Let's raise a glass to all the city's great events

Victorious particularly, as we followed it from its relatively small beginnings into a large-scale event drawing crowds from across the country.

So it’s no surprise to report as we do today that Victorious is in the running at a prestigious national awards ceremony.

It could win three awards – Best Major Festival, Best Metropolitan Festival and Best Family Festival.

And to take any or all of those would be no more than the organisers deserve.

The event has helped cement Portsmouth’s reputation as a city that comes up with the goods when it comes to major events, be them musical or sporting, like the America’s Cup.

Victorious is competing against another city favourite – Mutiny – another great and growing success story.

And you can help them both win – it’s a public vote.

So please take the time to go online to festivalawards.com to vote.

It’s the team that bring us Victorious that also put on the Oktoberfest event that ran over this weekend.

Thousands of people poured into Guildhall Square to
experience the German-style event.

And between them they put away 35,000 pints – a true sign of success if ever there was one.

Oktoberfest has grown since the first one last year and the organisers say they want to keep it going for the next decade.

It’s been a tremendous addition to the city’s festival scene – something Portsmouth is fast making a reputation for itself as a master at hosting.

We’ll raise a glass to that!

.