A Victorious time for City of Portsmouth College!

City of Portsmouth College had a Victorious weekend in Southsea, as a partner of Victorious Festival!

As well as the hugely popular Tech+Tour truck, where kids of all ages got to experience the latest technology including VR and AR headsets, and the endlessly busy Hair & Beauty station where our students got to showcase their skills with festival styles for glamorous festivalgoers, a group of journalism students and photographers were on site capturing the action.

Here's what they discovered.

My Victorious Festival Debut - by Dan Holmes

Portsmouth has been buzzing for months in anticipation for Victorious Festival 2025, and honestly, it didn’t disappoint. The headliners this year were Queens of the Stone Age, Vampire Weekend, and Kings of Leon. The whole city came together for a weekend of music, food, and celebration! Growing up here, I’d always heard people rave about how amazing it was, so finally being there myself was a great opportunity. The acts I was initially most excited for were The Last Dinner Party, Caity Baser and Bradley Simpson. But I ended up also loving the time I spent at the Showcase Stage; the acts I saw were really talented! 'Reverie' and 'Lily and the Lost Its' opened the festival on Friday, 'The Sans' on Saturday, and 'Caffeine Low' the on Sunday – and three of those four bands were from COPC! It honestly felt like there was something happening everywhere, with a variety of entertainment which catered for all age groups. I found the festival really impressive and was so glad to be a part of this year’s events.

I kicked off my weekend with the incredible Reverie, a seven-piece band blending soul, punk, and a jazzy twist that immediately grabbed the crowd’s attention. Their sound was very textured, with trumpets and mixed instrumentation adding so much strength and energy to each song. What really stood out to me, though, were the vocals, the singers had such powerful voices that completely blew me away. Their setlist was amazing as well, with a good proportion of covers including their rendition of Psycho Killer, which stood out to me as one of the most memorable. It was the perfect way to open the festival – fresh, bold, and unforgettable.

After Reverie’s set, I decided to stick around to catch Lily and the Lost Its, a lively four-piece made up of vocals, guitars, and drums. I had the chance to chat with their drummer, Lily Foster, who described the performance as ‘fun, experimental, and dance-worthy’, and it came across that way on stage. When I asked her which song was her favourite from the set, she picked their cover of All Around the World by Oasis. We also talked about why it’s important for younger musicians to have opportunities to play at festivals like Victorious. Lily explained that it gives emerging artists the chance to build confidence in both their playing and their vocals, adding that the supportive crowds make all the difference.

On the Saturday, I watched The Sans, a four-piece alternative band who brought a feel of originality to the stage. In contrast to a couple of the acts earlier in the weekend who were dependent on a few skilfully chosen covers, The Sans played an amazing set of originals music, which was a pleasant surprise. Their music had a raw yet polished quality, with intricate guitar work that really showcased the band’s chemistry. What stood out most to me was how confident they were in presenting completely new material to the audience, it takes courage to rely solely on your own songs, especially at a busy festival, but they pulled it off brilliantly. The Sans have made a new fan in me.

To round off the weekend, I headed back to the Showcase Stage for one final set. I unfortunately missed the very start, but I managed to catch most of the performance from Caffeine Low, an alt-rock group with a punk-leaning edge. Their setlist included standout covers such as Zombie by The Cranberries and Boys Don’t Cry by The Cure, both of which went down brilliantly with the crowd. Although this genre isn’t usually my go-to, I found myself really enjoying their energy on stage. The band’s instrumental skill was impressive: bold and full of life. It felt like a fitting way to close out my weekend.

If there is one piece of advice I can give from my first time at Victorious Festival, make sure to check out the smaller stages, there is real talent there. Every act I saw brought something unique and memorable and I give them huge credit for performing such amazing sets.

A festival of unity - by Darcie James

Every summer, the coastal city of Portsmouth comes alive with the sound of music, celebration and laughter. Thousands upon thousands of festival lovers, like myself, gather around to share a moment of celebration and community through one unifying factor, Victorious. As well as being framed by the beautiful views of the Southsea Common, the stunning sights within will never fail to take your breath away – seen through the numerous stages filled with glitz and glamour, what else could you ask for? With striking and impressive headliners such as the Queens of the Stone Age, Vampire Weekend and Kings of Leon, nationwide fans were eagerly waiting for this week’s celebration. Growing up, stories of the famous festival and the excitement among locals had always drawn me in, but nothing will compare to the thrill of experiencing it in person for the first time.

When I arrived, I was met with crowds immediately erupting in laughter and excitement for what was to come. Stalls filled with beautiful decoration filled Southsea common and each had their own selective audience. It was amazing to see. I instantly went to the Showcase stage, where I listened to local students perform. It was both outstanding and remarkable. Reverie brought their own unique sound on Friday, delivering a performance that fused a fresh blend of country and punk – treating the crowd to favourites such as Walking on Sunshine, Waterfalls and Psycho Killer. Hearing this unexpected vibrant vocal range sparked a fresh surge of enthusiasm and nostalgia, once enhanced through the communal singing. Soon after this, I saw Lily and the Lots Its. As a family band, they brought an authentic and local warmth to the set. As for Saturday, I was then introduced to The Sans, who brought their own songs to life on stage. Hearing a band so young and filled with bursting talent reminds you just how exciting the future of music is. With promising vocals and musicians, this is a band I would love to see again. To save the best for last, Sunday kicked off bright and early with the explosive and impressive punk vocals of Caffeine Low. whose set burst with raw alternative rock vocals, especially with their cover of The Cranberries’ Zombie. While normally not being attracted to alternative and punk music, I can say Caffeine Low will definitely “linger” and have me wrapped around their fingers.

I popped over to the COPC Tech+Tour stand – highlighting various immersive technologies such as augmented and virtual reality. The augmented reality headset treated me to an immersive and impressive experience where digital elements were overlaid onto the real world. From there, I then experimented with virtual reality – playing games such as Among Us and Recroom. It made me feel like a child again, which warmed my heart. The COPC tech stands really added to this sense of unity and community that was found within the festival.

Victorious is about celebration, community and culture. I remember looking to my right and seeing children playing, then to my left a group of adults celebrating with one another and straight ahead would be the performers on stage. This festival not only celebrates British culture, but also culture from around the world, with food stands serving Jamaican, Indian and Chinese food! This festival has perfected the art of unity, bringing together a blend of people (who would not typically socialise with one another) to create a flawless harmony. This is done through the shared experience of music, food and entertainment - it helps create moments that people can fondly remember which builds a sense of belonging. I have interviews from festival photographer Ben to get a better perspective with the locals. I had asked him how he described the festival, and he said it was “a joyous celebration which brings the community together - united through a sense of rhythm”. His advice for future visitors was to bring “lots of water, comfortable clothes and dress lightly”. There is a lot of walking at this festival, which was my least favourite part but overall – as it was my first time experiencing a music festival like this – I enjoyed it heavily and would definitely return.

A Victorious vlog

Watch a vlog of the events of Victorious by student Lorraine Walker here - https://youtu.be/8jCOY-1Ex1s

And check out the amazing photography below, by Antonio Pascale.