Kendal’s summer calendar is set to offer 42 listed events across August and September 2026, with exhibitions, concerts, creative workshops, family entertainment, outdoor activities and community gatherings all included in the programme.
The line-up includes both free and ticketed activities, with events aimed at children, young people, veterans, businesses and community groups. Some sessions are recurring, while others take place on a single date. Organisers’ details may change, so anyone planning to attend should check the Visit Kendal What’s On calendar before travelling.
Exhibitions and creative activities
Several exhibitions continue through the summer. Bellwethers: Fragility & Survival runs from 11 April to 3 October 2026 and is described as a multimedia experience exploring fragility and survival through the voices of people in Barrow and Kendal.
The Paper Quilt Project is listed until 19 September. It is a community artwork being created while it is displayed in the gallery. Joshua Donkor & Lela Harris: Familial Traces also continues until 3 October, bringing together work by two emerging portrait painters. The listing says Harris’s paintings give depth and humanity to people overlooked or marginalised by history.
At Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house, Useful/Beautiful runs until 29 August. The exhibition marks 25 years of contemporary craft at Blackwell and celebrates the makers, ideas and objects that have shaped its collection. Admission to the gallery includes entry to the exhibition.
On the Thick and Thin of Painting is listed from 29 July to 3 September, generally from noon until 5pm. Conceived by British painter Daniel Sturgis, the free exhibition examines the physical and more ethereal boundaries of painting.
There are also summer activities for younger residents. Performance Unleashed Summer Camp runs from 3 to 7 August, followed by Arts Unleashed Summer Camp from 10 to 14 August. Both are for seven- to 14-year-olds and run from 9.30am to 3.30pm. The Weekly Summer Art Club: Drawing with Lela takes place on 5, 12, 19 and 26 August for eight- to 14-year-olds, with prices listed from £2 to £10.
Concerts and Kendal Music Festival
The Manna House Summer Concert opens the August music programme on 1 August, running from 7pm to 9.30pm. Tickets are listed at £15, with proceeds supporting a charity that helps people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or experiencing significant financial hardship across South Lakeland.
Summer Sundays includes performances by The Seals, the Agogo String Quartet and the Wihan String Quartet on 2 August, at 2pm and 7.30pm. Listed prices range from £15 to £27. Later Sunday dates feature Meetwood Flac on 9 August, Atomic Brass on 16 August, Bad Transmission on 23 August and The Seals again on 30 August. The garden events include food and refreshments.
On 8 August, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason is listed to perform at 3pm, followed by String Fever at 7.30pm. The next day, Concerteenies presents The Duck With No Luck at 11am and 1pm, before Meetwood Flac’s 2pm Summer Sundays performance.
The two-day Kendal Music Festival is scheduled for 4 and 5 September. Created by Kendal BID, it will feature bands, buskers and performances across different genres. Tom Hingley, formerly of Inspiral Carpets, is listed for 5 September from 8pm to 10.30pm, with tickets priced at £26.
Family, community and outdoor events
BounceFest is scheduled for 12 and 13 August for children aged from zero to 12. Its programme includes bouncy castles, slides, obstacle courses, interactive games and a dedicated toddler area.
Cumbria Yoga Foundation’s Yoga in the Park sessions are listed for 29 July and 5, 19 and 26 August, from 6pm to 7pm, and are open to all abilities. Other activities include a free Veterans Dry Stone Walling Taster Day on 7 August, a Kendal Ghost Walk on 11 August and a free open meeting hosted by the Buddhist Group of Kendal on 16 August.
The Lakes Adventure Writing Group meets on 27 July and 24 August, from 6pm to 8pm. Future Fixers is offering free business-advice drop-ins on 20 August, from 9am to noon.
The Kendal Walking Festival is listed for 31 August, with guided walks exploring landscape, ecology, history and culture. The Snuff Bar Smartypants Quiz returns on 4 August and 1 September. The social programme also includes speed dating on 5 September for straight singles aged 21 and over.
Dates, admission arrangements and other details may be amended by organisers. Check the Visit Kendal What’s On calendar for the latest information before setting out.