Supporting Local Businesses

Neighbourhood Eats – A dedicated zone for Local Caterers
In 2022 we launched Neighbourhood Eats, after recognising that we have many wonderful local eateries that may wish to be involved in the festival, but were perhaps not used to trading at large-scale events, or may not be able to afford a regular festival pitch. By subsidising the pitch fees within this dedicated area for PO postcode-registered food businesses, we make the chance to trade at the festival even more accessible for locals!

Neighbourhood Eats Awards
Each year we award one of the local food businesses from the previous year’s event with a totally free pitch for the upcoming year, in the hope this helping hand further boosts their business success!

Winners over the years have included Natty’s Jerk Chicken, Southsea Deli and Fries Love.

The People’s Choice Awards
In 2023, in addition to the Neighborhood Eats Award, we launched ‘The People’s Choice Award’, whereby one of our previous year’s local food businesses is also awarded a totally free trading pitch – but this time via an online public vote. The public are notified to vote on this award through our social media channels and our mailing list. Last year Stones Throw Kitchen won the public’s hearts (and bellies) with 1st place!

Local Businesses outside of the festival
Another initiative we choose to operate is a readmission policy. This means, unlike many other festivals and concerts, attendees have the option to leave and reenter the festival (until 8pm) to explore the local area. Having this option in place encourages further trade for local bars, restaurants and shops nearby over the festival weekend.

Alongside this, we are very proud to play an important role in Portsmouth’s local economy, which has seen a significant economic impact since Victorious Festival 2014. Fully-booked hotels, busy shops, restaurants and cafes have all benefited from the festival taking place in their city. Victorious Festival also helps to positively improve Portsmouth’s overall tourism with over a third of Victorious festival-goers said they had ‘a more positive view of Portsmouth’ and would be more ‘likely to visit the city again in the future’. Feedback like this fills us with pride!