KENDAL CALLING 2025 - FRIDAY
Indie Anthems & 2000s Throwbacks Light Up the Lakes at Kendal Calling
★★★★★ (5/5)
COURTEENERS HEADLINING FRIDAY AT KENDALL CALLING 2025 - 20TH ANNIVERSARY
PHOTOCREDIT: JOHN HAYHURST
After a celebratory Thursday that marked Kendal Calling’s 20th anniversary in style—with soulful orchestrations, disco anthems and a riotous set from Kaiser Chiefs—the festival’s first full day opened with a buzz that never quite let up. Set in the stunning surroundings of Lowther Deer Park, Kendal Calling has always struck a balance between big-stage moments and hidden-gem discoveries. With its woodland nooks, fairground rides, and those beautifully designed tent ceilings in the Calling Out and Parklands stages, it feels like part adventure, part pilgrimage. And if Thursday proved the festival’s enduring spirit, Friday showed just how varied and vibrant that spirit can be.
The day began by wandering into the Calling Out stage which means stepping into one of the festival’s most atmospheric spaces. With its rich fabric canopy and glowing lights, it is decked out like a Christmas tree complete with sleigh and Wizzard’s ” I wish it could be xmas everyday” playing constantly. It always offers a sense of intimacy even when it’s packed. Picture Parlour delivered a moody, magnetic set that immediately stood out. Their sound is raw yet textured, with frontwoman Katherine Parlour’s vocals switching between theatrical and snarling with ease. “Judgement Day” and “Norwegian Wood” (no relation to The Beatles) felt particularly heavy with intent, offering a gritty contrast to any indie-pop gloss.
Luvcat followed soon after in the same tent, leaning into synthy, retro-futurist pop with a mischievous twist. Drenched in self-aware charm, her set had a kind of lo-fi chic that got the crowd dancing. Songs like “Matador” and “Vicious Delicious” buzzed with warped melodies and winking lyrics. She is keeping an element of mystery to her music, but doesn’t seem to take herself too seriously, and that felt exactly right for a mid-afternoon slot in the festival’s most exploratory venue.
A short stroll took us to the Parklands stage—another of Kendal’s covered wonders, this time it is halloween with spiders draped from the ceiling and pumpkins on the stage. Just in time for Pixie Lott, whose return to festival stages feels well-timed given the 2000s revival that’s sweeping pop culture. She leaned into the nostalgia with confidence, opening with “Girls and Boys” and breezing through a set of soulful pop numbers that reminded everyone why she once dominated the charts. “All About Tonight” and “Cry Me Out” still hit, but it was her rendition of “Gravity” that offered a genuinely affecting moment—simple, heartfelt, and warmly received.
From there, the tone shifted dramatically as Elvana took over the Parklands stage. Equal parts tribute act and absurdist performance art, the concept—Elvis fronting Nirvana—shouldn’t work, but somehow absolutely does. Clad in white jumpsuits and armed with grunge riffs, they tore through mashups like “Heart Shaped Hotel” and “Smells Like Suspicious Minds”. It was loud, chaotic and totally euphoric, as much theatre as music, and the tent was bouncing.
Back at the Main Stage, The Wombats brought their tried-and-true festival formula: high-energy, melody-packed, and full of self-aware lyricism. Now deep into their second decade as a band, they’ve become reliable crowd-pleasers, and this set was no exception. “Moving to New York” kicked things off proper, while “Greek Tragedy” felt like one of the weekend’s defining singalongs. Newer track “Is This What It Feels Like to Feel Like This?” proved they’re not just a nostalgia act—they’re still evolving, still relevant. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” wrapped it up with joyous irony, a reminder that sometimes all you need is a good chorus and a crowd to shout it back.
One of the most talked-about sets of the day came from Daniel Bedingfield, performing over on the Parklands stage in a long-awaited return to UK festivals. There was something surreal but heartwarming about seeing him back in front of an audience, belting out “Gotta Get Thru This”, however, we weren’t prepared for the lurid tracksuit and headphones that he wore and the request that “anyone who doesnt like drum and bass can get out now”. Time hasn’t dulled his voice—or the affection audiences clearly still have for his early 2000s catalogue. He seemed as surprised as anyone by the outpouring of love.
As the sun dipped behind the trees, it was time for the night’s Main Stage headliners: Courteeners. No strangers to the festival spotlight, they turned the dial straight to anthem-mode from the moment they walked on. “Are You in Love with a Notion?” immediately had the field echoing every word, and the hits kept coming. “Cavorting”, “The 17th”, and “Small Bones” were delivered with grit and swagger, while “Not Nineteen Forever” was predictably seismic—flares in the crowd, arms around shoulders, that perfect combination of beer, sweat and euphoria. Liam Fray remains a commanding frontman, and as a headline act for the festival’s 20th, Courteeners felt both celebratory and essential.
But the night didn’t end there. For those with energy left to burn, a late set from The Big Moon over in the Calling Out tent proved the perfect comedown. Their blend of harmonic indie-rock and sardonic lyrics cut through the haze, with tracks like “Your Light” and “Trouble” casting a warm, weary spell. With singer and guitarist Juliette Jackson clearly heavily pregnant the atmosphere was intimate but electric, the kind of set that leaves you feeling both wide awake and emotionally rinsed.
As the final notes drifted away and the night settled, there was already talk of Saturday’s big names: Fatboy Slim bringing his legendary live show to the Main Stage, indie icons Travis, and the ever-chaotic Sports Team set to blow the roof off the Calling Out tent. If Friday was any indication, Kendal Calling’s 20th birthday party is just getting started.
REVIEW + PHOTOS BY: JOHN HAYHURST