Madness are crowned News readers' favourite Victorious headliner after 2017 Portsmouth performance

The honours go to Madness, whose bill-topping slot on Friday night in 2017 – the first of the now established curtain-raisers to the festival – came top in our poll over the weekend.

Madness, who took 37.2 per cent of the vote, triumphed over The Prodigy (35.7 per cent), who were named Sunday night’s favourite after their 2018 performance, and Stereophonics (27 per cent) who were in the final after their 2017 slot triumphed in the Saturday night category.

In some ways it was no surprise – anyone who remembers when Madness sold out Fratton Park in 2015 knows that there remains a great deal of affection for them in Portsmouth.

SEE ALSO: Can you spot yourself in our gallery of pictures from last year’s Victorious?

Various polls in our Victorious World Cup ran from Friday to Monday morning. First of all the Friday headliners throughout the years competed in ‘groups’, before the final was held between Madness and The Specials.

Then Saturday’s final was held between Dizzee Rascal, Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics and Rudimental, before The Prodigy beat Ocean Colour Scene, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and New Order to claim the best of the Sunday headliners.

Victorious was due to be held over the bank holiday weekend – it was cancelled due to the pandemic although the organisers have promised to return next year, come what may.

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