Isle of Wight musicians lead the charge at Victorious Festival

In its 11th edition, the Portsmouth festival took place on Southsea Common between August 23 and August 25. 

Island stars Wet Leg headlined the Castle Stage on Sunday night.

Lead singer Rhian Teasdale told the crowd that the show on Southsea Common felt like a homecoming for them, despite being from “over the water”. 

She also said that the show was “the last that we’ll be playing some of these songs live”.

Indie up-and-comers The Optimists and solo artist Beth Brookfield added to the Island artists that played sets throughout the weekend.

And Island guitarist Arlo Edwards, 16, appeared on stage with The Kooks.

Beth Brookfield on stage (Image: Jake Curran)

Fatboy Slim, Snow Patrol, Jamie T and Biffy Clyro headlined the festival, with sets from Jess Glynne, Pixies and Louis Tomlinson throughout the weekend.

Joe Talbot of IDLES (Image: Tom Langford, Victorious Festival/Strong Island)

On Friday, afternoon special guests Razorlight performed on the Common Stage, pleasing the crowd with noughties hits America and Golden Touch. 

The Optimists, who played the main stage at the Isle of Wight Festival in 2023, raced through their half-hour set on the Portsmouth Creates stage. 

Highlights included Ireland’s The Murder Capital, Wigan’s The Lottery Winners, and Bristol punk royalty Idles. 

Wigan's The Lottery Winners (Image: Eliot Web, Victorious Festival/Strong Island)

Fatboy Slim closed the main stage, keeping energy high with remixes of hits and eclectic samples including Talking Heads, Coolio and The Rolling Stones.

Saturday’s main stage proceedings began with Portsmouth’s Crystal Tides, but the masses headed to the Castle Stage to see the festival’s badly kept secret set from Busted.

Busted playing a secret set on the Castle Stage (Image: Emma Wurfel, Victorious Festival/Strong Island)Shouting back to noughties pop-punk hits Crashed The Wedding and Year 3000, the rain didn’t deter Victorious festivalgoers from enjoying the band. 

Irish hero in the making CMAT played her first-ever show in Portsmouth, largely dodging the bad weather until the final song Stay For Something.

The Lightning Seeds enjoyed a large crowd, with the biggest cheer coming from England's misery and hope hit Three Lions as their last song. 

Fatboy Slim headlining the Common Stage (Image: Steve Stringer, Victorious Festival/Strong Island)

Manchester icons Courteeners didn’t hang about during their sunset slot, where they performed a career-spanning set of hits including Cavorting, Not Nineteen Forever and an acoustic cover of It Must Be Love before Jamie T delivered slice-of-life indie in his headline show.

Meanwhile, Sugababes brought a mix of garage and pop music to the Castle Stage, and Pixies used sonic space and intricate basslines to bewitch the crowd at their headline slot.

Sunday’s proceedings began with the Netherlands’ Personal Trainer, before The Kooks struck up crowd pleasers She Moves In Her Own Way and Naive.

Arlo Edwards, 16, from the Isle of Wight, on stage with The Kooks (Image: Edwards family)

Whatever genre festivalgoers enjoyed, there was something for them on the Sunday of Victorious Festival.

Post-punk revival fans were treated to sets from Yard Act and Soft Play, while pop-persuaded punters delighted in Becky Hill and Natasha Bedingfield.

The Common Stage closed the weekend with Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro, accompanied by a firework show.

Tickets are already on sale for Victorious Festival 2025, with the price frozen at £145.