The last year has been… well, to put it lightly, kind of poor for festival goers. With everyone stuck in what feels like an endless lockdown and with all the major festivals cancelled or moved online, the festival experience just hasn’t been the same.
But, hopefully, that’s going to change.
With any luck, lockdown will officially come to an end on June 21st, which means festivals will be back on! So, in anticipation of this, we here at Hollr are going to explore our top 3 picks for what we think are the best Cumbrian festivals.
Kendal Calling
Perhaps Cumbria’s most famous festival, Kendal Calling is held annually at Lowther Deer Park and has hosted performances from major starts such as Blondie, Mumford and Sons, Stereophonics, Tom Jones and Catfish and the Bottlemen. The festival has run since 2006 and just last year celebrated it’s fifteenth anniversary, but of course, the festival was sadly cancelled. However, the festival plans on celebrating it’s fifteenth year one year late and is scheduled to take place from the 30th of July to the 1st of August. This year’s acts are yet to be announced, but given Kendal Calling’s track record- we’re sure they’ll be amazing.
Solfest
Solfest has taken place in Silloth for the last 16 years, and promises to return once again in 2021. The festival has, in the past, hosted such big names as The Fratellis, The Buzzcocks, The Proclaimers, Oysterband and James. This year, the festival is scheduled to take place on the 27th, 28th and 29th of August, with acts such as Echo and the Bunnymen, Razorlight, The Amazons and Basement Jaxx already announced (with even more yet to come!). Every act that’s been announced so far can be found on the Solfest website.
Eskfest
Eskfest is a local, self-proclaimed ‘micro-festival’ that not only hosts live music, but a range of other activities such as games, food stalls, film showings and stand-up comedy. In previous years, Eskfest has hosted local bands such as Flynt, Dansi, Lowes and JAMbEASTERSOUNDSYSTEM and has made for a perfect place to discover and enjoy music from local creators. It’s a festival that’s no doubt on the rise! This year the festival is scheduled from the 1st to 3rd of July, and tickets are available now.
Do you agree with our top picks? Let us know in the comments below.