August event highlights in Portsmouth
Summer is reaching its peak, and Portsmouth is busier than ever, with Southsea Common covered in classic cars, Palmerston Road thriving during the Love Southsea Market, iconic venues opening their doors for exclusive behind-the-scenes tours, the skies lit up with colour as Portsmouth Kite Festival returns, and the seafront shaken by Victorious Festival 2017. Here’s our list of August highlights for our city:
Love Southsea Market
An eclectic mix of traders will be setting up stalls at the Love Southsea Market in Palmerston Road on the first weekend of August— from makers, artists, illustrators, and vintage clothes traders to jewelry makers, shabby chic sellers, and giftware stalls.
And, ideal for lunchtime, they always offer a diverse selection of street food traders!
Find out more on Team Locals Events »
Beach Buggin’ 2017
Now in its 17th year, Beach Buggin’ takes place on Southsea Common on Sunday 6th August.
This one-day classic/custom car and VW camper rally is a fantastic celebration of all things VW for the whole family to enjoy. If you’re still reminiscing about the childhood outings in your VW bus or loved the Herbie movies, then you’re in for a treat.
Read more on Team Locals Events »
Summer Open Day at the Kings Theatre
Join Portsmouth’s Kings Theatre on Sunday 6th August for their Summer Open Day 2017, an action-packed day for the whole family!
Experience the Edwardian playhouse like never before, with ghost tours, art, drama, heritage tours, singing, and stage combat.
Book your tickets on the Kings Theatre website »
Find out more on Team Locals Events »
Portsmouth Guildhall Tour
Discover the unique history of Portsmouth Guildhall in an informative one-hour guided tour on Monday 7th August.
With over 125 years of Royal occasions, extravagant banquets, and international artists, there is a feast of hidden gems and exciting stories to be discovered within the walls of this splendid building.
Read more on Team Locals Events »
Summer fun at Gunwharf Quays
To celebrate the start of the summer holidays, Gunwharf Quays has announced a programme of family-friendly summer attractions. From spectacular architectural sculptures to traditional fairground rides and a history trail — Gunwharf Quays has the summer holidays covered.
Become a Gunwharf Quays Explorer
This summer, kids can take part in a free trail to learn about the history of the Gunwharf Quays site. With a rich naval heritage, there are lots of artefacts and attractions to be found. Visit the Guest Relations Suite in Central Square to be given a map and stickers – once all the landmarks have been found, guests can return to the Guest Relations Suite to collect their treasure!
Mary Rose Museum Pop Up
Bringing their history and stories outside of their museum in Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard, expect things to do for all the family courtesy of the Mary Rose Museum over the weekend of the 12th & 13th August. Families can meet historical characters and find out more about one of the most famous ships in history.
Everything Comes from the Egg
The monumental sculpture, ‘Stephen Turner’s Exbury Egg’ is located in the central pond of City Quay and the accompanying exhibition, ‘Everything Comes from the Egg’ is now open at Aspex gallery. This incredible exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to see the range of artworks Stephen has made and collected over the course of this unique project.
Vintage fairground
Gunwharf Quays’ famous vintage fairground rides will be in the centre until Sunday 3rd September. The large galloper, helter skelter, two carousels and swing boats will be available for visitors of all ages to enjoy.
Don’t forget to get out on the water
With harbour tours and rib rides available from the Gunwharf Quays Marina, water zorbing, and Mini Ports boat hire available in our ponds, you can make the most of being by the sea this summer.
Find out more about Gunwharf Quays’ events here »
Champagne Sundays at the Spinnaker Tower
Raise a toast to the incredible views this summer at the Spinnaker Tower’s brand new pop-up Champagne Bar event taking place throughout the summer months.
Savour the stunning sunset over Portsmouth Harbour and be serenaded by live music whilst enjoying champagne on the viewing deck 100 metres above sea level.
Book your tickets on the Spinnaker Tower website »
Find out more on Team Locals Events »
Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club at Portsmouth Guildhall
Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club presents the best in live stand-up at Portsmouth Guildhall on Friday 11th August.
They bring you comedians off the telly from such shows as BBC2’s Mock The Week, Channel 4’s 8 Out of 10 Cats, BBC One’s Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, and plenty more.
Book your tickets through Ticketmaster »
Find out more on Team Locals Events »
Portsmouth International Kite Festival
Portsmouth International Kite Festival 2017 takes place on August 12th and August 13th on Southsea Common, and it’s free to enter!
The collaborative event between Portsmouth City Council and tjhe Kite Society of Great Britain promises to be more spectacular than ever, with over 100 kite fliers from across four continents travelling to the event, which is regarded as one of the best kite festivals in the world.
Read more on Team Locals Events »
Royal Marines School of Music Summer Concert and Beating Retreat
The Royal Marines School of Music return to Portsmouth Guildhall for their biggest and most exciting concert of the year.
It’s not just about the music — it’s pageantry and passion, it’s the polish and anticipation. It’s young people performing better than ever and playing amazing music and making it a day to remember.
Book your tickets online through the Portsmouth Guildhall website »
Find out more on Team Locals Events »
Nostalgica: Rhythm of the 90s at The Pyramids
Join Portsmouth’s Pyramids Centre on Saturday 12th August for an evening of ‘Nostalgica’.
Remember when rhythm was a dancer and groove was in the heart? When tie-dye and center partings were acceptable? Headlining the show from 9:00pm is the hugely popular Rhythm of the 90s, following their huge success at Mutiny Festival this year.
Book your tickets on the Pyramids website »
Read more on Team Locals Events »
That’ll Be The Day at the Kings Theatre
The UK’s premier rock‘n’roll production, That’ll Be The Day, returns to the Kings Theatre on Saturday 19th August with another brand new show!
Highly-acclaimed for its stunning live entertainment value, That’ll Be The Day is an outstanding celebration for all true fans of the golden era of popular music.
Book your tickets on the Kings Theatre website »
Find out more on Team Locals Events »
Victorious Festival 2017
Kicking off on Friday 25th August, Victorious Festival comes back to Southsea Common bigger and better than ever with a three-day line-up.
Held on Southsea Common, this family-friendly event is the perfect way to spend your August bank holiday weekend. With five stages, a kids’ arena, champagne bar, market way, circus, and much more, this weekend is not to be missed.