The UK’s biggest metropolitan music festival returns to the South this August bank holiday weekend with three big headliners and hundreds of other acts.
Victorious Festival sees Richard Ashcroft top the bill on Friday, while on Saturday US rock duo The Black Keys perform, before Leicester rockers Kasabian wrap things up on Sunday.
They are joined on Southsea Common by dance-masters Faithless and Basement Jaxx, plus Bastille, Nile Rogers & Chic, The Enemy and The Streets.
READ MORE: The waterside pub with celebrity sightings and huge outdoor cinema screen
Southampton music will be represented by indie stars The Vaccines, whose lead singer Justin Young was born and schooled in the city before the band played early gigs here. Hampshire stars Crystal Tides, Mackenzie, Jerry Williams and local Road to Victorious winner Matt Hennessey are also on board.
Friday sees headliner Richard Ashcroft back alongside Liverpool legends Cast, a year after both bands supported Oasis in the UK and Ireland. They are joined on the first day by Scissor Sisters, The Coral and Pixie Lott.
Special guest lunchtime acts across the weekend are drum ‘n’ bass stars Rudimental, Mercury prize winning rapper Dizzee Rascal and Norwegian singer-songwriter Sigrid.
Newer acts are championed with Wrexham’s The Royston Club, Birmingham’s The Clause, Sheffield’s Freddie Halkon, Kent’s Jasper Hodges and Middleborough’s Finn Forster all appearing on the second Castle Stage, while Greater Manchester’s Lottery Winners and M60 are in the main arena.
Hotly tipped Manchester bands The Guest List and Arkayla are also on the Castle stage, while local songwriter Marley Blandford, who at the last minute covered for some big-name dropouts last year, appears on the intimate Under the Trees stage.
Nineties and early Noughties stars are led by Sleeper, Doves, Reef, Hard-Fi and Star Sailor’s James Walsh, while Venga Boys and Goldie Lookin’ Chain promise fun as well as music. Also, this year Victorious, which began in the historic dockyards in 2012 before moving to Southsea Common in 2014, is paying homage to its roots by recreating the legendary Portsmouth pub, Little Johnny Russell’s, where the genesis of the festival was created.
Tickets are still available for Victorious Festival, which runs from August 28 to 30.
Share