AmbleFest 2026: Tickets, Times, Parking & Music

AmbleFest returns to the heart of Ambleside from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September 2026. Its fifth-anniversary weekend brings craft beer, street food, bands and DJs to The Flying Fleece, Tap Yard and The Apple Pie, all clustered around Bridge House.

A standard three-day entry ticket was £10 when checked, making this one of the Lake District's more accessible festival weekends. The trade-off is that it takes place inside and around busy town businesses: parking is limited, individual spaces can reach capacity and each licensed venue controls its own access and age rules.

AmbleFest 2026 at a glance

Dates: Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September 2026
Friday hours: 4pm to 11pm
Saturday hours: 12pm to 11pm
Sunday hours: 12pm to 10pm
Main venues: The Flying Fleece, Tap Yard and The Apple Pie
Standard entry: £10 for three days
Ticket and T-shirt bundle: £20 when checked
Sunday: Country Day, including line dancing and country music

Check current tickets with AmbleFest. The booking page controls live availability and checkout terms.

Where are the AmbleFest venues?

The festival's greatest practical advantage is its compact centre. The Flying Fleece sits by Church Bridge, Tap Yard is immediately west of Rydal Road and The Apple Pie is just south of Bridge House. The official map also shows food points, toilets, first aid and a caution beside a low wall.

Walk between venues. Do not try to move a car for individual performances: the distances are short, road space is busy and you may lose your parking space.

Friday music: 25 September

4.30-6pm: Rob Thompson, The Flying Fleece
5.30-7pm: Hayden Sorenson, The Apple Pie
6.30-8pm: Late Night Fiasco, The Flying Fleece
7-8.30pm: Hellen and the Mellons, Tap Yard
8-9.30pm: Naomi & The Nerds, The Apple Pie
9-10.30pm: Evie Plumb, The Flying Fleece
9.30-11pm: Hush, Tap Yard
9-11pm: DJ Stacey, labelled Jungle on the official programme

Saturday music: 26 September

Saturday begins at 1pm and layers performances across the three venues. The published bill includes Blast Furness, The Crowd, Squeeze Box, Laura & The Leg-Ends, Bald Man Soul, The Craic Inn, Steel Foxes, Steve Wren, Northern Alibi, Half Day Friday and DJ Idge. The final sets run to 11pm.

Sunday Country Day: 27 September

Sunday starts with line dancing at The Apple Pie from 1pm. Gravel & Gunn, King Fool, Amy Jo & Co, Fiona Music in the Lakes, Trigger Happy, The Quiet Fire and the Kerry Weir Band follow across the venues, with the last advertised set ending at 10pm.

The line-up graphic is dated 3 September and explicitly says timings can change. Use it to plan, then check the organiser again on the day.

Beer and food

The festival promotes local and national craft beer plus food across the venue cluster. The official map identifies a Flying Fleece festival bar, Tap Yard bar, pop-up Tiki bar and Apple Pie bar, alongside pub food, burgers, brioche buns and wraps, wood-fired pizza and ice cream.

Availability, allergens and service times differ. Ask the trader directly if an allergy or dietary requirement is important, and never assume every beer is available at every bar.

Best parking for AmbleFest

Rydal Road car park

Rydal Road, LA22 9AN, is the closest large council car park. The council lists 171 general spaces, ten accessible bays and no height restriction. It is chargeable from 8am to 8pm and uses PayByPhone location 9917.

The tariff checked on 7 September was £2.60 for one hour, £4.40 for two, £5.80 for three, £7.40 for four, £8.80 for six and £10.60 all day. Blue Badge holders receive one extra hour after buying parking and displaying the badge and clock. Recheck before paying.

Lake Road car park

Lake Road is farther south but can be useful when approaching from Windermere. Its special early-bird tariff was £1.40 all day for arrivals before 9am when checked; normal daytime tariffs otherwise matched Rydal Road. A festival ticket does not include parking.

Three-day parking pass

The council sells a £23.80 three-day pass from eligible car-park machines, including Rydal Road, Lake Road, King Street and Low Fold. It cannot be bought online in advance. This may suit a hotel guest who must move between participating council car parks, but compare it with accommodation parking first.

Arriving without a car

Windermere is the nearest railway station. Frequent 555/599 corridor buses usually connect Windermere and Ambleside, but timetables and late services vary by day. Check the final return before the first drink, particularly on Sunday.

If staying in central Ambleside, walking is the simplest option. For anyone driving, agree a sober driver in advance or leave the car parked until the next day. The festival is built around beer and late music; parking advice is not a substitute for a safe journey home.

Where to stay

Central Ambleside accommodation lets visitors walk back after the final set. Book early and confirm whether the property has a guaranteed parking space: some businesses describe public parking nearby rather than private on-site parking.

Windermere and Bowness provide more beds and a bus connection, while Grasmere can work only if the final public-transport or taxi plan is secured. Do not rely on finding a late taxi spontaneously during a festival weekend.

Accessibility and families

The organiser's map marks accessible toilets and first aid, but the festival uses several established buildings and outdoor areas. Entrances, seating, noise and crowding differ by venue. Contact AmbleFest or the individual business if step-free access, a seat, medication storage or a quieter position is essential.

AmbleFest does not publish one blanket under-18 or dog policy for every licensed space. Ask before bringing children or animals rather than treating the whole weekend as a conventional family festival.