Businesses blames music festival for revenue losses up to £1m

Businesses in Portsmouth have raised concerns over the impact of an annual music festival, with one claiming it has lost almost £1m in revenue over the past decade.

Portsmouth City Council heard from local traders during a meeting considering whether to agree new contracts with Victorious Festival and the Great South Run.

Speaking to councillors, Jimmy Norman, director of Clarence Pier, said the authority should "address the impact" of Victorious but said he did not want to see it leave the city.

James Ralls, managing director and co-founder of Victorious Festival, said organisers "try to work with every business".

Norman said that over the past 10 years the pier had "lost over £900,000 in revenue", partly due to the closure of Clarence Esplanade during the festival.

He suggested either moving the festival to another weekend or an alternative layout "to keep the entire seafront open".

The owners of the Big Blue Ticket Company, which runs the arcades at Clarence Pier, said they were "seriously affected" by the music festival, which takes place over the August bank holiday weekend.

They said parking, road closures and other restrictions had "deterred" customers.

They urged a full assessment of the festival's economic impact on local businesses, public information and transport restrictions.

Adam Parsons, from the Coffee Cup, said having the festival had a "huge negative effect on our business numbers" and suggested moving the event to a quieter weekend.

Blue Reef Aquarium said it was "having to argue with security constantly" to allow customers with pre-booked tickets to get to the attraction.

Ralls said: "We try to work with every business but some businesses won't work with us.

"They don't, they just want us to pay the money, they don't want to be be a part of anything, they just want us to make their business better."

Coastal Kitchen's Lucy Branson said: "The businesses that succeed are often the ones that adapt, collaborate and look for opportunities, and Victoria has created many of those opportunities.

"There's a saying, which I think captures it well - a rising tide lifts all boats."

Council officers noted that road closures were put in place due to police recommendations and anti-terrorism legislation.

Following specialist legal advice, it was recommended that the council aim to produce new contracts running until 2036 rather than extend the existing ones.

Council leader Steve Pitt said council and festival staff "remain very willing to work proactively in a way that benefits your businesses" but said this needed to happen "with an open mind".

Since moving to Southsea seafront in 2014, the festival has generated a £159m economic boost for the city, while donating £926,370 to charities and good causes.

The 2026 event saw 80,000 fans attend, with Richard Ashcroft headlining with The Black Keys on the Saturday and Kasabian closing the festival on the Sunday.