Beach Dubbin’ – The ULTIMATE VW Show by the Sea
This fabulous event is back on Sunday 6th for a whole day of VW love! Attending for the last few years, I love the buzz that this cool stretch of stalls, cars and people bring to our city!
Last year, It was very hot but it didn’t put us off exploring the site. We loved the independent love from local foodie businesses like Need Street and Hunter Gatherer and this year there will be even more.
I feel like this event just gets better and better every time it arrives. Last year, we bought ourselves an old pantry cupboard and had to walk home with it, but we love it and it is a reminder that the whole experience isn’t just about cars but so many things you can buy.
Strong Island had just launched their new kids range with fancy sunglasses included and Heather Leather was on form providing cool bunting for happy campers. This year both indies will be back and there is a chance to see so much more.
What is Beach Dubbing?
Beach Dubbin is an annual not for profit Volkswagen and classic vehicle event held on Southsea Common with the aim of raising as much money for charity as possible. Beach Dubbin’ was born out of the ashes of BeachBuggin’ after the previous organisers decided in 2018 that their time with the show needed to come to an end. Beach Buggin’ had been a staple in the Portsmouth events calendar for 18 years, and raised over £80,000 for various local charities in that time. So to hear that this was potentially the end of the line for the show broke many hearts, and with that, out of passion and love for the show, Charlotte, Jason, Kate, Mark, Sue, and Grant took up the epic challenge of reinventing the show and putting it on with only 3 1/2 months to do it.
From being established in 2018, it has gone from strength to strength thanks to the amazing support from all within the VW scene, and locally too. It seems everyone was just as desperate as the crew organising it to keep the show where it belonged – in the heart of Southsea. Beach Dubbin’ is entering its fifth year and has to date raised £57,592.95 for various local charities and causes – slowly catching up with BeachBuggin’s totals!
Having attracted all kinds of Volkswagens – aircooled, watercooled, vintage, modern, plus lots of other vintage and classic vehicles, as well as lots of amazing car clubs who all exhibit their vehicles for the public, makes this a cool place to come and visit. There is the sea, the culture and the indies to entice you,
Something that also makes this a special event is the fact it is free to attend for the walking public and the money raised is derived from sponsorship as well as those attending the show in their vehicles. Trade pitches and merchandise contribute too, which adds depth for the public to enjoy more than just cars. The charge of £10 per vehicle including all occupants, makes this event an affordable day for all the family. Adding to that is plenty of attractions for children, and adults alike.
Giving Back to the Local Community
Asking Charlotte about the event she said, “We are all about feeding back into the local area and we are proud that most of our traders and caterers are from the Hampshire area, and if they aren’t it’s because they are VW related. We are proud to support our local community and independent businesses, as they have always supported us.
This year at Beach Dubbin’ you can find performances from Andrei Burton (multi Guinness Book of World Records holder, and contestant on Britain’s Got Talent), Jiggy Wrigglers, Cosplayers from Dream Team (official partner of Portsmouth’s Comicon), two fantastic DJs – DJ Gazman and Eddie Lovebus, and Slippers the Split (both operating out of campervans), and a performance from Southern SKA Collective Choir.
We have a dedicated family area which is sponsored by Saltrock, with family friendly catering, some free sessions from Jiggy Wrigglers, and some paid for activities. We also have Portsmouth Breastfeeding Network back offering advice and a space to feed babies and littles.
We try to make our show as family friendly, and as inclusive as possible. We just want everyone to have a wonderful day with us, and enjoy the vehicles and the show as much as we do! The
Beach Dubbin’ – The ULTIMATE VW Show by the Sea
show is exclusively run by volunteers, and all profits less the cost of the show are donated to charity and this is something we are incredibly proud of.
‘Beach Dubbin’ is on Sunday 6th August 2023 from 10am to 4pm on Southsea Common. We hope to see you all there!”
I don’t know about you but I feel incredibly lucky to have such an event like this that comes back to our beloved common year after year! Hope to see many of you down there. One of the only decisions you might have to consider is which indie foodie stand to attend first.
Featured Imaage – Jason Cornish
