The Portsmouth Festivities is an inspiring eleven day annual arts festival presenting a diverse programme of events  celebrating Portsmouth’s history and heritage, and providing opportunities for the community – with a focus on young people – to engage with the arts.  Events feature professional artists, speakers and performers of international renown. A wide ranging programme includes concerts, talks, drama, dance, outdoor events, education projects, exhibitions and a platform for local performers. Established by Partnership Portsmouth in 1998, the Portsmouth Festivities first took place in 2000 and since then has steadily grown from a programme of 16 to around 70 events in 2010. The Festivities is rapidly gaining a reputation as a major force in the cultural life of the city.

In its 11th year, the Festivities celebrated The Victorians – Age of Wonder, inspired by the 150th anniversary of the building of HMS Warrior 1860. Highlights included performances by Julian Lloyd Webber, the London Mozart Players, Julian Fellowes, Sir Andrew Motion, Sandi Toksvig, Sheila Hancock, Peter Donohoe, Seth Lakeman and many more. Echoes of Empire Twilight recitals introduced a strand of world music in the beautiful setting of the Cathedral by twilight, family events included model boat displays, and the Festivities ended with a weekend of celebrations featuring the Massed Bands of HM Royal Marines with the South Coast Proms at Whale Island and a finale at Southsea Bandstand featuring the arrival of the crew of the Space Shuttle on their UK tour, who detonated a spectacular daylight firework display to end this year’s Festivities and launch the theme for 2011: Portsmouth – Space City.

In 2009 the Festivities over 22,000 people joined us to celebrate Henry 500 – Portsmouth and the Tudors, marking the 500th anniversary of the accession of King Henry VIII and the commissioning of his favourite warship the Mary Rose.  A wide ranging programme of events took place in venues across the city.  Other events also marked the 250th anniversary of the Year of Victories, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Arthur Conan Doyle and the centenary of the death of Portsmouth-born poet George Meredith. The Festivities ended with a magnificent Pageant inspired by the Tudors: sailors, shipwrights, flag bearers and musicians filled the streets with colour in a procession from the Mary Rose at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard through Old Portsmouth to Southsea Castle which won Best Event at The News Guide Awards. Supported by Arts Council England alongside a number of local organisations, Ghost Ship: A Pageant for Portsmouth on Henry VIII’s birthday culminated in a family picnic at Southsea Bandstand and a Twilight Fire Spectacle on Castle Field. Previous Festivities have celebrated The Sea, Trafalgar 200, IK Brunel 200, Comings & Goings amongst others.

Patrons

The Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire
The Rt Worshipful, The Lord Mayor of Portsmouth
The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth
The Chancellor of The University of Portsmouth
The Dean of Portsmouth
The Vice Chancellor of The University of Portsmouth
The Second Sea-Lord
Catherine Bott
Prof. John Carey, FBA
Dr Tim Hands
Raymond Leppard
Sir Andrew Motion
Peter Phillips

Executive Committee

James Priory (Chair), The Portsmouth Grammar School
Stephen Baily, Portsmouth City Council
The Very Revd David Brindley, Portsmouth Cathedral
Walter Cha, Blake Lapthorn
Prof John Craven, University of Portsmouth
Peter Emery, Gunwharf Quays
Cllr Lee Hunt
Claire Looney, Portsmouth City Council
Shena Mitchell, Highbury College
Drusilla Moody, Portsmouth City Council
John Philipson, Cultural Consortium
Ian Pratt, Kings Theatre
Margaret Roberts, Portsmouth Music Festival
Commodore Robert Thompson, Royal Navy
Caroline Sharman, New Theatre Royal
Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson
Mark Waldron, The News
Cllr Steve Wemyss