Joe GallopSuperstruct Entertainment-owned Victorious Festival (cap. 80,000) has donated £150,000 this year to charitable and community good causes, following funds raised by the Portsmouth event in 2023.
The total donated since 2014 now sits at £711,426.53 along with a £107.8m boost given to Portsmouth’s economy since 2014. A total of 116 local events were given free event support from Victorious.
One of the events the festival has supported is Portsmouth Creates We Shine Portsmouth, which is due to return in Winter 2024.
Portsmouth Creates programme manager Billie Coe said, “Both the investment and in-kind support from Victorious Festival has been instrumental in enabling us to deliver We Shine Portsmouth, a free community light and art festival, in both 2021 and 2022 and due to return for winter 2024. Their support is vital in enabling us to provide free cultural provision in areas across the city where access is historically low.”
Road to Victorious
As well as hosting more than 1,700 slots since 2017 for local artists across its 13 stages, last year the festival launched the Road To Victorious competition for acts in the Portsmouth area. Crystal Tides were announced winners, heading off on a tour bus to play festivals across the UK, free recording time and advice from industry experts. The competition has been relaunched for 2024.
The Victorious team are also working to support local traders and food businesses. Festival attendees have been encouraged to eat like a local at Neighbourhood Eats; an area exclusive for Portsmouth independents with reduced pitch fees and opportunities to win a free pitch. Likewise, Portsmouth Creates area has pop-up huts at subsidised rates for Portsmouth creatives and crafters giving the festival a local feel despite its scale.
Last Summer Victorious furthered their collaboration with local charity Tonic Music for Mental Health. As well as a financial donation, the charity had a presence on site over the weekend offering support for music industry professionals and the public delivering good mental health services and recovery through music.
Victorious also has a longstanding relationship with Attitude Is Everything and has achieved its Gold status in its charter highlighting its commitment to accessibility. The festival has also supported local disability charity groups including Gig Buddies, Enable Ability and This New Ground.
As the main sponsor of Portsmouth Pride, Victorious has supported the volunteer-run team that delivers the completely free event each year. Since joining forces, the Pride team have won the bid to host UK Pride 2025.
Victorious has also teamed up with The Literacy Hubs which works with young people in the city to equip them with the literacy skills they need by providing one-to-one support.
Supporting Portsmouth’s sporting community is also a focus for the Victorious team, with £50k from 2023’s donation pot gifted to several local teams including the England Women’s Beach Soccer team.