When: 26th – 28th August
Where: Southsea Common, Portsmouth
From its infancy in Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard, Victorious Festival, now over a decade old, has matured quickly. Now the south coast’s premier music event, the 65,000-capacity family-friendly extravaganza has produced wave after wave of indie and pop admiralty. Legendary artists have also graced its stages; Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, Nile Rodgers & Chic, and Madness. For this year’s edition, Victorious returns to its core music principles, commandeering a fantastic selection of contemporary pop music with a continual emphasis on alternative names of years gone by.
The festival operates on a reduced site on Friday. Headlining the one (and only) stage are Stereophonics – still riding the wave of two huge concerts at their national stadium in Cardiff. Arguably one of Wales’ greatest musical exports, the ‘Phonics are supported by Bombay Bicycle Club, Primal Scream, James, Self Esteem, Anna Calvi, and Soak.
Saturday sees the entire site open up, allowing multiple stages to take up their position on the outskirts of the Common. Paolo Nutini headlines the Common Stage, whilst Bastille will play adjacent to a naval fortress – a rather apt marriage of stage and band. Earlier in the day, attendees are graced with The Wombats, Declan McKenna, and a special afternoon set from Sugababes. Skeptics of the latter should be encouraged to read up on their Glastonbury set; enormous crowds for the returning three-piece’s performance saw numbers restricted in the Fields of Avalon and clips of the show went viral on social media.
Sam Fender, the prophetic musical king of the North, will swap Newcastle-upon-Tyne for Southsea on Sunday night as he headlines the Common Stage. Arguably the most anticipated name on the bill, Fender’s appearance is an impressive coup from Victorious. His second studio album, Seventeen Going Under, peaked at number one on the UK Album Charts and critical reception has echoed its evident commercial popularity. The Mercury Prize nominated and Brit Award winning Geordie is flanked by a diverse range of afternoon and evening performances from the likes of Suede, Becky Hill, Metronomy, Editors, Example, and the UK’s unlikely Eurovision triumph, Sam Ryder.
Elsewhere, revellers can enjoy comedy from Joel Dommett, Milton Jones, Katherine Ryan, and Russell Kane, or just soak up the famous Solent sunsets across the breadth of the festival site.
Aside from the aforementioned names, the effervescent indie pop of 19-year-old Alfie Templeman is always worth catching, whilst the jubilant return of The Libertines on Sunday afternoon will no doubt be celebrated by festival-goers.
Victorious offers an experiential space that one can fully envelop themselves in. Mere metres from the sea, it is the last bastion of live music before you reach continental Europe, and one that is wholly worth the voyage.
Victorious Festival – Portsmouth – 26/27/28 August 2022
