Keswick Mountain Festival will return in May 2020. Organisers of the event have confirmed that the festival will run from 15-17 May, once again based in Crow Park, on the shore of Derwentwater. The dates for 2020 have been agreed after discussions with local stakeholders and the National Trust, which owns the park. The announcement comes after another successful year for Keswick Mountain Festival, with thousands of visitors enjoying the wide range of activities and attractions on offer during the event.
The 2019 Keswick Mountain Festival achieved an estimated footfall of 20,000, including 3,000 participants in the programme of sports events, with the adidas TERREX running events once again proving to be very popular. Highlights included the Fjallraven Hiking Challenge, which attracted almost 1,000 walkers, and the new Keswick Town Trials on the first night, which took the festival into the heart of the town for the first time and generated a lively atmosphere to kick-start the weekend. The festival’s dedicated campsite was almost at capacity for the whole event, with around 1,000 visitors staying there.
During the 2019 Keswick Mountain Festival, over 12,000 pints of beer were sold in the two Taylor’s bars, including 2,700 pints of Taylor’s Landlord. Elsewhere, visitors bought 600 glasses of prosecco and hundreds more of red and white wine, plus gin and other spirits. Refreshment sales were at a peak during the two nights of live music on the Subaru Stage, featuring acts such as the Peatbog Faeries, Big Country and Bez and Rowetta. Meanwhile, festival goers also consumed 5,400 compostable cups of electrolyte or water, and around 5,000 drinks were served to sports event participants during and after races.
Keswick Mountain Festival director Nicola Meadley comments: “From an organisational perspective, the weekend went very smoothly and the weather gods were definitely with us. The only significant issue we had was having to cancel the open water swimming events due to the presence of blue green algae in the lake. While that was out of our control, we were really disappointed for our swimmers, who have always been such a key part of the festival.
“We have been receiving some amazing feedback since the weekend. The Keswick Town Trials have proved to be a great addition to the programme and the hiking challenge has grown rapidly since its debut last year. As always, the speakers, outdoor activities and sports events brought in big numbers and our typically eclectic live music line-up was a big hit. The improved Festival Village layout worked well and once again, we’re hugely grateful to the National Trust for allowing us to hold this event in such a stunning location. We’re already very excited about returning in May next year for the 2020 Keswick Mountain Festival!”
Details of on-sale dates for the sports events and live music will be released in a few months. To find out more about the event, visit www.keswickmountainfestival.co.uk
