Landmark year as Victorious Festival donates its highest ever annual charitable donation to the city
Victorious Festival has wrapped up its landmark year by donating the most it has ever given to local charities - as well as generating £27m for Portsmouth.
A record £173,484 was donated by the festival in 2025, bringing the festival’s total charitable contributions since 2014 to over £926,370.
The funding supports organisations championing mental health, accessibility, wellbeing, education, grassroots sport and more, including Tonic Music for Mental Health, Read Easy, Dive Ability, British Red Cross Gaza Appeal, Arms Around The Child, and The Roberts Centre.
It’s not just about monetary donations, as behind the scenes, Victorious has expanded its food waste initiative in partnership with the Portsmouth & Southsea Food Support Network and Friday Fridge.
It said that in 2025 alone, surplus festival food was transformed into nearly 500 nutritious meals, supporting around 200 local families. Building on two successful years, the team remains committed to continuing and growing the program annually.
Jim Campbell BEM, Friday Fridge Leader, said: “Victorious 2025 donated food that helped feed nearly 200 families - people who would otherwise have gone hungry. The whole network, and everyone we’ve been able to help, is immensely grateful.”
On top of this, the three-day festival continues to bring a boost to the city’s economy - especially to those in the hotel and hospitality sector - with it generating more than £27 million for the city in 2025. This contributes to a total economic impact of £159.59 million since 2014.
Victorious has also said that a standout focus of its community support has been its contribution to Portsmouth Creates, supporting cultural infrastructure, talent development and access to the arts across the city. The Portsmouth Creates team have now set their sights on a bid to have Portsmouth crowned City of Culture 2029 and Victorious has said couldn’t be more excited to support them on this journey.
Victorious also supported Portsmouth Pride, which last year was the proud host of UK Pride, reinforcing the Victorious Team’s long-standing commitment to inclusive cultural events and supporting Portsmouth’s growing reputation as a progressive and welcoming city.
Victorious remains committed to uplifting local artists and independent businesses. Its Road to Victorious competition, exclusive to PO postcode performers, continues to provide festival slots, mentoring and national exposure. With a new finalist showcase introduced in 2025 at the Wedgewood Rooms, and another planned for 2026 – Road to Victorious only gets better!
2025’s winner Mackenzie said: ‘‘This experience was every bit as incredible as I’d hoped, and I can’t thank the whole team enough. At every turn, they made sure I was comfortable and got to make the most of every second, something that I will forever be grateful for.”
.jpeg?trim=0,0,0,0&width=640&quality=65)
To date, Victorious Festival has created over 2,000 performance opportunities for local artists, helping emerging talent access world-class stages in their home city.
Ben Miles, Co-Founder and Head of Live Production, said: “Supporting local and unsigned talent has always been at the heart of Victorious. We’re proud to support the next generation of musicians and give something back to the scene that shaped us.”
Victorious also continues to support local businesses by providing subsidised trading opportunities for PO postcode caterers and local creative market traders, alongside awards that offer free festival pitches to standout local businesses. Past winners of The Neighbourhood Eats Award include Southsea Deli, Three Cuts & Natty’s Jerk, the latter who are now expanding nationally.
Other 2025 accolades include: winning the Live Music Event of the year at the Access All Area Awards, as well as being shortlisted in the Major Festival of the Year category of The Live Awards, as well as in the Large Festival of the Year & Marketing Campaign of the Year category at the UK Festival Awards.
Looking ahead to 2026, Victorious has said its mission remains rooted in community, creativity and lasting positive impact.
Two of Victorious’ main charity partners for 2026 are The Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal, which is supporting 50 smaller charities and organisations across the city, and George’s Rockstars, a charity delivering music therapy to children in hospitals across Hampshire, Sussex and Dorset.
Inspired by six-year-old George’s experience of music therapy during leukaemia treatment, Amy O’Shaughnessy, Founder of George’s Rockstars, said: “Victorious Festival’s support is genuinely life-changing for the children we work with. Music can lift spirits, reduce anxiety and help children express emotions they can’t put into words. This partnership is a powerful commitment to using music to change lives.”
With headline sets from Richard Ashcroft, The Black Keys and Kasabian already announced for 2026, the festival is set to build on another record-breaking year, delivering unforgettable experiences while continuing to give back to its hometown.
For details and tickets visit www.victoriousfestival.co.uk/