Kendal Mountain Festival brings the world's adventurers to town

Each November, Kendal fills with climbers, runners, film-makers and storytellers. Kendal Mountain Festival, described by Visit Kendal as the world's biggest adventure festival, turns the market town into a meeting place for the outdoor community.

The 2025 festival ran from 20 to 23 November, with a first ticket release that promised more than 300 speakers and 150 films alongside its familiar headline events.

It is not just about watching. The festival includes races on the fells around the town, and in 2025 entries were open for the adidas TERREX 10km Trail Run and The North Face Skyline 50km ultra, both held on Saturday 22 November.

Among the most sought-after events were the Montane Secret Sessions, where the speaker and venue were revealed only on arrival, adding a sense of anticipation to the weekend. Elsewhere, the programme mixed talks by mountaineers, climbers and adventurers with book events and social gatherings, so that visitors could fill a whole weekend moving from venue to venue around the town. Many people return year after year, treating the festival as an annual reunion with friends from the outdoor world.

Film is at the heart of the programme, with climbing, mountaineering and expedition stories screened across the town. Highlights in 2025 included new climbing films from BritRock film-maker Alastair Lee.

The festival's reach goes well beyond Kendal. Its own streaming platform, the Kendal Mountain Player, lets people watch films from home, and a Best of Kendal Mountain Festival screening was held at Rheged near Penrith on 23 November.

For local businesses the festival is a highlight of the late autumn, bringing visitors who fill cafés, pubs and outdoor shops at a time when the town might otherwise be quieter.

Above all, it is a celebration of people who find joy in wild places, from elite athletes to weekend walkers, and a reminder of how much the Lake District has shaped the story of British adventure.

Details of this year's programme, races and tickets are released through the festival's official channels, and early booking is recommended for the most popular sessions.