Sticklefest brings three days of beer, food, music and community activity to Stickle Barn in Great Langdale from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September 2026.
The setting beneath the Langdale Pikes is a major part of the appeal and the biggest practical constraint. This is a narrow valley with limited parking and mobile coverage, not a town-centre venue with unlimited overflow. Sort transport and accommodation before concentrating on the line-up.
Sticklefest 2026 at a glance
- Dates: Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September
- Public hours: 12pm to 11pm each day
- Venue: Lanty Slee's Langdale at Stickle Barn
- General weekend price: advertised from about £150 plus booking fee when checked
- LA22 residents: restricted £20 weekend ticket after proof-of-address verification
- Camping: not included
- Campervans: separate pitches may be purchased
- Dogs: the organiser says the festival is not suitable for dogs or other animals
The organiser permits Thursday arrival from noon only for people holding the relevant Thursday campervan-entry ticket. Sticklefest itself does not start until Friday.
Skiddle currently carries a broader 3pm-11.30pm event header, but Sticklefest's own visitor page publishes the more specific noon-11pm hours for all three days. This guide follows the organiser's live page; check your final ticket email in case admission arrangements change.
Check live Sticklefest tickets.
What is Sticklefest?
Formerly called Octoberfest, the event combines regional and wider beer, food and live music. Ticketing information describes a mix of folk, acoustic, hip-hop, alternative and reggae, while festival partners include several Cumbrian breweries and local outdoor organisations.
The published programme is broader than a sequence of gigs: wellbeing, outdoor and community activity may also feature. Use the organiser's current schedule rather than assuming every element runs continuously.
Ticket prices and the LA22 offer
General weekend tickets were shown from approximately £150 plus the booking fee when checked. Live tiers can change. The £20 local pass is not a general bargain ticket: it is restricted to LA22 residents and requires proof of address.
Residents must contact the event by social message or email sticklefestlangdale@gmail.com, provide an accepted proof of LA22 address and receive a one-time password.
Read the cancellation terms before paying. The organiser states that tickets are non-refundable and that an event cancellation outside its control would be repaid with a free ticket to a future event rather than a cash refund.
Camping and campervans
A standard festival ticket does not include camping. Campervan space is sold separately. Never arrive expecting the event field or a car park to function as informal overnight accommodation.
The organiser points visitors towards National Trust Great Langdale Campsite and Baysbrown Farm as nearby campsites. Both need separate booking and have their own arrival, vehicle, dog and quiet-time rules. Valley sites are small enough to sell out, so confirm the pitch before buying transport that depends on it.
Getting to Sticklefest by bus
The Stagecoach 516 runs between Ambleside and Dungeon Ghyll, calling through Skelwith Bridge, Elterwater, New Dungeon Ghyll and Old Dungeon Ghyll. Stickle Barn is on this Great Langdale corridor.
Do not read “daily service” as “service after the final band”. The festival runs until 11pm and the last bus varies by date and timetable. Check the exact Friday, Saturday and Sunday return before travelling. If the final service is earlier, leave in time or arrange accommodation and a booked taxi.
Parking in Great Langdale
Stickle Ghyll car park
Stickle Ghyll is the obvious nearby National Trust car park. It uses JustPark location 80604 and can fill early. National Trust members should follow the on-site check-in instruction; Blue Badge status does not mean a space is guaranteed.
New Dungeon Ghyll
The National Park's New Dungeon Ghyll car park is another small valley option, with 34 spaces in the existing CG record. Poor signal means phone payment should not be treated as dependable. Check the machine and carry a backup payment method.
Neither car park is festival-reserved unless the organiser explicitly says so. Do not park on the B5343, verges, passing places, gateways or access needed by residents and emergency vehicles.
Driving and designated drivers
The B5343 through Great Langdale is narrow, winding and busy. Build in time for opposing traffic and walkers. If drinking, nominate a sober driver before arrival. Rural location and weak signal make a spontaneous late taxi less reliable than a confirmed booking.
Where to stay
The best logistics come from staying in Great Langdale, Elterwater or Chapel Stile, close enough to use a booked local transfer or walk only where a safe lit route genuinely exists. Ambleside provides more accommodation and the 516 connection. Grasmere and Windermere widen the choice but require a firmer late-return plan.
Check-in arrangements matter: some rural properties do not accept late unannounced arrivals, and the valley's mobile signal is inconsistent. Save access instructions before leaving Ambleside.
What to bring
- Waterproof jacket and warm evening layers
- Footwear suitable for wet, uneven ground
- Ticket confirmation saved offline
- A charged phone and portable battery
- Reusable water bottle where permitted
- Proof of age and, for the local ticket, proof of LA22 address
- A confirmed return, pitch or room
Accessibility
Stickle Barn is an established hospitality venue, but festival circulation may extend onto temporary or outdoor surfaces. Contact the organiser before buying if you need a step-free route, accessible toilet, firm seating, carer arrangement or a close drop-off point. Rural ground and busy public car parks can materially change the experience.
Why the venue name looks different online
Stickle Barn is the building; Lanty Slee's Langdale is its current hospitality operator. Sticklebarn and older National Trust naming refer to the same place. Cumbria Guru uses “Lanty Slee's Langdale at Stickle Barn” to keep the well-known location and current business together rather than duplicating them.
Read the official Sticklefest visitor information.
Event, ticket, camping and venue information checked 7 September 2026. Recheck live availability, weather and the 516 timetable before travelling.
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