Based on the shore of Derwentwater at the edge of Keswick, with the Lakeland fells in the background, the Keswick Mountain Festival opens later this Thursday. Between 14 and 17 May, the festival will offer a unique programme of family friendly live music, sporting events, adventurous outdoor activities, high profile speakers and chances to meet outdoor heroes such as Ray Mears, Jonny Brownlee, Sir Chris Bonington, and Bonita Norris. Among the main highlights for the 2015 festival are live music from acts such as Badly Drawn Boy, Seth Lakeman, Dodgy and the Peatbog Faeries.
The Keswick Festival Village, open 15-17 May, is free to enter during the day and will host a huge variety of taster activities for visitors to try, from tree climbing to caving, canoeing to cycling, and from mud pie making to family yoga.
Individual speaker sessions in the Theatre by the Lake must be booked separately, along with places on sporting events and guided outdoor activities. Some individual events are sold out, so visitors are advised to book soon to avoid disappointment. Tickets (including festival wristbands) for all 2015 Keswick Mountain Festival events are available on the KMF website or by calling See tickets on 08712 305537 (calls cost 10p per minute plus standard network charges). To find out more, visit the website, email
Thursday 14 May
• Mountain Night in the Theatre by the Lake with climbing legends Leo Houlding (9:00pm), Doug Scott (7:30pm) and Andy Kirkpatrick (6:00pm)
• Night time guided walking on classic fells with the Catbells Evening Wander (from 6:00pm) and Blencathra by the Stars (from 7:00pm)
• Stand Up Paddle Boarding – new to the festival and one of the fastest growing water sports in the UK (1:30pm for two hours, then at 11:00am on 15, 16 and 17 May)
• Keswick Mountain Festival Schools Triathlon throughout the day
• The Wainwrights Walks – first of four days of walks to complete 60 Wainwright tops.
Friday 15 May
• Festival Village opens with
o Make a grand entrance on the giant zip line (from 10:30am on 15, 16 and 17 May)
o Hi-Tec BIG WALK – pick up a guide from the Festival Village, complete a walk and be in with the chance of winning Hi-Tec kit and a seven night adventure holiday for four with HF Holidays worth £1,600
o Buy an official festival souvenir t-shirt for just £10 at the Hi-Tec meet and greet tent (from 10:00am on 15, 16 and 17 May)
o Visit the Ordnance Survey stand (from 10:00am on 15, 16 and 17 May) for a preview of the newly revised OS map range and a new mobile download, along with the new online map application
o Garmin Vector Challenge – a pedal power competition on the Garmin stand (from 10:00am on 15, 16 and 17 May) with a chance to win some of the latest products (Garmin software updates also available on the stand)
o Clip n’ Climb tower (from 10:00am on 15, 16 and 17 May) – an ideal introduction to climbing for youngsters
o Canoe and kayak hire (from 10:00am on 15, 16 and 17 May) – hire a canoe or kayak for half an hour and pick up tips from expert instructors as they watch on
o Berghaus Adventure Hub – meet record breaking fell runner Steve Birkinshaw from 10:00am-2:00pm and share #MyKeswickAdventure photos to win prizes (many of the outdoor activities start from here, including some of the HF Holidays guided walks)
o Live music from 6:15pm, sponsored by Lexus - Badly Drawn Boy, Peatbog Faeries and others
o Talks and workshops all day in the Adventure Tipi, sponsored by Exodus
• Sporting Heroes night in the Theatre by the Lake with Jonny Brownlee in conversation with the BBC’s Tom Fordyce (7:00pm) and Joss Naylor and Steve Birkinshaw on stage to talk about their record breaking Wainwrights runs together for the first time (9:00pm and again at 6:45pm on Saturday 16 May)
• A stunning overnight walk with Helvellyn by Sunrise from 11:50pm.
Saturday 16 May
• Sporting events
o Triathlons – long (10:00am start) and short (two waves at 10:30am and 11:00am), sponsored by A1 Multisport
o Cycling – Back of Skiddaw 70K sportive (11:30am)
• Festival Village activities
o Guided walks at all levels with HF Holidays and future walk leader recruitment in the company’s gazebo
o Meet Ray Mears on Ontario Tourism’s stand to ask questions, get his autograph and enter a competition to be in with the chance of winning a trip to Ontario with the man himself (3:30-4:30pm)
o Family Yoga – take time out from the excitement of the festival for some family relaxation together (10:30-11:15am and 2:30-3:15pm – also on Sunday 17)
o Berghaus Adventure Hub – meet Leo Houlding from 10:00am-12:00
o Bonita Norris, the youngest person to have stood at both the summit of Mt Everest and the North Pole, will speak at the Ordnance Survey stand and meet visitors from 2:00pm
o Live music from 5:45pm, sponsored by Lexus – Seth Lakeman, Dodgy and others
• Bushcraft legend Ray Mears in the Theatre by the Lake at 5:00pm and 8:15pm.
Sunday 17 May
• Sporting events
o Keswick Mountain Festival Trail Runs, sponsored by Hoka One One
- 6:30am – 50K ultra trail marathon
- In waves at 10:00am, 11:00am, 12:00 and 1:00pm – 10K trail race
- 11:15am – 25K trail race
- 1:00pm – 5K trail race
o Derwent Island 1,500M Open Water Swim – 2:00pm
o Trailquest Mountain Bike Orienteering Score Event – 9:00am.
• Festival Village
o Bonita Norris, the youngest person to have stood at both the summit of Mt Everest and the North Pole, will speak at the Ordnance Survey stand and meet visitors from 11:00am
o Last chance to complete Hi-Tec BIG WALK routes and be in with the chance of winning Hi-Tec kit and a seven night adventure holiday for four with HF Holidays
o Berghaus Adventure Hub – meet Sir Chris Bonington from 2:00-4:00pm
o Massive Trail magazine gear sale to raise funds for Community Action Nepal in the wake of the Nepal earthquake – from 2:30pm.
To find out more, visit the website, email
