The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess is set to have his Kendal Calling 2026 performance recorded live and pressed directly onto vinyl, in a rapid turnaround release at the festival.
This year’s Kendal Calling will mark 20 years since the festival first launched in 2006, and will return to Lowther Deer Park in the Lake District from Thursday July 30 to Sunday August 2.
Burgess is scheduled to perform at the festival’s Tim Peaks Diner stage on Friday July 31, continuing his annual tradition of hosting the space.
The set will now be recorded live, then mixed, mastered, and pressed into vinyl copies ready for sale by Sunday morning. Burgess will also hold a signing session at the same venue.
Only 400 copies will be made available at the festival, with a limited additional release planned online on Wednesday August 5.
Previous “Straight To Vinyl” recordings on the Tim Peaks stage have included sets from The Lathums, A Certain Ratio and Inspiral Carpets, though this will be Burgess’ first time taking part in the format.
Burgess said of the project: “This is the fourth year we have worked with Press On Vinyl and Swift Mastering with a Straight To Vinyl recording and we are looking to set a personal best – exactly two days from finishing the set to having vinyl available on site, without anyone getting a speeding ticket”
Kendal Calling’s Tim Peaks Diner. CREDIT: PRESS
Alex Balzama of Swift Mastering explained the intensity of the process: “Every stage of vinyl production normally has breathing room built into it. Here, everything happens at full speed. If one link in the chain fails, the whole project stops. That’s what makes it exciting.”
Press On Vinyl. CREDIT: PRESS
Kerry Todd from Press On Vinyl added that the recordings will be “rushed back to Teeside” after the performance, where engineers will work through the night to master audio, cut lacquers, and begin pressing.
“Those lacquers are then passed to Emily Skipper in the galvanics department, who creates the metal stampers through electroplating before they are fitted to the presses and production begins,” Todd explained. “The entire process relies on every stage running perfectly. A problem during mastering, lacquer cutting, plating or pressing could force the project back to the start, making it a genuine race against time.
“By the early hours of Sunday morning, the finished records are taken back to Tim Peaks. It’s amazing to be a part of such an invigorating project,” he added.
Kendal Calling’s 2026 line-up also includes acts such as Biffy Clyro, Wolf Alice and Two Door Cinema Club.
The festival’s opening night will be closed by The Kooks, with additional performances from The Cribs, The Libertines, The Vaccines, Jamie Webster, Doves and The Snuts, alongside pop acts including Scissor Sisters and Groove Armada.
In other news, Burgess recently spoke about the legacy of late Stone Roses bassist Gary “Mani” Mounfield, highlighting his influence on generations of musicians and fans. He also discussed the band’s recent album ‘We Are Love’, produced with Dev Hynes (Blood Orange), which marked their first full length release since 2017.
You can visit here for any remaining tickets.
