In 2025, we were lucky enough to get sunshine across all three days. This year was a very different story, with torrential showers hitting Southsea Common throughout Saturday and Sunday.

We didn’t let it affect us too much, though. We were there to have fun, and that’s exactly what we did. And from London it is quite a short trip!

The iconic ‘Victorious’ sign (Image: Newsquest)

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Friday was easily the best day weather-wise, although there was so much dust flying around at points that I spent a good amount of time trying to get it out of my eyes.

The Vaccines were one of my highlights of the day. I’ve seen them before but was still really excited to catch their set and they were brilliant.

The Vaccines Set (Image: Newsquest)

Then came Richard Ashcroft, who headlined the Common Stage.

Seeing Bittersweet Symphony live was probably my favourite moment of the entire weekend.

Richard Ashcroft (Image: Newsquest)

There was something really special about standing in a huge crowd and hearing thousands of people singing along to such an iconic song.

Friday also had performances from Scissor Sisters, Jessie J and Rudimental, so there was plenty happening across the site.

The Scissor Sisters set (Image: Newsquest)

The drinks were expensive, as you’d expect at a festival, but I was very impressed to see Jubel being sold. It’s one of my favourite drinks, so I was more than happy to spend some of my money on that.

There were some seriously heavy showers on Saturday, but we carried on moving between stages, dancing and trying to stay as dry as possible.

Watching Kate Nash (Image: Newsquest)

I was particularly excited to see Kate Nash, although her set wasn’t quite what I expected. Hearing Foundations live was still a highlight, though, and it was great seeing such a well-known song performed in front of a big festival crowd.

Nile Rodgers & CHIC were one of the standout acts of the whole weekend for me.

Kate Nash’s set (Image: Newsquest)

Everyone around us was dancing, and they had so many huge songs that it was basically impossible not to join in.

The set was packed with disco and funk classics from Nile Rodgers’ career and created one of the best atmospheres of the weekend.

I also saw The Black Keys, and they surprised me with just how many songs I knew.

The VIP stage watching area (Image: Newsquest)

I went into their set expecting to recognise a few tracks, but ended up singing along to far more than I realised I would. Lonely Boy was a big moment, but there were plenty of others I knew too.

Saturday’s line-up also included Faithless, Bastille, Primal Scream, Kelis, Hard-Fi and Dizzee Rascal, so there was plenty of choice throughout the day.

Away from the music, Victorious also had a huge amount going on for families.

The children’s area (Image: Newsquest)

The festival’s Kids Area featured appearances from Fireman Sam on Friday, Bluey on Saturday and Supertato on Sunday, alongside rides, the Blaster Battle Zone and British Empire Wrestling.

It’s easy to see why Victorious has become such a popular family festival. There is plenty to keep children entertained while parents can enjoy the music and everything else the site has to offer.

Another new addition for 2026 was Little Johnny Russell’s, an on-site recreation of the legendary Portsmouth pub where Victorious began.

The Castle Stage (Image: Newsquest)

It was packed throughout the weekend and had live performances and entertainment, bringing a bit of Portsmouth’s own character into the festival.

By Sunday, we’d pretty much accepted that we were going to get wet.

The Streets were one of my biggest highlights of the day. The crowd was absolutely mental and the atmosphere was incredible.

Mike Skinner performed A Grand Don’t Come for Free in full before heading into the crowd for the final three songs, which sent everyone around us wild.

It felt like one massive party.

Richard Ashcroft performing (Image: Newsquest)

For our final set, we opted for Basement Jaxx. I’d seen Kasabian before, so we fancied doing something different and wanted to finish the weekend with a proper boogie.

They were a great way to end three days of music.

Basement Jaxx (Image: Newsquest)

Overall, Victorious was pretty much what I expected it to be. There were huge artists, plenty of food and drink, rides, family entertainment and a really good atmosphere throughout the weekend.

The Southsea setting is also hard to beat. Watching live music with the seafront and Solent around you gives the festival something a little different from many others.

The weather was definitely the biggest downside this year. I would have happily taken the sunshine we had in 2025, particularly by the time Sunday came around.

Victorious Fest 2026 (Image: Newsquest)

But being there with friends made it easy to forget about the rain.

By Sunday night I was exhausted, my feet were hurting and I was very ready for a shower, but I still didn’t really want the weekend to end.

Victorious 2026 was wet, muddy and a little chaotic at times, but it was also three days of brilliant music and good times with friends.

I’ll definitely be back next year…with a better raincoat.