Kendal Mountain Festival announces its first 2026 ticket release and celebrates 10 years of its book festival

Kendal Mountain Festival, the world’s largest outdoor cultural event, has released its first set of tickets for the 2026 Festival, which will take place 19 – 22 November.

The highly-anticipated celebration of adventure, culture, nature and exploration brings thousands of people annually to the Lake District market town of Kendal, creating a four-day extravaganza to share stories through film, conversations, music, outdoor activities and unforgettable parties.

This year’s packed programme will host over 450 events that include more than 300 world-class athletes, explorers and artists, screening 150 films — from short stories to world premieres — and will feature over 60 activities and workshops. The core events will return bigger than ever, these include: Snow Night, Bike Night, the Boardman Tasker Literary Award, Music on Nature, Women in Adventure, BBC Radio 4 Loose Ends, plus the Outdoor Swimming, Climb and Endurance Sessions, with the full line-up of guests to be revealed in the coming months.

Highlights include:

Elias Iagnemma is arguably the fastest growing name in climbing. With his repeat of Burden of Dreams and the first ascent of Exodia, for which he proposed the groundbreaking grade of 9A+/V18, Elias has established himself at the forefront of modern bouldering and will be part of the Climb Session.

The Festival will premiere the film Inside the Mountain, the unbelievable tale of Steve McClure and Molly Thompson-Smith free-climbing Gaping Ghyll main shaft which will follow with a live Q&A.

Alaskan ultra-endurance cyclist Lael Wilcox will be joining for the Cycling Session. Lael won the 4,400 mile Trans Am Bike Race outright in 2016, and in 2024 became the women’s Guinness World Record holder for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle.

The adidas TERREX 10km Trail Run and The North Face 50km Ultra Run will both take place on Saturday 21st November. The North Face in partnership with Kendal Mountain will launch a new 25km run, also taking place on Saturday 21st.

The Festival goes beyond just stage and screen as it will host a plethora of parties, ceilidhs, gigs, silent discos and Rab’s legendary Pub Quiz.

The 2026 Festival also marks a 10 year milestone for its Book Festival, an integral part of the weekend. This visionary arts and literature event will present its largest programme to-date, offering 35 unique live talks, musical performances, exhibitions and book signings from a stellar line-up of authors and artists, as well as recently announcing its first Festival Laureate, the esteemed author and poet Helen Mort.

Highlights include:

BBC news anchor, Sophie Raworth, shares her passion for running and personal resilience in her inspiring book, Running on Air. Bethany Handley, the 2026 winner of the highly prestigious Eric Gregory Award, which recognises outstanding collections by poets under 30. Bethany will be talking about her debut non-fiction book, My Body Is A Meadow. Actress Caroline Quentin will introduce her latest book, Drawn to Nature, a beautifully illustrated celebration of the outdoors.

Celebrated wildlife filmmaker, Gordon Buchanan MBE will be in conversation with TV presenter and author Ben Fogle as he shares his moving debut memoir, In the Hide, revealing how a tough childhood led him to find solace and purpose in the wild. The legendary novelist, Louis de Bernières, will make his Festival debut with his latest book, Smelling of Rooks: Nine Years in the Norfolk Alps.

Award-winning author and Kendal’s Book Festival patron, Robert Macfarlane, will be live on stage with Jackie Morris to discuss their latest book, The Book of Birds, a compendium of forty-nine endangered bird species. The critically acclaimed feature-length documentary, Underland based on Robert Macfarlane best-selling book and directed by Rob Petit will be screened over the Festival weekend.

Kendal Mountain will be introducing live captions on screen to a selection of events across the Festival, including audio description and descriptive captions for the film Underland.

Kendal Mountain Book Festival Director, Paul Scully says:

When literary festivals are having to make tough decisions, we are extremely grateful that our Festival audience grows stronger year-on-year, allowing us to provide a platform for authors and artists to share their talent and work. We can’t wait to showcase all the special surprises at this year’s Festival to mark our 10 year anniversary!

Established in 1980, the Festival has grown to become the world’s biggest event of its type, connecting a global community through powerful storytelling, dynamic events and transformative experiences centred around the outdoors.

Every year the Festival reveals a theme for the event, and this year’s will be ‘Presence’.

“This year’s programme has been shaped around that spirit, with authors, filmmakers, artists, adventurers and our brand partners showcasing their ideas that invite us to look closely, and feel alive in the moment. We are so excited to share what we have in store over the comings months” Jacqui Scott, CEO, Kendal Mountain Festival

Each month between July and October, Kendal Mountain Festival will release newly confirmed events, with the Film Programme announced mid-October. Those unable to attend the Festival in person can watch the Film Programme through the Kendal Mountain Player, the Festival’s own streaming platform.

Tickets and passes are on sale at www.kendalmountainfestival.com.