Victorious Festival: 28-30 August 2026

Victorious Festival 2026: Information for Portsmouth Residents

Victorious Festival returns to Southsea Common over the August bank holiday weekend.

This page brings together key information for Portsmouth residents, including access arrangements, travel information, road closures and parking changes.

Portsmouth City Council works closely with festival organisers, emergency services and partner organisations throughout the year to help ensure the event is delivered safely and successfully while minimising disruption wherever possible.

Why Portsmouth hosts Victorious Festival

Victorious Festival has become one of Portsmouth’s biggest annual events, attracting visitors from across the UK and helping showcase the city to a national audience.

As well as bringing thousands of visitors into Portsmouth over the August bank holiday weekend, the festival supports local jobs, accommodation providers, cafés, restaurants, shops and other businesses, helping boost the local economy.

But Victorious is about more than one weekend in August.

Through its Victorious in the Community programme, the festival supports local charities, community groups and projects throughout the year. Since 2014, it has contributed more than £926,000 to over 140 local good causes and has supported more than 150 local events and initiatives across Portsmouth.

The festival team also provides practical support to local organisations and events, donating both expertise and infrastructure to help deliver activities across the city. In recent years this has included support for events such as Southsea Food Festival and This New Ground at Aspex.

Victorious has also played an important role in Portsmouth’s Portsmouth 100 celebrations, marking 100 years of city status in 2026. This includes sponsoring a lion as part of the Pride of Portsmouth art trail, supporting community activities and contributing to a range of city-wide celebrations throughout the year.

Looking ahead, the festival is also supporting Portsmouth’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2029, helping champion the city’s cultural offer and creative communities on a national stage.

If you’d like to learn more about the festival’s impact, Visit Portsmouth has published a Victorious Festival in Numbers feature highlighting key statistics and achievements.

Enjoy Southsea during Victorious Festival

While part of Southsea Common and the seafront will be occupied by the festival site during the event, much of the wider seafront remains open and accessible, including beaches, cafés, restaurants, attractions, parks and open spaces over the festival weekend.

Attractions and businesses remaining open include:

Visitors can also continue to enjoy beaches and seafront areas to the east and west of the festival site, alongside many local cafés, restaurants and businesses across Southsea.

Victorious Festival and Portsmouth City Council work closely together to maintain access to Southsea Common and the wider seafront for as long as possible during the build period. The festival site remains accessible until the Thursday before the event, when areas must close to allow essential safety inspections, security checks and final event preparations to take place.

Following feedback from local businesses, Clarence Esplanade will reopen from 8am on Bank Holiday Monday.

Looking for ideas during the festival weekend? Visit Portsmouth has put together a guide to attractions, businesses and places to eat that remain open during the event: Plan your bank holiday trip to Portsmouth.

Southsea Castle and The D-Day Story

Please note that Southsea Castle and The D-Day Story are located within the festival site and are not open to the general public during the festival weekend.

Arrangements can be made for visiting veterans wishing to access The D-Day Story.

Veterans requiring access should email theddaystory@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or telephone 023 9288 2555 during opening hours to discuss arrangements.

Key dates

Festival site build

Preparations for Victorious Festival begin several weeks before the event.

Residents may notice:

Temporary fencing being installed
Event infrastructure arriving on site
Increased contractor activity around Southsea Common
Changes to access routes in some locations

Festival weekend

Victorious Festival takes place from Friday 28 August to Sunday 30 August 2026 on Southsea Common.

The festival site will close from Thursday 27 August to allow essential safety inspections, security checks and final event preparations to take place.

While part of Southsea Common and the seafront will form the festival site, much of the wider seafront remains open and accessible throughout the weekend.

Following feedback from local businesses, Clarence Esplanade will reopen from 8am on Bank Holiday Monday (31 August).

Site breakdown

Festival infrastructure will be removed following the event and Southsea Common will be returned to normal use as quickly as possible.

Travel, access and getting around

Portsmouth will be busier than usual during the August bank holiday weekend, particularly around Southsea and the seafront.

Temporary road closures, parking restrictions and traffic management measures will be in place before, during and shortly after the festival to help support the safe movement of residents, visitors, festivalgoers and vehicles during one of Portsmouth’s busiest weekends of the year.

Residents living closest to the festival site will have received information directly from Victorious Festival regarding:

Road closures and access arrangements
Vehicle and pedestrian access
Key contact information during the event period

Portsmouth City Council, Victorious Festival, emergency services and partner organisations work closely together throughout the year to help ensure residents can continue to access their homes and businesses while balancing the safety requirements of a major event.

Nightly road closures

To help people leave the festival safely at the end of each day, some roads immediately around Southsea Common will be temporarily closed to vehicles between 10.30pm and 11.59pm.

These closures mainly affect roads closest to the festival site and are unlikely to impact most visitors travelling elsewhere in the city.

Residents and visitors staying within the affected area will still be able to access their homes, although there may occasionally be a short wait while pedestrians leave the site. Emergency access will be available at all times.

Attending Victorious Festival?

This page is intended primarily for Portsmouth residents.

Festival attendees should visit the official Victorious Festival website for information on:

Travel and transport options
Accessibility
Shuttle bus services
Walking and cycling routes
Parking information
Getting to and from the event

Victorious Festival operates its own dedicated travel arrangements, including a shuttle bus service from Lakeside North Harbour. There is no general on-site parking at the festival.

Travelling around Portsmouth

If you’re travelling in the city during the festival weekend, please plan ahead and allow extra time for your journey.

To help keep Portsmouth moving, consider:

Park and Ride

The Seafront Park & Ride (PR3) service will operate on Saturday and Sunday from Park & Ride site at Junction 1 of the M275 and the city centre/seafront.

Please note this is not a dedicated Victorious Festival service, and the last bus departs Clarence Pier at 19:24 with the Park and Ride site being locked shortly afterwards. Festivalgoers should use Victorious Festival’s dedicated shuttle bus service from Lakeside North Harbour.

Licensed taxis and private hire vehicles

Licensed taxis and private hire vehicles can be a convenient way to travel around Portsmouth during the festival weekend, particularly if you’re travelling in a group.

Due to increased visitor numbers, demand is expected to be higher than usual, especially when the festival finishes each evening. Journey times may be longer than normal and some pick-up and drop-off locations may be affected by temporary road closures.

Behind the scenes

Preparing for Victorious Festival involves many months of planning and coordination.

Teams from across Portsmouth City Council work alongside festival organisers, emergency services and partner agencies to support the event, including:

Highways and Transport
Licensing
Environmental Health
Parking Services
Community Safety
Waste and Cleansing
Communications
Culture and Events teams

Together these teams help manage traffic, maintain access, support public safety, respond to resident concerns and keep the city moving during one of Portsmouth’s busiest weekends of the year.

There are answers to many frequently asked questions below.

Is the whole seafront closed?

No. While part of Southsea Common and the seafront forms the festival site, much of the wider seafront remains open and accessible throughout the event.

What remains open during Victorious Festival?

Many attractions and businesses remain open during the festival period, including The Pyramids Centre, Exploria, South Parade Pier, Clarence Pier, The Briny and Southsea Beach Café.

Why does the site close before the festival starts?

Victorious Festival and Portsmouth City Council work hard to keep Southsea Common and the surrounding area accessible for as long as possible during the build period.

The site remains accessible until the Thursday before the festival, when areas must close to allow essential safety inspections, final infrastructure checks and event preparations to take place.

Will Southsea Castle and The D-Day Story remain open?

No. Southsea Castle and The D-Day Story sit within the festival site and are not open to the general public during the festival weekend.

Veterans wishing to access The D-Day Story can email theddaystory@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or telephone 023 9288 2555 during opening hours to discuss arrangements.

How do I find out about road closures?

Residents directly affected by local road closures will receive information from Victorious Festival. Key information affecting the wider city is included on this page.

When will affected roads re-open?

Clarence Esplanade will reopen from 8am on Bank Holiday Monday. Avenue De Caen will re-open later in the week.

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