THOUSANDS headed to Cheshire over the weekend to enjoy the third annual Deva Fest at its new location at Cholmondeley Castle Gardens.

Headliners, including Will Young, Fleur East, Morcheeba and Five, took centre stage over the three-day event with the festival delivering on its promise to be 'bigger and better than ever before.'

Based in the heart of Cheshire, it welcomed festival more than 15,000 attendees from across the UK and Europe. With a music and comedy across five stages, including local artists, the festival also featured hand-picked street food vendors from around the region led by food partners Artezzan of Chester.

Drinks were supplied by iKO Ventures, the people behind Liquor & Co., Craft and Company and the new Chester market bar Lockwood & Co. as well as craft beers from the exclusive beer partner Vocation Brewery.

Alongside an impressive line-up, Deva Fest ensured the entertainment provided across the festival site would exceed expectations.

"As a family-friendly festival first and foremost, this was a consideration baked into all decisions made on the entertainment," said Phil Marston, founder of Deva Fest.

"It was important we took note of requests from previous years to deliver the ultimate festival for all."

Festival attendees had the opportunity to experience the Deva Laughs comedy club, headlined by Liverpool comedian Paul Smith, with queues to get in trailing through the festival site. There was also a brand-new dance stage for 2023 hosting some of the ‘90s favourite DJ acts including N-Trance and K-Klass. Festival goers also took advantage of the extra activities on site including water sports, free-to-ride fairground, Kids Kingdom entertainment zone with circus skills tent, dino-mania, a gin masterclass and access to the grand castle and gardens.

With more than 15,000 tickets sold, and Saturday guests exceeding expectations at 7,000 attendees, the festival came to a close on Sunday night with a crowd rocking set from final headliner, Feeder.

Phil said: "We couldn’t have asked for a better three days at this year’s Deva Fest! With more than fifteen thousand visitors walking through the festival gates, the artists, the crowd, and the atmosphere was just electric; it’s an experience we won’t forget.

"We expected going into this year that our guests may experience financial hardships amidst the cost-of-living crisis, so we wanted to ensure we did everything possible to make the event was affordable as possible. This included our free-to-ride fairground, where guests could have unlimited rides without the hefty price tag.

"We can’t wait to do it all again next year!"