Victorious thankfully is back yay! It seems like a lifetime ago since we danced to New Order on the seafront but a lot has changed since then hasn't it?
Having visited another festival just a short while ago I thought it would be cool to share what to expect when visiting Victorious this year!
The first thing I did was panic about details for getting into a festival. What about this and that but honestly you don't need to fret or worry and once you have done what you need to do on the first day you will be sailing through to grab a drink at the bar and hit your first band you want to see!
You need to download the NHS app on your phone. If you have had both your vaccinations for covid then you can get your covid pass on the app. You need to allow 2 weeks after your second jab to get this. All you do is open the app and have it ready to show the marshalls letting you into the festival. The next thing you do is have your tickets ready on your phone or printed out so they can be scanned quickly.
If you haven't had both vaccinations then this is absolutely fine and you can just take a lateral flow test the night before the festival day you are attending. It is recommended you take the test the night before as it can take up to 5 hours to load and prove you don't have the virus. Taking the test is easy peasy and you just scan the QR code that shows a negative result which you then show that on your phone screen at the entrance site with your ticket!
There is a chance you could have had covid recently but now showing as negative in which case you will have immunity against catching it again so you will be able to show this at the entrance and will be allowed in. Have a look at the Covid-19 info page on Victorious for the full details on this!
That is it, simple as that and so all you need to think about when heading down to the seafront is have I got my ticket to be scanned? Have I got my NHS app ready and open to scan my covid pass or my QR code to prove I don't have covid?
Because all the marshalls at the entrance site are all geared up and ready to go they make the entrance time to get in just as quick as it has always been which is a relief. You can then head off and explore the site which this year has even more attractive features like the Portsmouth Creates market who had over 120 stalls at the old Debenhams site full to the brim of cool indies and artisans selling their wares so make sure to look out for that.
Friday night sees the Kooks on the Common Stage before Madness. Their performance at Tramlines was so good. Expect to hear all their top twenty hits and the on-stage presence of Luke Pritchard is fantastic! Having been around since 2005 they have long-standing experience and this band really build the crowd up for the wknd that's for sure.
I also got to see The Streets who are headlining Saturday and believe me when I say you are in for a treat. Mike Skinner wows the audience and just feels so grateful to be back on stage after such a turbulent 18 months in the music world. You will find that a lot of the bands and musicians that play are just grateful and quite emotional if I am being honest to be back and able to play a crowd again! I love The Streets energy and Mike really pulls in the crowd with his cheekiness and wit.
One of the main highlights for me was seeing Blossoms. They really are slick in their performance and their melodies and smooth songs get the crowd in a great mood for the rest of the festival. I love it when they play Your Girlfriend live and you won't be disappointed with their set list.
I have never seen Royal Blood live and was absolutely blown away with their set. For two blokes on stage to be able to create the sounds they make is incredible. The lead singer made the female audience go wild with his tight black skinny jeans and silver boots as well as his guitar riffs so you are going to be well satisfied watching the Brighton duo play!
For me, one of the highlights I am looking forward to is The Snuts as I managed to catch the last 3 songs live at Tramlines and I just love the sound of the lead singer Jack Cochrane. His voice really resonates with me and I am looking forward to hearing Glasgow live and hopefully 4 Baillie Street from their number one debut album W.L (Deluxe). This scottish band have the future in their hands and it will be good to see them live and experience their first album with the boys on stage!
As always the Kids Arena is bound to have all the stimulation any young child would want. Have a read of my review of the Saturday Family Day I attended in 2019 to gear yourself up for the Kid's stage and tips and ideas to help your little ones have as much fun as you. From ideas on festival trolleys to packing up your kids with their own festival survival bag and encouraging them to listen to your favourite band you want to see live, there is plenty to inspire you to bring your kids along.
Last but not least don't worry about being in such a large crowd. You can stand back and have plenty of space around you so you don't have to feel overwhelmed with being in a festival with lots of people. I wasn't happy with being bunched up together in a crowd and had anxiety around that as Tramlines was the first big event I had attended since lockdown but I soon got over that when I realised the space there is for you to feel comfortable. The layout of Victorious means that if you want to be right in the crowd you can but if you want your own space there is so much room at all the stages to allow for that. Also don't forget the only people in the crowd are ones that are covid free or have been double jabbed so you are in safe hands!
So here is a checklist you need for the start of the festival.
1. Get the NHS APP downloaded well before the festival begins. All you have to do is go to the App store to locate it. I would say download it at least 2 days before so you know how to navigate it quickly and it has all the info you need.
2. If you haven't had your two vaccinations and are sure that is the case by the 27th of August then order some lateral flow tests a good few days before. Don't forget you can't get your covid pass until two weeks after your last vaccination so bear this in mind when thinking of what you need.
3. If you haven't got your covid pass then do your lateral flow test the night before the festival day you want to attend. You will then need to scan the QR code to the NHS app and allow 5 hours for that to sync up before you attend Victorious. You will need to do this again after 48 hours so if you are going for the whole wknd then make sure you have more than one lateral flow test.
4. Print off your tickets so you have them ready to scan at the entrance site, or have your E-ticket ready on your phone. This will make it so much easier and make the queues go down quicker if everyone is organised and has all they need to get in the festival.
5. Take the money you want to spend and your bank card in case you see something you want to buy.
6. Have your ID in your wallet or purse ready so you can prove your age at the bar if needed.
7. Pack suncream and take a hat as let's face it we all know that it HAS to be a sunny hot wknd for us all. Come on if we all believe it is bound to happen!
8. Check out the Victorious website which tells you what artists and bands are playing at what time and the full lineup.
9. If you want small children to listen to your favourite bands you might want to order some ear defenders so you can chill out and your child won't be screaming that their ears are hurting.
10. Take a sealed bottled water that you can refill during the day so you can help Victorious with being an eco-friendly site. The less wastage we leave behind is better for the environment and also it is healthy to keep topping up your body with water.
For full details of what you need to do you can check out the COVID-19 Info on the Victorious website which gives full instructions and steps to take before attending the festival.
Tickets are still available either for day tickets or the whole wknd. Check out the socials and website below for more details.
Feature photo by Victorious.
