'I'm here for the vibes' 'I'm so excited' - Music lovers rejoice as Victorious Festival 2026 begins
Thousands of fans flock to Southsea as popular festival begins
Music fans have headed to Portsmouth in their thousands eager to see acts from indie and dance legends.
The excitement was palpable as the gates opened to Victorious Festival on Friday, August 28. With the likes of Richard Ashcroft, Scissor Sisters and Rudimental gracing the line-up on the first day there was plenty for people to look forward to.
While adverse weather is on the horizon, Friday saw sunshine with cool blustery winds adding to the ideal festival conditions.
Eagerly awaiting another weekend of music and dancing was Mark Newland, 45 and Ruth Amis, 58 from the Isle of Wight and Southsea respectively. They had their first date at the very first Victorious Festival in 2012 and have been coming every year since.
Mark said: “Music wise I am looking forward to Richard Ashcroft, Cast, Sleeper, a lot of the old indie acts like Kasabian.
“We have just come of the Game Over retro gaming tent which was really good and there is some wrestling here which I want to check out this year. If the weather gets bad it is always good to check out the D-Day museum.”
Ruth added: “We always look forward to Victorious. As soon as I start to see it start go up I get excited. I can’t wait for Scissor Sisters and Jessie J.”
Another person who has Jessie J earmarked as the standout act was Lily, 10, from Gosport. She said: “I am really excited, me and my best friend are going to watch her together.”
It is the fourth time that Russel Cole has been to the festival with Izzy and Arya. While Izzy was “here for the vibes”, Russel can’t wait for the Saturday headliners.
He said: “I am a massive Black Keys fan so I’m looking forward to that.”
Dave Goulden and April Williams travelled down for Weymouth for their first visit to Victorious. Having only bought a ticket to see Richard Ashcroft they are already planning to return for the full weekend next year.
Dave said: “We are really enjoying it. You have got the history and the music which is a great combination. We are here for Richard Ashcroft and everything else is a bonus. We saw him supporting Oasis last year so we are looking forward to a full set from him.”
Mia Jones and Tayla Mulas from the Isle of Wight were making the most of a day off enjoying the sunshine and music.
Mia said: “I definitely recommend coming, it is a great festival to come to.”