Should Food and Drink Festivals Have Live Music?

It is a question that sparks a lot of debate: should a food and drink festival have live music, or should the focus stay purely on the food and drink?

And honestly, it is a fair debate.

For us, this became a big conversation while planning the Cheshire and North Wales Food and Drink Festival.

This is not just any new event. This is a festival with 25 years of history behind it. That matters. When something has been loved for that long, you cannot just come in and start changing things without thinking carefully about what made people love it in the first place. We knew we had a responsibility to respect what had come before, not disrupt it for the sake of it.

At the same time, with the original Chester Food and Drink Festival not taking place this year, we also knew one thing very clearly: if it was going to stay alive, it needed fresh energy.

It needed something new, It needed to give people more reason to come.And more importantly, more reason to stay.

Over the years, the festival has had bits of music here and there. A few local musicians, some choirs, and touches of entertainment. But it has never gone as far as having a dedicated music stage in the way we are introducing now.

And that is where the debate really came in.

Because on one hand, we completely understand the concern. As an independent business ourselves, and as organisers who have made it a real priority to champion local vendors, the last thing we want to do is take attention away from them. The traders are the heart of a food and drink festival. They are the personality, the discovery, the reason people come in the first place. Without them, there is no festival.

That matters even more to us because we have worked hard to make sure this festival supports local and independent businesses. We are not interested in creating something generic. We want people to come and discover brilliant producers, local food, great drink, independent traders and the businesses that make this region special.

So yes, we absolutely understand the other side of the argument.We do not want a music stage to overshadow the very people we are trying to champion.

But we also had to be honest about something.

When you look at previous festivals, one of the big challenges was dwell time. People would come in, do a lap, grab some food, maybe buy a couple of bits, and then leave. It was enjoyable, but often it was more of an afternoon wander than a full day experience.

And that is the bit we wanted to change.

Because if guests stay longer, they do more. They eat more. They drink more. They shop more. They discover more traders. They spend more time with the businesses that have invested in being there. A longer stay does not take away from the traders, if the event is designed properly, it should actually benefit them.

That is why we have introduced more of a full festival feel.

Not to turn it into something it is not.Not to forget the food.But to give people more reasons to make a day of it.

We have added a music stage because we want atmosphere. We want energy. We want that feeling that there is always something happening. You look at events like Foodies Festival, where bigger-name acts help create a stronger all-day experience, and it is clear that guests today often want more than just a browse around stalls. They want food, drink, entertainment, somewhere to sit, something for the kids, and a reason not to rush off after an hour.

That is also why we have added a kids’ zone.

Again, not to distract from the food and drink, but to help make the day work better for families. If the children are entertained, parents relax more. If parents relax more, they stay longer. If they stay longer, the whole festival becomes more enjoyable for everyone, including the traders.

For us, that is really the point.

This is not about adding music for the sake of it. It is not about trying to be something we are not. It is about recognising that people’s expectations have changed. If we want to keep this festival alive, if we want to protect its future, and if we want to encourage more guests through the gates, we have to evolve while still keeping the food and drink at the centre.

That balance is everything.

A food and drink festival should always be food first. We believe that. But food first does not have to mean food only. It can still have atmosphere. It can still have live music. It can still have family entertainment. It can still feel like a full day out.

In fact, for festivals to survive and grow, that wider experience is often exactly what is needed.

So, should food and drink festivals have live music?

For us, the answer is yes, so long as it enhances the experience rather than hijacks it.

And that is exactly what we are aiming for at the Cheshire and North Wales Food and Drink Festival: keeping the traders at the heart of it, keeping local and independent businesses in the spotlight, but creating a festival atmosphere that encourages people to stay, enjoy more, support more, and be part of keeping this brilliant event alive for another 25 years too.