Victorious and Mutiny festivals are shortlisted for top music industry awards

Victorious, which returns to Southsea a week today, is in the running for Best Festival (capacity more than 40,000) at the Live UK Music Business Awards, while the dance music-oriented Mutiny is up for Best Festival (capacity under 15,000).

Victorious’ co-organiser James Ralls said: ‘It’s fantastic news – it validates all of the planning we put in – all of our teams are doing their bits.

‘It’s a good reflection on Portsmouth City Council, too, because they’ve enabled people to put these things on.

‘We’ve had more people come each year we’ve done it, which makes you feel like you’ve done something right. Last year we had about 50,000 people each day, this year we’re on course for 60,000.’

Southsea Common is currently being prepared for Victorious, where the likes of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Manic Street Preachers, Mark Ronson, and dozens more acts, including 
many from the local scene, will be performing.

And thanks to the recent run of good weather, they’re ahead of schedule.

‘It’s all coming together very well, even with the bad weather this weekend,’ added James.

Other festivals up for the prize include Bestival, The Isle of Wight Festival, Boomtown, V Festival and Download.

Mutiny took place on the King George V playing fields in Cosham in May and is competing in its category with Festival No6, Slam Dunk, Cornbury and Love Supreme among others.

Its organiser Luke Betts said: ‘It’s pretty cool to be nominated, there’s such a variety of festival in there.

‘When we started we didn’t have anything to do with the Victorious boys, but now everyone talks and we can plan together, and that really helps.

‘It really feels like the city is the place to be, but people shouldn’t take it for granted. It’s not that long ago that there was nothing like this around here.

‘Now there’s Victorious as the traditional festival, we’re more dance, there’s the Summer Show, which is the family one, and now we’ve got Oktoberfest coming too.

‘We’re local businesses, we’re not Live Nation or something, we rely on the people’s support.’

Voting is done by those in the music industry and the winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in London on October 12.

Wickham Festival won the small festival category last year, so like all of last year’s winners it is excluded from participation this year.