Kendal Calling line-up announced

With the 2016 edition of Kendal Calling another complete sell-out and having once again won Best Medium Festival at the UK Festival Awards, the first acts have been announced for the fan favourite festival.

Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers, Brian Wilson Presents Pet Sounds, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Tinie Tempah, Franz Ferdinand will headline Kendal Calling this year.

Among the acts also gracing the Lowther fields are Frightened Rabbit, Jake Bugg, Seasick Steve, Editors, Circa Waves, Slaves, Loyle Carner, Lethal Bizzle, The Coral, The Hunna, Nothing But Thieves, Kate Nash, Shame, Jungle, Faithless and many more.

Kendal Calling takes place in July from 27-30, featuring music, arts, comedy and acclaimed food and drink.

Tickets on sale from 10am Friday January 27, £135 or £25 on a payment plan each month, available at http://www.kendalcalling.co.uk/tickets.

With a career spanning three decades, multiple number one albums and having headlined the biggest festivals in the country, Stereophonics will be making their Kendal Calling debut this summer for one of their trademark, anthemic headline sets full of sing-along moments.

Richard Jones from Stereophonics said: “We’ve been fortunate to headline and play at some amazing festivals over the years and it’s an honour to play at Kendal Calling this summer a first for us in the Lake District. See you there!”

Formed in 1986, Manic Street Preachers have spent the last 30 years making some of the most vital and politically charged, yet no less anthemic, music to ever come out of the UK.

Commenting on their appearance, Manic Street Preachers said: “We are genuinely thrilled to be headlining Kendal Calling, a festival we have always wanted to play in a truly inspiring setting.”

Topping the main stage for those heading to the festival on the Thursday are Scottish indie legends Franz Ferdinand.

From breakthrough ‘Take Me Out’ through to their most recent release as FFS with fellow oddball heroes Sparks, the band have remained one of the most innovative guitar bands of a generation.

Due to phenomenal public demand in the UK, Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson returns one last time to present ‘Pet Sounds’ in its entirety plus his greatest hits with Special Guests Al Jardin and Blondie Chaplin.

No stranger to the fields having played a rip roaring headlining set at the festival in 2014, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls will be returning to co-headline in 2017.

 With multiple Brit Awards, arena tours and festival headline slots under his belt as well as having more UK number ones than any other rapper on the planet, Tinie Tempah is surely one of the country’s brightest talents.

With undisputed bangers like ‘Frisky’ and ‘Pass Out’ in his arsenal, he is more than qualified to top the bill at this year’s Kendal Calling.

Frightened Rabbit comment on their return: “We are really pleased to be returning to Kendal Calling this year.

“Last time was easily the muddiest yet one of the best festivals we’ve had the privilege of playing.”

Elsewhere Field Music, Fickle Friends, Honeyblood, Palace, Little Comets, Blaenavon, Shame, The Pale White, Eat Fast, Bad Sounds, Soshe, Reverend And The Makers, Freak, Man and The Echo, Bossy Love, White, The Shimmer Band, Fews, Ardyn, Dead! and Kendal favourites The Lancashire Hot Pots are set for the fields.

Once again the dance-orientated Glow Stage will be hosting a huge lineup for those wishing to party through the weekend. Chart topping UK rapper Example returns to the festival to headline the stage alongside house DJ Tom Zanetti, Butterz members Royal-T, DJ Q and Flava D together as TQD, bass duo My Nu Leng, Mike Skinner and DJ sets from London soul collective Jungle and British electronica masters Faithless.

Gotsome, Holy Goof, Barely Legal, Mollie Collins, Star.

One and Swindle also join the party with more names still to come.

The eclectic festival lineup will also be bolstered by Mercury Prize nominees The Comet Is Coming, Smash Hi-Fi, Broken Brass Ensemble, K.O.G. and The Zongo Brigade, Holly Holdener, Yumi & The Weather, Honeyfeet, Harleighblu, Sola Rosa, Lost Colours and Ezra Collective.

Additionally, mariachi Morrissey covers band Mexrissey, London African Gospel Choir performing Graceland and Beatlemania: Celebrating 50 Years Of Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band make this year’s lineup one of the most varied and exciting that the festival has ever hosted.

Kendal Calling founder Andy Smith said: “Drastic times cause for drastic measures and to that end we’ve gone the whole nine yards!

“We’re excited to be welcoming no less than six headliners to the fields this year, including Brian Wilson’s last appearance on these shores as he performs Pet Sounds in full. See you in the fields!”