I’ve been going to Victorious Festival in Portsmouth, UK, since its earliest years as a small seaside festival (2013–2016). It has since gained national reputation and status as one of the most unique festivals with family-friendly line-ups for all ages. But what has changed since the early days of the south coastal bonanza? I returned to Victorious Festival in 2022 to explore what has changed since the pandemic years and Victorious’ 2017 sale to a major entertainment company.
Disclosure: Festival Insider attended Victorious 2022 with press accreditation. See our verification policy for how we handle press access.
At a glance
Uniquely beautiful seaside views. There’s little doubt that, as a seaside festival on the UK’s only island city of Portsmouth, Victorious Festival boasts one of the most unique festival locations in the UK. It also sports some of the best views, looking onto the Solent towards the Isle of Wight. Nowhere is better for chilling and gazing out than Southsea Castle and the Bandstand arena.
Identity crisis. Seaside views aside, the festival in 2022 appears to be a bit of a confused event. It has shed much of the branding it began with, which took pride in its seaside origins (think waves, ships, the cityscape) and has replaced it with hippy-in-a-field slogans and aesthetics, which sadly jars somewhat with its coastal vibe and adds to a more homogeneous feel.
Retro gaming. A fantastic side-attraction brought to the festival by local retro gaming café Game Over. A great way to kill some time between acts (or your friends, in old-skool Mortal Kombat).
Comedy tent. Often full, but with open-sided tents and plenty of shade, the comedy tents are a fantastic distraction from the music and pull in top UK acts like Russell Kane and Katherine Ryan.
Kids arena. Generally quiet but lots to offer parents and children, with supermarket sponsors, changing areas and — importantly — lots of space!
Loud for kids. Despite the range of activities on offer, it’s still pretty loud for children, with each attraction competing against its neighbours — notwithstanding the actual performance stages.
No phone home. A classic, but still a frustration. The coastal nature of this event makes it even harder to get a signal as tens of thousands of revellers compete for city coverage.
Knees up. The festival, like most, takes a darker turn come night time, making it less suitable for very young children. By daytime, look no further than the Beats and Swing arena for the more inebriated (and often younger) partygoers.
Plenty of water. The festival site is abundant with water points, which is really useful during a seaside scorcher. As far as it appeared, the water supplies performed well under the pressure of thousands of festival-goers with very little queuing.
The long way round. Depending on the direction of your travel, you might have to walk around nearly the entire festival site (10–15 minutes) to get in, as the entrances are few. Not a problem if you’re able-bodied, but this might be tougher with kids or less mobile guests.
Go green. Portsmouth is served by an excellent public transport network including buses and trains, which provide a convenient and eco-friendly way to reach the festival site from across the country. It’s an enjoyable and manageable walk from Portsmouth’s train stations to the festival site — approximately 30 minutes — and those who wish to cycle (like I did) will be happy to see a secure bike storage facility in place outside the festival perimeter.
Parking. Commuting by car, on the other hand, can be a bit tricky. Be prepared for standstill traffic around the immediate site and a wait to be allocated a space, even in the afternoon. You might be better off parking further out and walking in — but follow local payment signage.
How much do food and drink cost at Victorious?
Some sample prices of food and drink items I found at Victorious Festival 2022:
| Item | Price (2022) |
|---|---|
| Duck wrap | £9 |
| Chips | £4 |
| Drink can | £2–3 |
| Fish and chips | £10 |
| Spirits | £7.50–10 |
| T-shirt | £25 |
| Prosecco and hot dog | £8.50 |
Is Victorious Festival VIP worth it?
VIP festival add-ons seem to be here to stay. Nearly every aspect of the festival experience is available to be upgraded at your own cost. But it’s always difficult to know which expenses are worth it. Does it really enhance the festival experience?
I was fortunate enough to access Victorious Festival’s VIP area as part of this 2022 review, so had plenty of time to see what benefits it had to offer.
To answer the question simply: is Victorious Festival VIP worth it? The answer is yes, if you can afford it. The VIP upgrade is especially worth it if you’re somebody who would benefit from easy access to festival amenities without any fuss, and a great view during the daytime sets.
The best bit about the VIP area is that you have access to your own bars, your own toilets, and somewhere spacious when you need to get away from it all.
The queues for food and the other facilities are vastly reduced as well — I counted more than 20 people deep at 2pm in many food lines on the Saturday. Small things like this could make the difference between having an enjoyable time and missing your favourite act while queuing to fulfil your basic needs.
