Deva Fest postponed to 2022 - with hundreds of free tickets for NHS staff

Organisers are hoping it will be third time lucky as the three-day festival is now scheduled to return to Chester Lakes in Dodleston next summer, with all the headliners who were due to appear this year now secured to perform in 2022.

The festival will take place from August 12-14, 2022, after the difficult decision was made to postpone the event for a second year running due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

Pop princess Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Scouting for Girls, Dodgy, Heather Small, Symphonic Ibiza and Sonique have confirmed they will play the new 2022 dates.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

And hundreds of tickets for next year’s festival are also being given away, in a special ballot exclusively for NHS staff and key workers.

Organisers have pledged a fantastic 150 pairs of free tickets – 50 pairs for each day of the festival, with a total value of £10,500 – as a way of saying thank you for the hard work and dedication of key workers throughout the last 18 months.

Deva Fest managing partner Phil Marston said: “We were bitterly disappointed to have to make the decision to postpone Deva Fest for a second year, particularly after the buzz that had built up surrounding this summer’s event after 2020 fell victim to the pandemic.

“But our number one priority is people’s safety, and with the numbers of increasingly transmissible Delta variant cases on the rise here in Chester and Cheshire West, on top of last month’s announcement that the Covid roadmap had been delayed until July 19, we felt it was the sensible decision.

“We’re really excited that all our headline acts have committed to performing at next summer’s event – I can promise it’s going to be worth the wait.

“In the meantime, we want to say thank you once again for all the hard work and dedication of NHS staff and key workers here in Cheshire.

“Our special ballot for the 2021 festival was really well-received, and it was important for us to be able to show our appreciation by repeating it in 2022 with more than £10,000 in new free tickets for these amazing people who have worked tirelessly to keep us all safe.”

Deva Fest will return in 2022.

Tickets previously allocated through the 2020 special ballot are also valid for the same days next year.

Meanwhile, additional tickets for 2022 go on general sale on August 13 – the date this year’s Deva Fest should have opened.

Anyone who is eligible to enter the new free ballot for NHS staff and key workers – in the care sector, education, retail, transport, or emergency services - should apply by Thursday, 5 August by visiting www.devafest.co.uk and clicking on the ‘Thank You’ rainbow.

Officially launched in 2019, Cheshire’s Family Friendly Music, Food and Lifestyle Extravaganza, Deva Fest proved hugely popular.

Like many others, last summer’s event had to be postponed due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Then, organisers promised they would be back and added even more star names for their event. Now those star names have been secured to perform in summer 2022.

Deva Fest will return in 2022.

The weekend programme will start on Friday (August 12) with Old School Dance Anthems Day, headlined by Symphonic Ibiza and top hitmaker Sonique.

Returning to headline after their triumphant performance in 2019, Symphonic Ibiza will once again thrill the crowds with dance classics. DJ Andy Joyce will be joined by a full symphony orchestra conducted by Steve Etherington to ensure that Symphonic Ibiza transports fans back to the White Isle.

The line-up also includes Brit Award-winning singer, musician and DJ Sonique along with Dream Frequency, Bingo Bango, Dave Graham and Chester DJs Geddes & Gioia.

Saturday (August 13) is Pirate Day. The event, headlined by double platinum-selling – and lockdown Kitchen Disco queen - Sophie Ellis-Bextor and M-People’s Heather Small, will feature a host of pirate-themed activities and entertainment.

The day will feature parades and street performers, with prizes for festivalgoers in the best Jack (or Jackie) Sparrow outfit. Chester’s Winter Watch Parade team will provide the entertainment.

Chester singing duo Belle Voci also appear along with The Pirate Day Ball with TRIX and The Old Time Sailors.

Belle Voci.

Deva Fest 2022 will close on Sunday, August 14, with a headline set from festival favourites, Brit Award-winning Scouting For Girls, and rock band Dodgy.

The Deva Fest attractions will also include a free to use fairground on the festival field. The main stage will once again be in a giant big top ensuring fantastic live performances, whatever the weather.

Once again, Deva Fest will offer quality food and drink vendors, who will be hand-picked by Taste Cheshire to ensure locally produced tasty offerings and treats are available.

You can also make a holiday weekend of it with camping weekend tickets also available with toilet and shower facilities. Full details are on the website.

Tickets for next year's event are on sale from Friday, August 13.

For more information and to book, visit www.devafest.co.uk