The ever-popular World Music Village, curated by the charity Arms Around the Child, returns to Victorious Festival for 2025 with a vibrant celebration of music, dance, and culture from across the world. Across three days, the World Music Stage and The People's Lounge will host a diverse mix of local acts, international stars, and genre-bending artists, creating a truly global soundtrack for the weekend.
This year's World Music Stage line-up will include The Dhol Foundation (DJ Set), Transglobal Underground Soundsystem, Zawose Queens, Tash Hills, Tuto Tribe, Amba Tremain Band, Gumbafire Amapiano Takeover, The Fontanas, Arfoud Brothers and Sisters, She's Got Brass, KISSMET, and The Wellermen — offering everything from Afrobeat and funk to world fusion, samba rock, bhangra, Amapiano, desert blues, and soulful jazz. The area will also feature interactive workshops, drumming sessions, Tai Chi, and dance classes, giving festivalgoers the chance to join in as well as watch.
Just around the corner, the People's Lounge will showcase grassroots talent from Portsmouth and beyond. Visitors can expect spoken word, live music, DJ sets, with highlights including soulful vocalist Poppy Joy, the ever-creative 432 Nomads, Pompey Poetry Party, and performances from Zack Nailor Takeover, Amba Tremain's Disco-Funk Party, Mulvey's Medicine, Ben Brown, Jess Lewis Band, Akari, Southsea Groove Collective, and Jayefel Trio.
Food lovers will find plenty to explore in the People's Kitchen, where volunteers will serve Jamaican jerk chicken, vegan curries, Brazilian crepes and sweet treats — with all proceeds going towards Arms Around the Child's work with vulnerable children in the UK and abroad.
Organisers say: "This promises three unforgettable days of music and movement, where cultures meet, styles blend, and Portsmouth comes alive with the sound of the world."
Victorious Festival 2025 takes place August 22–24 on Southsea Common. Tickets: www.victoriousfestival.co.uk.
2. Contributed
Crowds enjoyng a diverse mix of local acts and international stars. Photo: Submitted
