Guide To Highlights Of Keswick Mountain Festival

Kicking off the 2024 summer season in style, one of the UK’s best-loved outdoor events returns next week. After a break last year, KESWICK MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL (KMF) once again welcomes thousands of visitors to Cumbria. Based in Crow Park on the shore of Derwentwater, KMF boasts an idyllic setting, with the Lakeland fells providing a stunning backdrop.

Offering its signature blend of sporting events, outdoor activities, live entertainment, captivating speakers, taster sessions, exhibitor stands, the ever-popular KMF Accessible Adventure Zone and camping for all of the family, the festival promises a memorable experience for visitors of all ages.

KMF will present a packed programme in 2024, with a huge range of activities and attractions from 17-19 May. Highlights include a bigger schedule of sporting events and outdoor activities than ever, including a revised mountain run, a new adventure race, trail runs ranging in distance from 5k to 50k, open water swims, two cycle sportive routes and numerous hikes.

The Festival Village on the National Trust’s Crow Park is at the heart of KMF and will be open throughout the weekend. The site will be packed with a long list of exhibitors and festival partners, along with taster activities for the whole family, and the start and finish of various sports events.

The Festival Village will host three days of Tent Talks with sessions featuring leading names in outdoor adventure and sport; Some of the speakers will also make appearances in the Theatre by the Lake. Visitors will also be able to enjoy live music by a line-up of local acts in the Big Top and Band Stand.

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.

The KMF Accessible Adventure Zone (AAZ) will be conveniently located near the main entrance of the Festival Village. This zone will showcase exhibitors like the Calvert Trust and Disability Snowsports UK, highlighting innovations and organisations that promote outdoor accessibility.

Additionally, visitors can enjoy opportunities for climbing and canoeing, courtesy of AnyoneCan, while facilities such as Mobiloo toilets and designated parking for disabled drivers will ensure great accessibility and inclusivity throughout the festival weekend.

The Festival Village is free for everyone to enter, allowing anyone to soak up the atmosphere. Visitors with festival wristbands and individual event tickets will be able to access specific activities during the event. Below are just a few specific activities to look out for on each day.

Friday 17 May

• The North Face & Ellis Brigham Skiddaw Mountain Run (4:30pm) – this thrilling 20km race challenges runners with 1,070m of elevation gain. Participants will scale Skiddaw, England’s sixth tallest mountain, and then race back to Crow Park. There will also be a race within the race – a timed ascent to the summit to crown the ‘Champion of Skiddaw’. 
• Tent Talks (from 3:00pm) – at the heart of the Festival Village, the Friday schedule gets underway with a talk from James Forrest, an accomplished outdoor writer and record-breaking adventurer, who will share his experiences, including a remarkable 500-mile hike of the national ‘Three Peaks’. He will be followed by Alastair Humphreys, an adventurer and author who has undertaken epic journeys such as cycling around the world and trekking across deserts, earning recognition from National Geographic and The Royal Geographical Society. They will be followed by cyclist David Millar, and Louise Minchin, the former presenter of BBC Breakfast who is an accomplished triathlete and qualified for the Great Britain Age-Group Triathlon Team. Talks continue throughout Saturday and Sunday.

• Live Music (from 1pm) – The Band Stand stage will showcase performances by artists including J Lewis, Joel Gardner and Clara Pople, Cassette Baby and Bossy King. Meanwhile, the Big Top stage will feature acts such as The Northern Threads and Thieving Magpies.

Saturday 18 May

• The North Face & Ellis Brigham  Keswick 3 Peaks Challenge (from 7:30am) –fundraising hike with ‘3 Dads Walking’ in aid of the suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS. The 3 Dads Walking will be there after completing their 500-mile A Walk of Hope. They will start the event and walk the route alongside participants. This mid-level, circular hike over Catbells, Walla Crag, and Latrigg, covers 18 miles with 1,050m ascent and is suitable for novice walkers and experienced hikers.
• Aquasphere Keswick Conqueror (starting 8:45am) – taking place on Saturday 18and Sunday 19 May. Participants can ‘conquer’ Keswick in this multi-day triathlon challenge, featuring a 3.6km swim in Derwentwater and a 25km trail run around the beautiful valleys of Borrowdale and Watendlath on Saturday and ending with a spectacular tarmac road sportive on Sunday.
•  Aquasphere Derwent Isle 1.5km Swim (12:00pm) – a classic of the KMF sporting line up, the 1.5km open water swim in beautiful Derwentwater is a great option for more experienced open water swimmers (ages 16+ only) and includes one lap of Derwent Isle.
• Speakers and film (from 5:30pm) – held in the Theatre by the Lake, Saturday’s speakers and film programme will kick off with ‘Remarkable Feats: An Evening with Chrissie Wellington & Mel Nicholls’, hosted by Louise Minchin. Former multiple Ironman Triathlon World Champion Chrissie Wellington and world record-setting hand cyclist Mel Nicholls will share stories of triumph and resilience. They will be followed by ‘3 Dads: Charity fundraiser for Papyrus & book signing’ when three ordinary dads – Mike, Tim and Andy – will share their compelling narrative of loss, resilience and determination after being united by the tragic bond of youth suicide. These fathers bravely break the silence, empowering others to address the stigma surrounding the subject.

• Live Music (from 1:00pm) – the Band Stand stage will showcase performances by artists including J P Worsfold, Hang Dimension and Ewan Scarlett. Meanwhile, the Big Top stage will see artists including State of Satta, Foxtrap, Delagrave and Steel Foxes entertain visitors in the Festival Village.

Sunday 19 May

• Adidas Terrex 50k Trail Ultra Marathon (6:00am) – not for the faint hearted, this challenging ultra takes in some of the best trails and views that the Watendlath, Borrowdale, Buttermere and Newlands valleys have to offer.
• Back O’Skiddaw (8:30am) – this sportive presents a challenging ride with steep ascents and scenic routes. With most of the ascent in the last 30km, the course offers varied terrain, from single tracks to quiet roads. Open to electric and adapted bikes, participants must carefully assess their ability before entering.
• Tent Talks (from 11:30am) include Sean Conway who spent ten years achieving world records in endurance sport; outdoor writer, magazine editor and television presenter Cameron McNeish and mountaineer Alan Hinkes, the only British climber to climb all 14 of the world’s 8,000m mountains.

• Live Music (from 12:00pm) – live daytime music will continue, courtesy of the Band Stand stage. Visitors will be able to enjoy the evocative performances of singer-songwriter Stoney Broke and the raw emotion of Chloe Jane Hirst, both showcasing their unique talents and captivating sounds.