"Are there locals who haven't been?" Victorious' MD says there is so much to look forward to at this year's festival

From a planned vintage market at the historic dockyard to a huge festival which attracts around 160,000 people - Victorious Festival has a huge journey as part of its story of success.

And next weekend sees yet another big bank holiday weekend planned with the final countdown well underway for this year’s three-day spectacular.

This year’s line up-features Richard Ashcroft, The Black Keys and Kasabian, with the likes of Jessie J, James Arthur, the Vengaboys and Basement Jaxx also taking to the stages in Southsea in an event which also features family entertainment and dancing tug boats.

It was the brainchild of friends and business partners James Ralls, Ben Miles and Andy Marsh, all of whom are still involved today, starting with the first event at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in 2012. Just two years later it grew enough to move to Southsea Common and beyond - and the event has not looked back since!

We catch up with managing director and co-founder James Ralls ahead of this year’s event to see how things are progressing for 2026.

The countdown is on for this year's Victorious Festival - how are the final preparations going?

Preparations are going great we can’t wait to see everyone down on the seafront! We have been working on adding extra content and this year you can walk the whole seaside promenade for the first time in years along the brand-new sea defences and up into Henry’s house to soak up some medieval atmosphere.

This year features another great line-up. Who are you most looking forward to seeing - if you get to see much of it at all!?

I always make time to check out a few of the bands and encourage the team too as well, it’s always emotional when you are in actually the crowd seeing them enjoy themselves up close. You will hopefully see me watching The Streets doing the whole album A Grand Don’t Come for Free and the Scissor Sisters. Obviously Massaoke goes without saying.

What makes Victorious different from other music events and festivals?

The family vibe, the setting and the People. I can’t think of another UK festival that does it quite like we do - on the seafront, over the bank holiday weekend, exceptional line up and for the whole family.

How difficult is it to position yourselves against the other festivals around the country to make sure you attract the big names?

At first, it was hard as we were pretty unknown, but over the years we have gradually grown and now most agents and artists know they are coming to play a big show in front of a great crowd when they play Victorious. To play by the sea, in a place steeped history to a bank holiday audience of all ages - that's unique.

When does planning for the following year begin? How large is the team behind the scenes?

We are already planning up to 2028 and onwards. And you can expect to see more nods to local culture like the new Little Johnny Russell's pub and a lot of extra content that's not necessarily on the main stages. We are trying to make a better experience for the festival-goers every year with more to see and do. There are only around 15 of us in the core team so it gets intense around show month. But it’s great being able to work with the same group of mates on the festival year on year a lot of whom have been here from the beginning.

Victorious seems to pride itself on having a family-friendly feel. Can you explain why you think it is so important?

We try to keep our kids and family tickets as affordable as we can because we believe that festivals and music are for everyone and are beneficial to everyone. In an age of screens and attention sapping apps we are proud to make a space where all ages can come and relax and be social and listen to some really good music away from the internet or tv. There are so many documented benefits of attending gigs and cultural events for children and OAPs and any groups that we are happy to give people a good time and hopefully a smile on their face.

This year, Victorious features a re-creation of the much-loved Little Johnny Russell's. Can you explain its link to Victorious for those who do not know - and what can we expect to see?

I bought an old pub lease in Albert Road in 2006 and asked my friends Andy Marsh and Ben Miles to come and run it with me, we grabbed Sian Kelleher off the street to work on the opening night and I think her nickname in local pubs is still LJR Sian. We used to put on a lot of bands and DJ sets and a load of random bits and that's why we were approached to look at the original dockyard event, by that time we were already running beer festivals and other events and Ben was one of the organisers of Love Albert Road Day.

The original team are all still at Victorious along with all of our friends from the pub who still work with us now. We are going to build on the re-created pub every year and make it better and better. Andy is still booking bands, Ben is still running stages and I'm still pretending to run everything while Sian does really, so nothing has changed.

Turning back to the first festival in 2012 at the historic dockyard, what are your memories of it?

Being so tired I couldn't count to twelve to see how many tents were in a row. I was trying for twenty minutes and then fell asleep.

How did you, Ben and Andy come up with the idea in the first place?

Originally, it was going to be a vintage market for the Queen's jubilee and the people who were organising the markets got hold of me and the team through Little Johnny Russell's to organize the bars and music. When we got close to the dates the deal to do the event wasn't getting signed. So I had to sign the contract with Terri (who was in charge of all events in the dockyard at the time) and place the guarantees to stop it being cancelled after we had already paid the acts! Luckily for us the people of Portsmouth love a party and nearly 50,000 people turned up and drank us out of beer!

After that we started the Victorious Festival brand and had another year in the lovely historic Dockyard building into an actual large-scale festival, took Terri with us and begged the council for a licence and moved down to the current iconic Southsea Seafront site - and haven't looked back since.

Did you ever expect it to grow to the size it is today? 

Not really, we just love putting it on and I hope that shows and I'm sure that's why it grows organically. We will be introducing a new look (you'll see hints of it at this year's festival) that I think will show even better what we are all about - from being able to see the amazing Solent views, to the incredible history of Portsmouth, to the great line up each year.

Can you explain the important part Victorious plays in the local music scene, helping to foster new artists and work with other local partners?

I’d say the local music scene plays a part in Victorious rather than the other way around. We get so much support from local bands and studios, colleges, promoters, venues and it wouldn't be possible for us to deliver what we do without them. Everyone should be getting to the Wedgewood Rooms or the Guildhall for at least a couple of gigs a year, they have some great ones. Get out to your local open mic nights, the bands and the pubs need the support.

Check out Road to Victorious on our website and follow all of the great local acts who are involved, Portsmouth has some really special talent coming through and it's a real pleasure to be able to help in a small way.

This year is Portsmouth's 100th anniversary of being a city - how is Victorious taking part in the celebrations?

We have been helping with a few bits of decor around the city and also a little bit with the great Pride of Portsmouth Lion Trail which you can find at Home - Pride of Portsmouth. It’s an important year for the city with a huge program of events on, I think we have the great Southsea alternative choir at the bandstand for the 100th  band at the stand this year over the Victorious weekend. There is too much going on to list here but the council has been doing a great job pulling together a program for the city, it's stacked. Check it out at www.visitportsmouth.co.uk/portsmouth-100/things-to-do/

Over the years there have been a number of acts and big names who have performed at Victorious. Who have you most enjoyed watching here in Portsmouth?

The Prodigy, Queens of the Stone Age and The Struts. I hope I am going to be adding The Streets to the list this year.

Who would be your fantasy headline acts if you could have anyone from any era?

Thats hard! Anyone from any era from the top of my head I’d go Elvis, Queen with Freddie Mercury, ACDC.

If you had to pick one Victorious highlight over the past decade (and a bit) who would it be?

Graham (our crew boss) running through our first festival with a gas bottle (it usually takes four men to lift) swearing to himself after we ran out of everything. His back still hurts him now and his head is still sausage shaped from the strain.

What would you say to those locals who have never been to Victorious?

Are there locals who haven't been? If you have not been, then get down here, you will love it. Huge acts on your doorstep, proper Pompey atmosphere and so much to do for the kids.

And of course, how can you get tickets?

Online at www.victoriousfestival.co.uk or at Easter in our Easter Egg Hunt.

Victorious Festival takes place in Southsea on August 28 to 30.