Icebreaker Festival: celebrating 10 years of Southsea's multi-venue event as Seething Akira headline in The Wedgewood Rooms

Each year the organisers receive hundreds of applications from acts keen to play

And on Saturday more than 80 performances are scheduled across nine stages along Elm Grove and Albert Road in Southsea. The day-long event continues to shine a light on new and up-and-coming acts, as well as some of the more established faces from across the region. From metal to hip-hop, singer-songwriters, indie-pop and much more, there really is something for everyone – and if you don’t like what’s on, go to the next venue and try there!

Scene veterans Seething Akira will be returning to headline The Wedgewood Rooms stage. The Southsea-sextet have played Icebreaker several times on stages from The Deco to The (formerly Fat) Fox and The Wedge. The band are now starting to make waves nationwide with their dual-vocalist, electronica-infused metal.

​Co-frontman Charlie Bowes says of Icebreaker: “I adore it. We love the organisers, it's such a grassroots thing, and there's something special about that for me.

"I love big festivals and playing on those big stages, but there's something special about this. I love small venues where everyone's jammed in.

"Everyone's effectively playing down one road where you've grown up watching shows. Icebreaker's got a special place in my heart – I just love it.”

The band had their best year so far in 2023 after releasing third album Nozomi in late 2022. A highlight of the year was playing to a packed Portsmouth Guildhall at the revived rock and metal festival Takedown.

“That was insane,” recalls Charlie, “just the general event, having it back and for it to be in Portsmouth – we were so, so excited - and to get to play on the big boys stage was nuts! It completely blew my mind – we didn't know what to expect numbers-wise but It was like a sea of people, and they were all getting involved.”

Everywhere they played, they received rave reviews for their frenetic live show.

"It's lovely to hear, but we've been going for years now. This is by no means an overnighter – not even close!

“It's just really nice to hear have that curve, that gradual success, which has only really started happening in the past three years or so.

“I remember an interview with Biffy Clyro” who are headlining this year’s Victorious Festival, “asking what is was like getting all of this success out of nowhere? And Simon (Neil, frontman) said, we've been playing toilets for 17 years! I think there's more value in it if you've been going longer and bashing your heads against the walls.”

They also played at the Bloodstock Festival to a crowd of 15,000 metalheads. The response and plaudits they received has opened several doors for the band.

"Playing that mainstage, that's been a bit of a catapult,” says Charlie, “that's by far the biggest stage we've been on, that was a new level of experience for us. It was amazing for exposure and we've had invites to other festivals and shows across 2024. It's going to be a mad year, specially with the new album coming.”

Ah yes, a new album – Charlie says it’s due around the middle of the year, so will we hear any new material at Icebreaker.

"Maybe", he teases.

Music starts from midday until late. Tickets £20 in advance. Go to icebreakerfestival.com.