Victorious Festival 2023 Discussion

[DomDom1984]

Selfishly, I hope none of that ends up at Victorious.

[FxxxItFlowers]

Lorde at Boardmasters and she isn't a UK Festival Exclusive

would be buzzed for her as the Sunday Headliner

[Frangipane]

10 hours ago, EggsAndBeans said:

Hello!

Quick question - maybe even a stupid question - has anyone stayed at the Portsmouth Uni rooms?… Do you get bedding etc?

Questioning as I remember my days at uni and there was nothing in there when I arrived!

Cheers 🪩

I stay at Rees Hall, and you get bedding, towels, kettle, tea, coffee, sugar, milk, and a very good hot and cold buffet breakfast 

 

[EggsAndBeans]

12 hours ago, Frangipane said:

I stay at Rees Hall, and you get bedding, towels, kettle, tea, coffee, sugar, milk, and a very good hot and cold buffet breakfast 

 

Ah brilliant, thanks so much for this. We are staying at Greetham St, hopefully the walk there and back won’t be too bad each day 🤞🏻

[Frangipane]

12 hours ago, EggsAndBeans said:

Ah brilliant, thanks so much for this. We are staying at Greetham St, hopefully the walk there and back won’t be too bad each day 🤞🏻

I've not stayed there, but can see from the website you'll be provided with towels, bedding, tea and coffee, just not breakfast. For future reference, if you want to book Rees Hall, the closest to the festival site, the double rooms usually sell out the day they go on sale so it's worth keeping a close eye on that 🙂

 

 

[kelstar]

1 hour ago, Frangipane said:

I've not stayed there, but can see from the website you'll be provided with towels, bedding, tea and coffee, just not breakfast. For future reference, if you want to book Rees Hall, the closest to the festival site, the double rooms usually sell out the day they go on sale so it's worth keeping a close eye on that 🙂

 

 

Your about a 20-30minute walk from the festival site, depending which way you walk, totally flat, and an easy walk. You will pass plenty of pubs etc, so a chance to grab a cheaper drink. Your also just around the corner from city centre, And plenty of local buses. (Commerical Road - Walk past the train station and your see the stops) Any bus heading to Southsea - Palmeston Road.....although the buses will be very busy with locals

[Mr Carbohydrate]

16 hours ago, EggsAndBeans said:

Ah brilliant, thanks so much for this. We are staying at Greetham St, hopefully the walk there and back won’t be too bad each day 🤞🏻

Also staying Greetham St as missed out in Rees Hall.  Last year we stayed at Ibis which was a 40 min walk, but with the awesome weather it was a doddle and beats standing in a queue for an hour waiting on a bus for the campsite whilst holding in a days worth of beer 😬

On the subject of beer, really hoping they bring back the craft beer option.  It’s been absent the last couple of years which is a shame.  Choice of booze (well lack of) is my only real complaint about the festival.  There must be plenty of local breweries who would jump at the chance 

[WhatADin]

50 minutes ago, Mr Carbohydrate said:

Also staying Greetham St as missed out in Rees Hall.  Last year we stayed at Ibis which was a 40 min walk, but with the awesome weather it was a doddle and beats standing in a queue for an hour waiting on a bus for the campsite whilst holding in a days worth of beer 😬

On the subject of beer, really hoping they bring back the craft beer option.  It’s been absent the last couple of years which is a shame.  Choice of booze (well lack of) is my only real complaint about the festival.  There must be plenty of local breweries who would jump at the chance 

Petition for Staggeringly Good to get a free stall. https://www.staggeringlygood.com/

[Mr Carbohydrate]

1 hour ago, WhatADin said:

Petition for Staggeringly Good to get a free stall. https://www.staggeringlygood.com/

That looks fantastic!  Is that the issue, the cost of the stall?  I naively assumed local companies would get a cracking deal for a stall and then victorious would share in the profits. I really fancy drink now 🙈

[Simsy]

2 hours ago, WhatADin said:

Petition for Staggeringly Good to get a free stall. https://www.staggeringlygood.com/

We normally get a few cans of staggeringly good from Watkins & Faux at the festival, but they're moving out of the tennis club so might not be on site any more 😟

[WhatADin]

8 minutes ago, Simsy said:

We normally get a few cans of staggeringly good from Watkins & Faux at the festival, but they're moving out of the tennis club so might not be on site any more 😟

Yeah, I saw that 😞 I used to go down there when my eldest was a baby. Nice bit of avocado on toast (although with the open kitche always came out stinking of cooking!)

[Dg_vic]

The issue isn't the cost of the stalls (they are actually not as badly priced as you would think) but the fact that Victorious will have exclusive commercial deals with evil alcohol companies who then demand Victorious site only pedals their shit. I used to love the champagne bar and the real ale tent, but as Victorious has become bigger and more commercial, these have disappeared. 

[Mr Carbohydrate]

8 minutes ago, Dg_vic said:

The issue isn't the cost of the stalls (they are actually not as badly priced as you would think) but the fact that Victorious will have exclusive commercial deals with evil alcohol companies who then demand Victorious site only pedals their shit. I used to love the champagne bar and the real ale tent, but as Victorious has become bigger and more commercial, these have disappeared. 

That’s a shame but I guess that’s the cost of success.  Selfishly wouldn’t mind if the commercial deal involved a bit of brewdog or something.  But would be cracking if they could have a local brewer on site… failing that I may have to resort to jack daniels contraband!! 

[Dg_vic]

Quote

failing that I may have to resort to jack daniels contraband!! 

This is the way

[EggsAndBeans]

On 2/24/2023 at 8:00 AM, kelstar said:

You’re about a 20-30minute walk from the festival site, depending which way you walk, totally flat, and an easy walk. You will pass plenty of pubs etc, so a chance to grab a cheaper drink. You’re also just around the corner from city centre, And plenty of local buses. (Commerical Road - Walk past the train station and your see the stops) Any bus heading to Southsea - Palmeston Road.....although the buses will be very busy with locals

Great, thanks for the info ☺️ actually looking forward to the walk there each day. Few drinks in the sun to wash away the cobwebs. Had a nose on Google Maps and there looks to be plenty of restaurants/bars nearby which is handy!

[luckysalt]

On 2/24/2023 at 3:58 PM, Dg_vic said:

The issue isn't the cost of the stalls (they are actually not as badly priced as you would think) but the fact that Victorious will have exclusive commercial deals with evil alcohol companies who then demand Victorious site only pedals their shit. I used to love the champagne bar and the real ale tent, but as Victorious has become bigger and more commercial, these have disappeared. 

Yup. The bigger the fest is getting the worst it gets. 

It's a real shame, it's basically now V festival back. Except missing the really big headliners. I know the 3 guys who started it wanted it to be a continuation of V but I feel it's gone past what they wanted to do and it's becoming soulless. 

I honestly think I'm at the point now where I might never come back. Done Victorious since 2015 and it's just nowhere near as fun as it used to be and way more expensive to do, if I was local it would be a no brainer to continue to go. But I'm not, so think I might be done for good.

[atomised]

1 hour ago, luckysalt said:

Yup. The bigger the fest is getting the worst it gets. 

It's a real shame, it's basically now V festival back. Except missing the really big headliners. I know the 3 guys who started it wanted it to be a continuation of V but I feel it's gone past what they wanted to do and it's becoming soulless. 

I honestly think I'm at the point now where I might never come back. Done Victorious since 2015 and it's just nowhere near as fun as it used to be and way more expensive to do, if I was local it would be a no brainer to continue to go. But I'm not, so think I might be done for good.

we are having a year off this year for similar reasons. whether we return will depend on how the festival develops from here. right now it feels like a big fest still booking mid tier line ups 

[Bubblepopelectric]

We will be going this year but may be the last year the way they are shooting the prices up. When we went in 2021 I think it was around £120 for the camping and festival and the names seemed bigger. This year it's £180 for what seems lesser acts. Unless they pull something out of the bag, I think they will struggle to sell as many tickets this year.

I would love it if they booked Raye, she is one talented lady! 

[johnl]

1 hour ago, atomised said:

we are having a year off this year for similar reasons. whether we return will depend on how the festival develops from here. right now it feels like a big fest still booking mid tier line ups 

I’ve swerved it this year too having been the last four years it’s happened.

I don’t think the line-up is bad but it’s just not as much to my personal preference as previous years.

I’m not local so always have to find accommodation and as I’m not the fittest have always gone for VIP. This year that lot would have cost me over £500 before I’ve bought a beer. 

I treat it as my Holiday so that’s ok but Jamiroquai, the new “Kasabian” and TBC plus the stuff announced just doesn’t make it value.

Don’t laugh but I’ve gone for Stone Valley South an old school punk/mod/indie/ska mash-up that I can train in and out of each day with a saving of £350!

[atomised]

16 minutes ago, johnl said:

I’ve swerved it this year too having been the last four years it’s happened.

I don’t think the line-up is bad but it’s just not as much to my personal preference as previous years.

I’m not local so always have to find accommodation and as I’m not the fittest have always gone for VIP. This year that lot would have cost me over £500 before I’ve bought a beer. 

I treat it as my Holiday so that’s ok but Jamiroquai, the new “Kasabian” and TBC plus the stuff announced just doesn’t make it value.

Don’t laugh but I’ve gone for Stone Valley South an old school punk/mod/indie/ska mash-up that I can train in and out of each day with a saving of £350!

not heard of that one but sounds like my sort of thing 

[kelstar]

I remember the 1st Victorious! Although I didn’t go. (Due to newborn baby) It was free and held in the Dockyard. Being a local I’ve been every year, since the first one. (From year 2 they charged, £10/20 I think, on the gate, but we got some more known acts)

Every year I watched the price go up, so I totally get not going, as we considered not going this year.

But for us, even if some acts are not our thing, it’s fun meeting up with friends. 
 

Hoping your all be back one day 🥰

[NWUYC]

5 hours ago, atomised said:

we are having a year off this year for similar reasons. whether we return will depend on how the festival develops from here. right now it feels like a big fest still booking mid tier line ups 

This is my exact issue with the festival! Doesn’t have the teeth to justify the cost or the vibe anymore.

anyone remember when it used to be at the dockyards??

 

edit: just read the last post, sorry!

Edited February 26, 2023 by NWUYC

[HarryHammer]

4 hours ago, johnl said:

I’ve swerved it this year too having been the last four years it’s happened.

I don’t think the line-up is bad but it’s just not as much to my personal preference as previous years.

I’m not local so always have to find accommodation and as I’m not the fittest have always gone for VIP. This year that lot would have cost me over £500 before I’ve bought a beer. 

I treat it as my Holiday so that’s ok but Jamiroquai, the new “Kasabian” and TBC plus the stuff announced just doesn’t make it value.

Don’t laugh but I’ve gone for Stone Valley South an old school punk/mod/indie/ska mash-up that I can train in and out of each day with a saving of £350!

We have done Stone Valley a few times... you will have a great time... old time Mod so really appealed to us... we camped in the adjacent field ... great being able to pop back for a few hours to chill out.

 

[Hirstys 12th Pint]

15 hours ago, kelstar said:

I remember the 1st Victorious! Although I didn’t go. (Due to newborn baby) It was free and held in the Dockyard. Being a local I’ve been every year, since the first one. (From year 2 they charged, £10/20 I think, on the gate, but we got some more known acts)

Every year I watched the price go up, so I totally get not going, as we considered not going this year.

But for us, even if some acts are not our thing, it’s fun meeting up with friends. 
 

Hoping your all be back one day 🥰

This sounds very similar to how Tramlines has developed.  From a free multi site City Centre Festival to smaller parks with a moderate entry fee to what it has become at Hillsborough Park. 

We will go to Tramlines regardless as 6 mile down the road and £100 still remains good value.  It still has it detractors seemingly as Victorious has as it grows in size and being owned by the same Parent Company.   One of the big gripes people have at Tramlines is you used to be able to leave and re-enter but this is no longer allowed. 

Edited February 27, 2023 by Hirstys 12th Pint

[rseamer]

I’ve been to every Victorious since the start and will be going this year as well.

The difference is I live in Southsea. The site is a 30 min walk / 15 min bike ride from my house (or I can get a bus to nearby in 10 mins if raining)

So as far as festivals go it still represents good value for me. 

But if I didn’t live nearby I wouldn’t be going. And I think with the higher price point the organisers need to be careful - they could freeze out the sort of locals who just went because it was a cheap day out and freeze out those who travel because of the reasons everyone has posted about here.