The current festival patrons are Sir Chris Bonington and Leo Houlding.
Filmmakers, TV producers, adventurers, top brands, athletes and speakers gather to take part in four days of films, talks, books and exhibitions covering all aspects of mountain and adventure sports culture.
The genres include culture, environment, action sports, exploration and short-form documentaries, as well as a comprehensive speaker programme of over 100 guests each year.
[citation needed] Extra expenditure into the local economy generated by the Kendal Mountain Festival has been independently calculated to be in excess of £4m.
[citation needed] The festival has even been cited by The Sunday Times as one of the reasons young people are attracted to Kendal as a place to live.