Dials Festival's return does Portsmouth proud as music lovers and artists rally in aid of mental health charity Solent Mind

All proceeds from Dials Festival will go to Solent Mind after the fixture cemented its outing for 2019 with an eclectic roster of 39 acts across five venues on Saturday.

Shows kicked off from 1pm in the Lord John Russell and the Wine Vaults, with impressive sets from local outfit Heebie Jeebies and Northampton indie rockers Sarpa Salpa.

Music then began at The Loft and the Edge of the Wedge at 1.30pm and 2.30pm respectively, as Brighton pop singer Megan Lara Mae and Emilia Tarrant both performed with aplomb.

The festival's fifth and final venue, the Wedgewood Rooms, got lively from 7pm thanks to rockers Saltwater Sun. Shows from Walt Disco and Another Sky followed, before The Blinders closed from 10.10pm.

It topped off a day that left revellers and artists alike happy, said Heebie Jeebies’ Havant-based singer and guitarist, Harley Trinder.

‘I love a lot of the bands that the organisers have put together here and I think the format is a really good idea,’ the 22-year-old said.

‘Playing at 1pm [in the Lord John Russell] I wasn't expecting so many people to be there, but they were and I was really pleased – we got a good reception.’

Festival director Abbie Eales hailed Dials’ ‘amazing volunteers’, venues, music promoters and artists who agreed to perform for free and helped make the day a success.

‘We started planning the week after the last one last October, so it’s been a whole year of monthly meetings, booking bands and keeping our ear to the ground to see who was going to be popular,’ she said.

On Dials’ continued backing of Solent Mind, she added: ‘Music is one of those things that can really help a person’s mental health whether they’re performing or listening, so it felt like a natural partnership for us.’

Solent Mind’s CEO, Kevin Gardner, added: ‘All of us at Solent Mind are really honoured to be the charity of Dials Festival for a second year.’