A CHESHIRE festival that is bringing top names to Cholmondeley Castle is launching its ‘Save our Summer’ campaign amid growing concerns for live events.

Deva Fest, across the weekend of August 8-11, says it is stepping up support festival-goers across the UK with the launch of its ‘Save Our Summer’ campaign in response to a wave of festival cancellations sweeping the nation.

According to the latest figures from the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), 50 festivals have already been cancelled in 2024, with predictions indicating that 100 events will be cancelled or not return by the end of the year.

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This trend is leaving thousands of guests out of pocket and facing last-minute changes to their summer plans because of rising costs and huge uncertainty facing the industry. 

Phil Marston, owner of Deva Fest, is determined to keep the festival spirit alive and says that a strong base of support and ghood working relationships is what will keep it going strong.

"Festivals are a cornerstone of UK culture, shaping the summer for countless people," he said.

"We are at risk of losing the vibrant diversity of our festival landscape, leaving only large, internationally-backed events able to survive.

“Through the ‘Save Our Summer’ campaign, we hope to keep the festival experience accessible and support the many independent festivals that contribute so much to our communities.

“We hope guests will continue to get behind independent events and show their support where they can."

In an effort to support festival-goers and the broader events community, the ‘Save Our Summer’ campaign will offer a 20 per cent discount on Deva Fest tickets to anyone holding proof of purchase from a cancelled festival.

This initiative aims to encourage attendance at large events and support independently run festivals.

Deva Fest, which organisers say contributes around £2 million to Cheshire’s economy through tourism, travel, and spending with independent vendors, is a highlight in the region's calendar and is determined to give guests a weekend to remember.

Phil added: “The wave of cancellations is not limited to small events.

“Well-known festivals such as El Dorado, Neighbourhood Weekender, and Standon Calling have also announced cancellations for 2024.

“The AIF is currently backing the ‘5% For Festivals’ campaign, which calls on the UK government to reduce the VAT rate on event tickets from 20 per cent to five per cent.

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This measure, temporarily paused during the election, aims to provide financial relief to event organisers, enabling them to rebuild and continue hosting events.

For more information on Deva Fest and the ‘Save Our Summer’ campaign, please visit https://devafest.co.uk/save-our-summer/

The festival will see The Human League, Ocean Colour Scene, Sleeper and Rebecca Ferguson, among others, all perform in the grounds of the castle.