Deva Fest

Frequently asked questions

What time is the Festival Open?

We will be open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Midday to 2300.

On Thursday we will be open from 1800 to 2300.

Can I bring my own food & drink with me?

You can bring your own food and soft drinks into the festival. It is a licensing requirement of the venue that you cannot bring your own alcohol onto the Festival Field. You cannot bring anything in a glass container onto the festival field for safety reasons.

You may consume your own food and drink including sensible levels of alcohol in the camping areas with no restriction.

Can Under 18s attend on their own?

It is a licensing requirement of the venue that under 18s cannot be admitted without a responsible adult.

Once you have received your wristbands we will allow under 18s to move freely in and out of the festival on the basis that we had checked there was an adult in the party when we first allowed admission.

For safeguarding reasons we would recommend that you always accompany minors when they leave and enter the festival.

How do I get my Tickets?

If you book weekend camping tickets before the middle of July we will post wristbands and your pitch reservations to you. Please keep us up to date if you move house by emailing us

Overnight camping, day, weekend without camping and camping tickets booked from the mid July cut off point onwards check in on site using e tickets.

If your tickets are due to be e-tickets you will receive these around seven days before the festival via email.

If you have lost your e-tickets please search for your booking from noreply@easol.com

You can also log in or create an account with Easol @ devafest.co.uk/bookings using the email address you booked with and your ticket can be retrieved there (so answer above about resetting your password if you have lost this)

Can I leave and re-enter the festival once I have a wristband on?

Yes

Can I bring my dog?

Yes, dogs are welcome but we expect them to be on leads at all times and that you clean up after them.

Your four legged friend can also stay with you if you are camping whether you are staying in a tent or campervan/caravan. Dogs are not allowed in the glamping tents of Camp Deva

Do Under 5s pay?

If your child is under 5 on the dates of the festival they are admitted free of charge. Please select a free ticket for them when you check out.

Can I smoke on site?

For everyone’s comfort and safety our festival is a no-smoking site. You may smoke within your own live-in vehicle or tent if you are staying on site.

You may not smoke in the Camp Deva Glamping bell tents.

You may vape on site, but not in enclosed areas.

I've bought tickets, but now we can't come. Can we get a refund?

The short answer is no.

Like any other festival, concert or event our tickets are not refundable.

We have to be able to plan with confidence for the event – we need to book everything from toilets to security and rides and we can only do that with a good idea of the numbers who will attend.

If you can’t come you can gift your tickets to a friend and they can attend by forwarding your booking email to them.

You can take out ticket protection when booking against you not being able to attend for reasons out of your control

If the ticket you want has sold out, or if you want to list your ticket for resale - please go to Tixel our official resale partner.

Do you offer carers tickets and how accessible is the site?

If you’re disabled – or have recently had an operation that will affect your mobility at the event this year – and require an assistant to enable you to attend the festival, we’re happy to provide you with an extra ticket for them, free of charge.

More information on how to apply and site accessibility is here - Carers tickets

Can I trade at Deva Fest?

We are full for food and drink traders for 2026.

We gave first refusal to those who have traded with us before and almost everyone opted to come back.

As the festival grows we did hand pick some new food traders to join us. With food traders we do not allow significant duplicates of cuisine and we select applicants based on food quality and reputation.

If you want to register interest for future years please email trade@devafest.co.uk

We run our own bars and will not be taking applications for drinks sales on site.

There may be limited openings for non food trading - email trade@devafest.co.uk with details of what you wish to sell.

Can I perform at the festival?

Every year we invite artists to perform at the festival and we select around 40 to perform. The window closed in January and so we are not accepting any further applications. We are full with a lengthy waiting list.

We will open 2026 applications after the 2025 show. Please do not contact us yet for 2026 - we will let you know when applications are open again.

I'm camping, when can I arrive?

If you have booked Thursday arrival you can arrive from midday on Thursday. If you have standard arrival that is from 9am on Friday.

Please do not arrive any sooner as you will block local roads.

We are camping with friends. How can we make sure our pitches are next to each other?

If you are staying in the Deer Park Campsite and everyone who you want to stay next to has also booked an electric hook up you can request a pitch next to them by < clicking here > and completing the short form.

Everyone in your party needs to request pitches next each other.

If you are in a non-electric pitch in the Deer Park, or are staying in the Polo Fields, Alan Field or Longhorn Meadow Campsite you can choose your spot on arrival, so please make sure you arrive together. We cannot guarantee that tents and live-in vehicles will be able to choose space next to each other.

The Deva Camp Glamping area is managed by Glamping Adventures and they will be able to assist with allocation of glamping tents.

We have booked an electric hook up. How does that work?

If you have booked an electric hook they are 240 volts and are of the type supplied by all camp sites, but they don’t work with normal household plug, so don’t forget to bring your adapter!

If you are staying in a vehicle and have booked power, we recommend bringing a cable with a good length.

Tent pitches, you will require an 16A male adapter.

If you are used to camping you will probably have these, but if not you can pick them up readily at places like Go Outdoors or from Amazon.

What facilities do the campsites have?

Cholmondeley Castle is not a year round camping site, so there is no fixed infrastructure and we bring everything in for the festival.

In the Deer Park, Alan Fields, Longhorn Meadow and Polo Fields campsites you will find toilets, free to use showers, waste water points and bins.

All campsites have toilets, bins, access to water and waste water points. Other facilities may be shared between campsites.

Camp Deva Glamping has toilets, free to use showers and bins.

What is the ground like?

Cholmondeley Castle is used as grazing ground for cattle when not being used for events, and so land may be undulating. We will roll the areas being used prior to the event, but ground may still be uneven, so please be careful when moving around the site.

How big is my camping area?

Each booking is given a space of 8 metres x 8 metres for Live in Vehicles and Tents for the Deer Park, Longhorn Meadow, Alan Fields and Polo Fields

Are BBQs or firepits allowed?

You will not be able to light fires, firepits or BBQs in the camping areas, whether on or off the ground. Stoves or cooking devices with enclosed flames maybe used as long as any heated elements are not in direct contact with the ground.

What is included in camping tickets?

If you have booked tickets for the people in your party and reserved a pitch for your live in vehicle or tent or made a glamping tent booking you are good to go.

Admission to the festival and access to all public stages is included along with parking. Admission to Club Deva, food, drink, and bookable activities are charegable.

If we are camping can we leave before the end of the event on Sunday?

Yes

Do you sell camping and glamping tickets by the night?

If you want to camp in your own live in vehicle or tent we will be releasing overnight camping pitches again when day tickets go on sale later in the year. Facilities will be as per the Polo Fields campsite.

Our pricing structure offers a discount over buying daily tickets for the festival, so typically it is around the same price or cheaper to buy weekend camping tickets than it is to buy day tickets with two overnight stays.

We do not offer overnight stay tickets for Glamping in Camp Deva. Camp Deva tickets are available with Thursday or Friday arrival til Monday morning. There is no discount for staying less than the full amount of nights in a Camp Deva package.

I am bringing a trailer tent - what should I book?

Book a live-in vehicle pitch if you want to bring a trailer tent. Please note you may not move your vehicle during the event.

Can my dog camp with me?

Yes dogs are welcome in the camping fields, please do not leave your dog alone in any vehicles.

Dogs cannot stay in Glamping Bell Tents or Pre-Pitched tents.

My camping pitch says I can arrive on Thursday, but my tickets are from Friday, Which is it?

All camping pitches default to Thursday arrival (6th August). This is because they are sold from one big pot. If we had one lot available from Thursday and one lot available from Friday it would be confusing on the box office and would be hard for us to track the overall number sold.

If you want to come to the festival on Thursday night you need Thursday night add on tickets (available on all camping box offices - head to the one you booked if you want to add this). This allows you to head in on Thursday night when we are open from 6pm.

If you don't add Thursday night to your booking you are still very welcome to arrive on Thursday from midday when we open, but weekend camping tickets without Thursday add-ons only let you attend on Friday to Sunday.

What time do Shuttle Buses Run?

We will once again be offering shuttle buses for our day guests to attend from Chester, Ellesmere Port, Wrexham, Tarporley, Tattenhall, Holt, Nantwich, Crewe, Crewe station,  Malpas and more this year.

Times can be found here

Note that we will not be operating a bus from Shrewsbury this year.

Can I park at the festival?

If you are camping please see the camping pages for details of where you can park on your campsite. Parking is included in camping pitch prices.

If you are visiting for the day car parking is charged at £20 per vehicle.

Accessible Blue badge parking is available at the festival entrance – just follow the signs.

Can I get a taxi?

You will have no problem getting a taxi to the event.

Cholmondeley Castle is in a rural area and you may not be able order taxi services home from the festival on the night of the event.

If you are planning to get home by taxi please book your journey home before the event.

Ask your taxi driver to meet you at the pick up and drop off zone which is clearly signed. Entertainment finishes at 2300 each night, so we would recommend 2330 as a pick up time to allow time any overruns and to walk back to the pick up area.

How do I find Deva Fest on my sat nav?

If you sat nav talks to Google Maps we are in there as a destination - just enter Deva Fest.

Otherwise enter Cholmondeley Castle Gardens or SY14 8AH. All guests enter via the main Castle entrance on Bickerton Road and there are large yellow road signs from several miles out to guide you in. You won't miss it.

Can I buy tickets on the day at the gate?

No. This would hold up the thousands of people entering the event. If there are any tickets left for sale by the day of the event you will still be able to buy them online.

How can I find my tickets?

Your tickets were sent from noreply@easol.com

You can log into Easol and find your booking by creating a free account with them @ https://www.devafest.co.uk/bookings/

Create an account using the email you booked with and you will be able to retrieve your booking there

How do the Family Tickets work?

There are two types of Family ticket:

Family 2 tickets allow two adults and two children/teens to attend the event at a discount to buying individually.

Family 1 tickets allow two adults and one children/teen to attend the event at a discount to buying individually.

If you have more than four in your party use the Family 2 ticket as a base and add on the extra people you need.

Family 2 and Family 1 tickets are available for all ticket types.

I'm a Local Resident and have a question

We take our obligations to local residents very seriously and comply with the venue’s licence in relation to festival goers getting to and leaving the site, noise pollution and the times at which the event opens and closes. Contact hello@devafest.co.uk if you have any questions for the organisers.

We have will make a number of complimentary and discounted tickets available to residents of the Estate and those in the very immediate area. Please contact eo@chol-estates.co.uk to confirm your eligibility.

How Accessible is the site?

The site at Deva Fest is fairly flat and compact and we do not anticipate access issues for those with mobility problems or small children. Blue Badge parking is available at the festival field entrance or if you are camping all pitches allow you to park by your tent or caravan.

We do not have wheelchairs for hire on site, nor will there be scooter charging facilities.

An accessible viewing platform is available for the main stage.

If you have any concerns or specific enquires please get in touch by mailing hello@devafest.co.uk

What is the Drugs policy?

Please do not embarrass yourself by trying to bring drugs into a family friendly festival. Anyone caught using illegal substances will be asked to leave immediately and we have no choice under the terms of our license but to call Cheshire Police. Please don’t do it.

Can I bring festival chairs in?

You may bring in festival chairs, festival carts, rugs, wind breakers and gazebos in to Deva Fest. For everyone’s comfort you may not use these items near to the stage.

Who runs Deva Fest?

Deva Fest is owned and operated by four Chester companies with specialism in events and hospitality. We have no affiliation with any other music festivals.