Deva Fest 2026: “Life’s short, let’s just enjoy it”

30 July 2026

Life’s short, let’s just enjoy it: Steven Hesketh on DevaFest 2026 — and why it’s sold out

Steven Hesketh hospitality hero MIX56 Devafest 2026 — The Hospitality Hero Steven Hesketh chats to Phil in the Morning on MIX56

Phil

PHIL ROBERTS
THE MORNING SHOW

Some guests walk into Studio One and you just know you’re in for a good natter.

Steven Hesketh is one of them. He’s a bit of a legend in the hospitality world — food, hotels, events, the lot — though of course he plays it all down and puts it down to “the age thing.” (Everyone who comes on this show blames their age. I’m starting to take it personally.)

These days he’s co-owner and director of Deva Fest, one of the biggest festivals in this part of the world, sitting alongside founder Phil Marston. And the timing of this chat couldn’t be better, because Mix 56 is broadcasting live from the festival this year — so you can be there with us on the radio too.

“It’s not a job, it’s a lifestyle”

Steven’s been doing this for over thirty years, and the thing that struck me is how much he still loves it. “When you’re in hospitality, it’s a lifestyle, not a job,” he told me.

He’s got a supportive family all in the business, and for him it comes down to something simple: there’s no greater pleasure than doing something nice for someone. And when you can do that on the scale of a festival — well, that’s the dream, isn’t it?

He was refreshingly honest about the state of the industry, too. Times are tough, people are being more careful with their money, and sometimes you give everything and there’s not a lot left in the bank at the end. But his word for it was resilient.

There’s still opportunity out there, he reckons — you’ve just got to be on your game.

Six years in, and finally sold out

Deva Fest is in its sixth year now, and 2026 is the first time it’s fully sold out. Steven called it the cream on the cake, and you could hear what it means to him.

He talked me through the journey, and it’s a lovely one. The early years leaned on brilliant artists towards the back end of their touring days — Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Five, Heather Small. Fast forward to now and the 2026 line-up reads like a proper festival bill: James Morrison on the Friday, Ronan Keating on the Saturday, and Jessie J closing the whole thing on the Sunday.

Oh, and the Vengaboys — who Steven cheekily reckons might just be the hidden gem of the weekend. (He’s not wrong. Where would any of us be without the Vengaboys?)

When Phil told him they’d landed Jessie J, Steven said it was “like Christmas.” He’s a huge fan, and he admitted that standing near the stage, looking out at ten thousand people having the time of their lives, gives him a genuine lump-in-the-throat moment. “Wow, I’m a part of this.”

A festival built for the whole family

Here’s what Steven and the team do so well: there’s genuinely something for everyone.

He’s been out doing his market research at other festivals lately, and reckons the difference is that at Deva Fest the kids never get bored.

This year there’s a Nintendo area with around 25 consoles to muck about on, the Super Pirates keeping little ones entertained for hours, dog shows, a classic car area, charities running drumming workshops, the famous free-to-ride fairground, and Cholmondeley Castle itself — with its gardens and lake activities like canoeing — as a backdrop.

The festival runs from midday until 11pm, so that’s eleven hours of entertainment to fill each day. And it’s not just the music that’s had the love: Steven’s thought hard about the food and drink too, with the teams from Rooftop Social and Chester Market running the bars and a whole host of local traders on site.

The real secret, though, is community. Deva Fest has grown with its audience — people came, told their friends, told their friends, told their friends — and now the loyal returners do the selling. “We almost don’t need to sell ourselves,” Steven said. “Our people sell for us.”

The details

Deva Fest 2026 runs 6–9 August at Cholmondeley Castle, Malpas, Cheshire.

This year the site has grown — a whole new camping area, an expanded festival field, a bit of a “wonderland” and a “back-in-the-day” tent. It’s largely sold out, but there are some resale and day tickets floating about, so it’s worth a look at devafest.co.uk if you’ve not got yours yet.

We’ll be broadcasting live from the site across the weekend, so whether you’re there in the field or listening in, you’ll be part of it.

As Steven put it best: life’s short — let’s just enjoy it.

See you down there!