A DATE has already been set for a popular festival to return in 2020.

This year's Keswick Mountain Festival hasn't long finished, but organisers have revealed it will return to Crow Park, on the shore of Derwentwater, from May 15 to 17 next year.

An estimated 20,000 people attended the 2019 event, including 3,000 participants in the sports events.

Highlights included the Fjallraven Hiking Challenge, which attracted almost 1,000 walkers, and the new Keswick Town Trials on the first night.

This inaugural event took the festival into the heart of the town for the first time and generated a lively atmosphere to kick-start the weekend.

The festival’s dedicated campsite was almost at capacity for the whole event, with around 1,000 visitors staying there.

Keswick Mountain Festival director Nicola Meadley said: “From an organisational perspective, the weekend went very smoothly and the weather gods were definitely with us.

"The only significant issue we had was having to cancel the open water swimming events due to the presence of blue green algae in the lake.

"While that was out of our control, we were really disappointed for our swimmers, who have always been such a key part of the festival.

“We have been receiving some amazing feedback since the weekend. The Keswick Town Trials have proved to be a great addition to the programme and the hiking challenge has grown rapidly since its debut last year.

"As always, the speakers, outdoor activities and sports events brought in big numbers and our typically eclectic live music line-up was a big hit.

"The improved Festival Village layout worked well and once again, we’re hugely grateful to the National Trust for allowing us to hold this event in such a stunning location.

"We’re already very excited about returning in May next year.”