Kendal’s summer 2026 arts and culture programme brings exhibitions, community art, live music, creative workshops, outdoor activities and guided walks to venues across the town. Visit Kendal’s calendar lists 12 events, with activities scheduled at Abbot Hall, Brewery Arts Centre, Cross Lane Projects, K Village and other local locations.
The listings cover a wide range of interests, from exhibitions examining survival, portraiture and contemporary craft to a free painting show, a workshop for young artists and live bands performing in a town-centre garden. There are also opportunities for writers, walkers, yoga participants and quiz teams.
Exhibitions continue through the summer
Several of the longest-running listings are at Abbot Hall. Bellwethers: Fragility & Survival runs from 11 April to 3 October 2026. The multimedia exhibition explores stories of fragility and survival through the voices of people in Barrow and Kendal, giving the exhibition a direct connection to communities in the wider region.
Also at Abbot Hall, The Paper Quilt Project runs from 11 April to 19 September. It is described as a living exhibition because a community art piece is created while the project is on display in the gallery. That means the work develops as the exhibition continues, rather than being presented only as a finished object.
Joshua Donkor & Lela Harris: Familial Traces is scheduled at Abbot Hall from 11 April to 3 October, with the calendar listing opening hours of 10am to 4pm. The exhibition brings together two emerging portrait painters. Visit Kendal says Harris gives depth and humanity to figures who have been overlooked or marginalised by history, while Donkor’s work embeds collaboration in the portrait-making process.
At Lakeland Arts’ Abbot Hall, Useful/Beautiful runs from 1 May to 29 August. The exhibition marks 25 years of contemporary craft at Blackwell, the Arts & Crafts house, and celebrates the makers, ideas and objects that have shaped the collection since the venue opened its doors. Admission is listed as included with gallery admission.
Another exhibition is scheduled at Cross Lane Projects on Cross Lane. On the Thick and Thin of Painting, conceived by British painter Daniel Sturgis, explores the physical and material qualities of painting, as well as the medium’s ethereal boundaries and enduring subculture. The listing gives the date as Wednesday 26 August, from noon to 5pm, and says admission is free.
Music and creative activities in Kendal
Brewery Arts Centre is hosting two Summer Sundays in its garden at 122a Highgate. Bad Transmission is listed for Sunday 23 August from 2pm to 4pm, while The Seals follow on Sunday 30 August during the same afternoon time slot. The event descriptions promote live bands alongside food and refreshments, offering an outdoor music option in the town centre.
Young people aged eight to 14 can join Summer Art Club: Drawing with Lela at Abbot Hall on Wednesday 26 August from 10.30am to 12.30pm. The weekly drawing workshop series is led by local artist Lela Harris and takes inspiration from her work in Familial Traces. The listed price range is £2 to £10.
There is also an outdoor activity at Abbot Hall on the evening of 26 August. Yoga in the Park runs from 6pm to 7pm and is open to all abilities. The Visit Kendal entry says the Cumbria Yoga Foundation’s summer programme is taking sessions to green spaces across Cumbria, with Kendal joining the programme from 3 June.
Writers and people considering writing can meet at the Lakes Adventure Writing Group on Monday 24 August from 6pm to 8pm. The session takes place at No Hands Rest, Unit 26, K Village, Kendal. The group meets on the last Monday of every month and aims to bring together adventure and nature writers, potential writers and publishers in a supportive and collaborative setting.
Walking festival and September quiz
The Kendal Walking Festival is scheduled for Monday 31 August. Its guided walks are intended to explore the area’s landscape, ecology, history and culture. The listing says some walks include activities or are designed for a specific demographic, although individual walk details are not provided in the supplied calendar entry.
The calendar continues into September with the Snuff Bar Smartypants Quiz on Tuesday 1 September from 7pm to 9pm. Entry is listed at £2.50. The monthly quiz includes general knowledge and entertainment rounds, as well as a round chosen by the previous month’s winning team.
Visit Kendal’s wider arts and culture listings also point visitors towards the town’s broader programme, including Kendal Torchlight Carnival, Kendal Mountain Festival, Westmorland County Show, Country Fest and the Kendal Walking Festival.
The calendar entries provide dates, times, venues and selected admission information, but event details can change. Anyone planning to attend should check the relevant organiser or venue listing for availability, late changes, opening arrangements or cancellations before travelling.
