There’s always something exciting about the build-up to Kendal Calling. You know what’s coming, you’ve seen the lineup, and you’ve already picked out the bands you absolutely must see. This year, some of the big ones for me were Two Door Cinema Club, Wolf Alice, The Libertines, The Kooks and many more.
Thursday
Thursday was the usual setup day. The kind of day where you can’t quite get the tent right at first because you must plan for the sea of people who will arrive the next day, some of whom may camp directly outside your entrance. All while maintaining enough clear room to cook. The challenges of drinking in a field, I guess. There’s a quick trip to the Co-op, DJ, and grab some snacks before leaving. On the way down, people were lugging their possessions across the site, eventually ditching their wheels when the weight had taken its toll. But most importantly, the sun was shining.
Once camp was set up and some much-needed food had been eaten, it was time to see some acts. I ran over to catch the last of The Cribs, who were just finishing one of their iconic songs, “Man’s Needs.” Then it was time to find a good spot for The Kooks, a band who made the crowd very aware of how good it was to have them headlining again. “Sofa Song” got the crowd dancing, while Luke Pritchard gave his usual brilliant frontman energy, dancing across the stage.
The sun began to set, and a yellow mist settled across the many faces watching on. There was a brilliant moment where three brilliant summer tunes came one after another as the sun was setting: “Bad Habit,” “Sweet Emotion” and “Westside.”
A song that always shows how The Kooks can bring emotion into their music is “See Me Now,” a personal song Luke Pritchard wrote for his dad. Images of the two of them were displayed on the screens together as the song began to close, making for a special moment. The band came back onstage for their encore with “Ooh La” and “Naive,” two cult classics at this point. After the last main act finished, there were still some extra acts on until slightly later. Two notable mentions were the Green Room party area and the Oktoberfest. One was DJs, decks and lots of expressive dancing with more high-fi music, while the other was beers, benches and lots of jumping around. It was a brilliant opening to what was about to become a very memorable festival.
Friday
As most of my mornings start, the first thing on the agenda was finding the best coffee stand. I never normally go to the first one. But right next to our camp was a little shack called Jojo’s Coffee and what they served there was so good that I didn’t bother looking for another. You’re always likely to see some odd things on the way to the main arena, but something slightly more normal that caught my eye was a gentleman painting the whole of the camp near the coffee stand I’d just mentioned. It was incredible, and if I didn’t have three coffees in my hands, I would have remembered to get his Instagram. So, I apologise. I can’t shout him out.
The first act of the day was ironically one of the first things I can remember watching when I was younger: Dick and Dom. Now, I wasn’t aware of how big this crowd was going to be. I knew they would have some pull and had almost seen them before in Manchester, but I was not expecting the sheer amount of people. The Parklands Stage was absolutely packed, with people spilling out onto the field around it. It felt like everyone was there for the same reason, though. The duo that had been so entertaining when I was five had continued to do what they had always done and put on a show.
Then we made our way over to a band known for bringing energy and passion: The Snuts. Opening with “Gloria,” the beautiful guitar entrance played out to a singing crowd. During the set, lead singer Jack Cochrane shouted out the festival for its stand-up values and for always making artists feel welcome and appreciated.
Sticking to the Main Stage, The Vaccines made their return to the festival since 2022, which at the time was to celebrate Kendall Calling’s 15th anniversary and the return of the festival post Covid. They put on an absolute show and got everybody dancing to the favourites such as “I can’t quit”, “Teenage Icon” and “If you wanna”.
This was followed by a glamour-filled set of paint, glitter and dancing. Scissor Sisters were certainly lying when they said they “Don’t Feel Like Dancin’,” as the group performed their hit song. It was a brilliant moment as the sun began to settle. People were smiling, and there seemed to be not one single stationary person.
Lastly, it was time for Two Door Cinema Club to take to the stage and perform their most popular album all the way through, with a few other absolute tunes along the way. This year marks the 15th anniversary of Tourist History, and it was an absolute spectacle. The album means a lot to people from all around the world, but it felt like it was only being played for us on that night. Opening with “Cigarettes in the Theatre,” the crowd behind me screamed into life, jumping and waving their arms high.
I always love how, as a photographer, you get to see everyone singing near the front and almost share that little glance of sheer glee. It’s like, what is going on?
You could guess what they were going to end on, but that doesn’t take away at all from how much this song still hits today. “What You Know” began playing and it was almost as if the roof was lifted off, if the open-air stage had one. It was a brilliant way to end night two and left me in eager anticipation for the big Saturday ahead.
Saturday
After the dust had settled from last night’s performances, it was a new day, and the sun was trying its best to push through the clouds. I had already had my obligatory coffee and was eager to get into the arena. I made my way over to The Lilacs, a band I knew very little about but had always heard great things. I was so impressed by their performance, and their song “Grace” was brilliant live.
I then made my way through the fields to the Calling Out Stage, and if it wasn’t already dusty, the performance I was about to witness would certainly change that. This was to see a band I’d heard so much about, and I was not disappointed. I would absolutely say Bleech 9:3 was the band that surprised me the most. I was stunned by the crowd control, especially considering they had only just released their debut EP. The style, sound and everything else was just magnetic. Two of my friends in the crowd got a firsthand experience of the mosh pit and were equally as impressed as myself. Dust plumes filled the air as the band came out to “Jacky,” with both Sam Duffy on lead guitar and James Quinlan on bass lighting cigarettes in their mouths, an almost literal spark to the flames of the performance. I had a chance to run out of the pit and into the crowd just in time to catch the recognisable start of “Ceiling.” I highly recommend seeing this band if you’re a fan of Fontaines D.C. or Wunderhorse, respectively.
After witnessing that, it was time to go back to the Main Stage and catch a classic in The Libertines. The beginning of “The Delaney” echoed around the crowd and people began jumping with excitement. The band also played some old classics from their self-titled album, The Libertines, including “What Became of the Likely Lads,” “What Katie Did” and “Can’t Stand Me Now.” I then had a decision to make.
Biffy Clyro, a band I had wanted to see for years, or Keo, whose rise over the last year can’t be ignored. I chose both.
I caught the first few songs of Biffy Clyro and thank God I did. “The Captain” and its iconic entrance, as the whole crowd screamed “Woooo,” instantly got things going. Sparks were flying, and the heat from the pyro instantly warmed the chills I had. The flames weren’t through yet, though. On the third song, “Who’s Got a Match?”, Simon Neil came out boasting a flamethrower, which he waved around quite elegantly considering the sheer heat of it. He then gave the flamethrower back, if not slightly reluctantly, as flames from the pyro helped finish the song.
It was time for me to dart over to the Calling Out Stage and catch the third song of Keo, “That’s Me.” Finn Keogh was raising his guitar high as I walked into the tent, and I could hear the crowd roaring from before I had even got there. Yellow and red flares clouded the tent in a smog of atmospheric beauty, mixing with the dirt plumes from earlier as they returned once again. The band have their upcoming debut album out in September and played some unreleased songs, including “The Best I Can Do,” “Spent on You” and “Black Dress.” One I was incredibly impressed by was “Fly,” an unreleased song in which a fan from the crowd got the chance to play lead guitar.
He seemed a little hesitant at first, but as the song went on, he became very confident, even turning his guitar and playing it upright to the crowd. I was incredibly impressed with how they sounded, and I’m excited to see how well this album does.
As the penultimate day ended, it was filled with joy from what we had seen so far, but also a little sadness in the fact that tomorrow was the final day of this wonderful festival.
Sunday
As morning broke on the final day of Kendal Calling, there was a slight gloom that it was the final day. But I wasn’t going to let that stop me from enjoying the final acts.
First was Old Mervs, an upcoming duo on tour from Australia, and I have a huge love for the music scene over there. If you’re a fan of Rum Jungle or Mako Road from New Zealand, you will most likely enjoy these too. Playing songs from their new album, out in October, including “She Said” and “Tether,” it was brilliant to see more and more people joining the tent as the band played, being drawn in by the music.
Then I returned to the Main Stage to catch The Lathums, a band I have been a fan of for years. I remember seeing them at Trinity Centre in Bristol five years ago. They put on an absolute rock show then, and they did just the same at Kendall Calling. Coming out to the energetic “Say My Name,” Alex Moore held his arms outstretched to the crowd, enticing them to join in. Scott Concepcion was as thrilling as ever with his solos and always puts so much energy into his performance, even playing the iconic “Fight On” with an extended riff. As the band reached the end of their final song, “Sad Face Baby,” they extended it so the crowd could enjoy dancing together one final time, with Alex eager to put on a show.
I knew the next band were going to put on a show, but I did not expect to see one of the performances of my life. Wolf Alice were the final headliners of Kendal Calling 2026, and it was as iconic as you would expect. Ellie Rowsell came out dressed in black to the beat of “Bloom Baby Bloom” and sounded as great as ever. “White Horses” gave Joel Amey a chance to show off his voice and very impressive drumming skills at the same time. “Just Two Girls” and “The Sofa” gave Ellie a chance to show just how powerful her vocals are. It felt as though we were inside a closed stadium. The sound was that good.
One of my favourite songs, “Lipstick on the Glass,” got its chance to shine as I took a moment to enjoy just how brilliant it is. The encore brought even more iconic songs in “Moaning Lisa Smile,” a song I absolutely adore, and even a short cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” which was as good as it was unexpected. “Giant Peach” was the final song, and towards the end, thousands of small pieces of confetti came shooting out into the night sky. It felt like a fitting end to what had not only been a great day, but a beautiful weekend of music.
After Wolf Alice had finished, “Bohemian Rhapsody” began playing around the arena and everyone began to join in. It felt like a last chance to belt out any leftover energy. And “Tiny Indoor Fireworks” by Biffy Clyro ran out to a large display of fireworks. This closed what had been my first time here, and it won’t be my last either. It is a beautiful place to camp and a brilliant atmosphere.
I just wanted to touch on a few final thoughts about this festival. It was so incredibly well run, from the staff to the artists to the food venues. Everything felt accessible, and it was kept incredibly clean even post-show. The staff behind everything at press put in so much effort to make sure it all went smoothly, and I really appreciate all their hard work. I met so many talented people, from other photographers to videographers, and they were all incredibly friendly. There is so much to do, and I wish I could have spent time at everything this festival has to offer. What a great experience to be a part of.
