Keswick Mountain Festival (KMF) has announced it is putting sports entries and festival tickets on sale for KMF 2021 while revealing their revised Friday night live music line up. KMF 2020 was due to host its biggest ever programme of sports and outdoor events in May, but the event was postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19.
There will be some changes to the 2021 plans, with Friday night now featuring a new music line up headlined by Bad Manners, and outdoor and mountain footwear brand Hanwag joining the festival as sponsor of the expanded hike challenge programme. The sports schedule remains the same and includes 18 running, cycling, swimming, multi-sport and hiking events over three days, with options designed to appeal to all ages and abilities. Festival organisers promise further sports additions to the schedule which they will announce later in the year. KMF will be held from 21-23 May 2021 and entries to sporting events and festival tickets can now be booked at www.keswickmountainfestival.co.uk.
Keswick Mountain Festival will kick off the 2021 summer festival season, taking over the town of Keswick with its unique mix of live music, sporting events, outdoor adventures, high profile speakers, taster activities, exhibitor stands and camping for all of the family. Founded in 2007, KMF is now one of the UK’s best-loved outdoor festivals, attracting 20,000 visits every year to the iconic fells and lakes of Cumbria. The heart of the event will be the Festival Village in Crow Park on the shore of Derwentwater, where most of the sports and outdoor events will start and finish. The site is owned by The National Trust, which is KMF’s official charity partner.
For 2021, many of the festival’s most popular sports and outdoor events return, including the adidas TERREX 5K, 10K, 25K and 50K Trail Races, Derwent Water Open Water Swims, Cycle Sportives, Sprint Triathlons and Hiking events. New festival supporters for 2021 include outdoor and mountain footwear brand Hanwag, who have come on board as sponsors of the expanding Hike programme to celebrate their centenary year.
The Hanwag Three Peaks Challenge is now one of the festival’s most popular events. After selling out in 2019, visitors in 2021 will be able to tackle this 18-mile hike around Derwentwater on each day of KMF. Taking in three classic fells – Catbells, Walla Crag and Latrigg – walkers will set off between 7:30am and 9:00am and will be challenged to finish within eight hours. Other hikes in the Hanwag Hiking Series include, for the more experienced hiker the Hanwag Coledale Challenge as well as the family friendly Hanwag Walla Crag Family Challenge.
While the Saturday night live music line up at KMF 2021 remains unchanged with Space, Holy Moly & The Crackers, SWJ Group and Huey Morgan taking to the stage, Friday night will bring the energetic sounds of folk-rockers Merry Hell, followed by ska and latin grooves from The Baghdaddies, before headliners Bad Manners with frontman Buster Bloodvessel fill Crow Park with the sounds of two-tone and ska.
Festival director Nicola Meadley comments: “After such a turbulent year we are very pleased to be talking about 2021. We‘ve all missed so many events and activities and we can’t wait to stage the Festival next May. The safety of our competitors, staff, volunteers, partners and local Keswick residents will remain our utmost priority and we will of course follow all the necessary guidelines to keep everyone as safe as possible while having fun.”
To find out more about KMF, visit www.keswickmountainfestival.co.uk, email [email protected], find the event on Facebook, or follow @keswickfestival on Twitter and Instagram.
