarily have to follow a tariff – you can only pre-book private hire cabs too. Please note Kendal Calling are not affiliated with any taxi companies and the above companies are listed for information only.
MINI BUSES
If arriving via a minibus or a private hire vehicle, please complete this form here so we can better maintain the traffic flow through the pick up / drop off point
CAR SHARE
With the average 100 mile car journey leading to over 20 kg of CO2 being produced, goCarShare has the potential to reduce the festival’s carbon footprint considerably. It’s a great way to save money if you are driving and, as it is built around Facebook, you can see if your friends are going, find like-minded people to travel with, and check people out before agreeing to share. By travelling in a full car, festival-goers carbon emissions become comparable to taking the train, so it can make a real difference. (Source: DEFRA Report)
ACCOUNT FOR YOUR TRAVEL CARBON WITH THE ENERGY REVOLUTION!Kendal Calling has co-founded an unprecedented festival industry initiative, which aims to account for audience travel. 63% of our festivals carbon footprint is audience travel. You can make a donation when you buy your tickets, 100% of which will be invested in renewable energy. Find out more HERE.
DRIVING TO KENDAL CALLING
Okay, okay, so if you’ve decided you really, really, really, (really), must drive this year, there will be plenty of signs for the festival from all directions. Traffic in Penrith has been notoriously bad on Fridays in the last few years, especially as the afternoon progresses and during rush hour. Please ensure you leave with ample time. Alternatively, join us on the Thursday to ensure you’re all camped and ready come Friday morning to enjoy the festival weekend.
If you pre-bought car parking please make sure your car park hanger is displayed from your rear view mirror. This is your vehicle ticket.
When navigating around the festival site please stick to the marked roads and avoid driving on the verges.
Travelling North to Kendal Calling:
- Leave M6 at Jct. 39. Signposted Shap/A6 – Turn SatNav OFF
- Live-in vehicles, Accessible, Pick up Drop Off/Taxi’s continue on A6 following GREEN GATE FESTIVAL SIGNAGE
OR
- General Admission (car park), Emperor’s Fields (car park), Great Plains (car park), Tangerine Fields pre-pitched tents (car park), Deer Lodge Boutique Camping turn left after the underpass following RED GATE FESTIVAL SIGNAGE
Travelling South to Kendal Calling:
- Leave M6 at Jct.40. Signposted Penrith/A66 – Turn SatNav OFF
- Follow A66E. Signposted Brough/A66E
- At the roundabout take the exit onto A6 South. Signposted Shap/A6
- Live-in vehicles, Accessible, Pick up Drop Off/Taxi’s turn right at the mini roundabout following GREEN GATE festival signage. Signposted Tirrell / B5320OR
- General Admission (car park), Emperor’s Fields (car park), Great Plains (car park), Tangerine Fields pre-pitched tents (car park), Deer Lodge Boutique turn right at the mini roundabout following RED GATE festival signage. Signposted Tirrell / B5320
DRIVE TIMES
Manchester – 1 hour 30 mins
Newcastle – 1 hour 30 mins
Leeds – 2 hours
Middlesbrough – 1 hour 30 mins
Lancaster – 50 minutes
Liverpool – 2 hours
Edinburgh – 2 hours 25 mins (or just 1 hour 21 mins by train)
Sheffield – 2 hour 30 minutes
PARKING
Our general car park is adjacent to the general campsites, however the later you arrive the further away you will have to park! To encourage people to share vehicles, and reduce the impact of cars on the Deer Park, we have a small charge for parking. Tickets can be purchased in advance for £18 or you can pay on the day for £35. Purchasing in advance allows us to process you faster and limit any delays on entry to site.
Emperors Field, Great Plains, Deer Lodge and Tangerine Fields all have their own respective car parks adjacent to their camping fields which require specific parking passes. You will not be able to access these car parks with a General Car Park ticket. You will also need a corresponding ticket for these respective campsites to park in these car parks (i.e. if you’re heading to Emperors Field, you must have an adult Emperors Field ticket also). Parking passes for each of these campsites can be found under their respective tabs on our ticketing page.
If you have a Thursday ticket, your parking pass will also cover you for the Thursday too. This is also true of any campsite upgrades such as Emperors Field, Great Plains, Deer Lodge or Tangerine Fields. Once you have a Thursday ticket, all your other tickets are then valid from Thursday too.
We have a pick-up and drop off point for those people only giving someone a lift – please follow the pick up and drop off road signs.
Please note you can’t park your car next to your tent as we need all of the room for your fellow festival goers. You will need to park your car in our car parks and carry your camping gear to your pitch.
When navigating around the festival site please stick to the marked roads and avoid driving on the verges.
NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST
The Lake District is home to some of England’s finest scenery and a fine place for those of us with a more active persona. If you fancy making more of your trip to Kendal Calling, then we say Go Lakes is well worth the visit!
