Hugely popular lions from Pride of Portsmouth trail to reunite in the city at a special centenary event
The Pride of Portsmouth lion trail was a roaringly success - and they are reuniting
Portsmouth’s pride of lions will gather together for one more time at a special event to celebrate Portsmouth’s 100th anniversary of becoming a city.
For the past two months, thousands of people have explored the city in search of the 45 uniquely designed lion sculptures and unicorn in a free trail discovering Portsmouth's heritage, culture and communities along the way.
More than 11,000 people are known to have taken part in the Pride of Portsmouth trail which began in July and ran until this weekend. And now there is a chance to see all of the lions together on Saturday, October 3 when all 45 sculptures will be reunited at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard as part of the Our Naval City Festival.
The free festival organised by The Mary Rose Museum and Portsmouth Historic Quarter will feature a programme of talks led by the University of Portsmouth, family friendly activities, market stalls, charity stands and live music across the dockyard. The lion reunion will be one of the centrepieces of the event, giving visitors their first chance to see all 45 lions together in one location after spending the summer spread across Portsmouth.
Visitors will also be able to continue collecting sculptures on the Pride of Portsmouth app during the event. However, the trail rewards programme ended when the trail closed on September 13, so no new rewards will be available to claim.
Cllr Steve Pitt, leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: "What started as an ambitious idea to celebrate Portsmouth's centenary has become one of the highlights of Portsmouth100.
"The Pride of Portsmouth trail has brought people together, encouraged thousands of residents and visitors to explore different parts of our city and showcased the creativity, talent and community spirit that makes Portsmouth so special.
"As the trail has come to an end, we're delighted that people will have the opportunity to see all 45 lions together for the very first time at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. It's a fitting way to celebrate the success of the trail and look ahead to the Portsmouth100 finale in January."
The celebrations will culminate in the Portsmouth100 finale in January, bringing the city's centenary programme to a close.
The Pride of Portsmouth story will continue beyond the trail, with many sculptures moving to permanent homes across the city and beyond, helping to create a lasting legacy for Portsmouth100.
Plans are also being developed for a future auction of selected sculptures, with proceeds proposed to support a legacy project focused on opportunities for young people in Portsmouth.
Charlie Langhorne, managing director and co-founder of Wild in Art said: "It's been wonderful to see the joy Pride of Portsmouth has brought to thousands of people this summer.
"Seeing so many people exploring Portsmouth, discovering new places and spending time together is exactly what these events are all about.
"The upcoming reunion of all the lions promises to be a spectacular sight and memorable finale to the trail."
Further information about the lion reunion at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and the wider Our Naval City Festival will be available at portsmouthhq.org
Trail app statistics
- 11,799 app users - with additional participants via a paper map
- 263,166 sculptures collected
- One Hundred Voices: A Portsmouth Patchwork - most collected sculpture (7,115 collections)
- Cushty - most voted sculpture (377 votes)
- 3,040 total miles covered