Anticipation is building ahead of this year's Keswick Mountain Festival, but what can visitors expect from the 2024 edition after last year's hiatus?

Founded in 2007, Keswick Mountain Festival (KMF) and has grown into one of the UK’s best-loved outdoor festivals, attracting thousands of visitors to Cumbria for its unique mix of outdoor sports events and activities, high profile speakers, live entertainment, exhibitors, food and drink, and camping.

This year sees the festival's return after the organisers opted to take a break in 2023 to come up with new ideas on how the event will be delivered.

The festival will run from May 17 to May 19 at Crow Park by Derwentwater, and promises an immersive experience in the Lake District, with an emphasis on outdoor sports and activities, a line-up of inspirational speakers throughout the weekend, and a showcase of up and coming, local live music acts.

News and Star: Some of the incredible views you can see at Keswick Mountain FestivalSome of the incredible views you can see at Keswick Mountain Festival (Image: Supplied)The 2024 festival aims to be inspirational, inclusive, and sustainable, and to deliver truly positive impacts for those who attend or exhibit, the economy and residents of Keswick, and the wider Lakeland landscape within which it takes place.

Changes include a bigger schedule of sporting events and outdoor activities, including a revised mountain run, a new night run, and more hikes.

Among the latter, the popular Keswick three Peaks Challenge will be led out by Three Dads Walking as a fundraiser for the suicide prevention charity Papyrus.

Three Dads Walking will also feature in a packed programme of speakers at Keswick Mountain Festival, including Damian Hall, Chrissie Wellington and Mel Nicholls to name just a few.

News and Star: The festival features a lot of sporting eventsThe festival features a lot of sporting events (Image: Supplied)

Nicola Meadley, KMF director, said: "It was a big call to take a break this year, but it gave us the ideal opportunity to take a deep look at what we want this special event to be in the longer term.

"Keswick Mountain Festival is hugely important to many people, who also love this wonderful part of the world and the outdoors in general. It’s going to be a vibrant, multi-faceted and inclusive event for everyone, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back in May."