Kendal Calling: pre-festival get-together at 33 Oldham Street

IF you're a fan of the Kendal Calling music festival, make sure you check out the photography exhibition currently showing at Northern Quarter bar 33 Oldham Street. It's a celebration of the festival with images of performers including Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Stereophonics, Clint Boon, Tim Burgess, Slaves, James, The Libertines and Reverend and the Makers.

The exhibition launched last month and will end with a closing party and pre-festival warm-up from 6pm on Thursday 11 July, with panel discussion, auction of works and DJs and dancing the wee small hours.Tickets for the party are free and include a welcome drink, with Happy Hour drinks prices also running from 5-9pm with two for £6 pints and two-for-one cocktails. Register for yours here.

The closing party will include a panel discussion on ‘The Rise of Kendal Calling’. Speakers include Jody Hartley from official photographers of the festival One Eye In, Kendal Calling and Bluedot Festival founder Ben Robinson, Kendal Calling veteran and Ogensis records founder Nick Fraser plus special guests, and will be hosted by Wendy Smith of Music Industry Speakers. 

The pre-festival celebration will also include an auction of some of the prints exhibited with money raised going to homeless charity Big Change. There will also be a food bank collection on the night.

 Wendy Smith of Music Industry Speakers said, “We will be invoking Chatham House Rules for the panel, meaning that whatever is talked about in the room, remains confidential for all involved, so I hope to get to share some great stories with the crowd. 

 “To be able to have an amazing pre-festival celebration, as well as raise money for a good cause is very in line with the fact that being part of the festival is being part of one huge family.”