About

Ports Fest returns from 26 to 30 June, with a summer programme that's packed with ambitious events and truly immersive experiences. This year's theme is Futures.

Ports Fest is an annual, curated multi-arts festival offering a rich and diverse programme of events taking place at venues right across the city.

Jimmy Burns: A Faithful Spy
26 June, 6pm
Portsmouth High School
Jimmy Burns, the award-winning author and former FT journalist, explores what qualities British intelligence recruiters look for to meet the challenges of today. He will also talk about his widely praised new book A Faithful Spy, which is about the challenges faced by British intelligence – past, present, future

Peer
26-29 June, 10am
Jack House Gallery
Peer is a show of new work from young artists in response to looking and observing the world around us. The display itself considers issues in our contemporary world on a social and political scale, and offers a perspective set by these young artists on the matters that most concern them. It is their hope that change for the better can happen in their future.

The Ballad of Jack 'n' Poll
27 June, 7pm
Groundlings Theatre
Jack and Poll are part of Portsmouth’s historical legacy. Two down and out kids swept up in the high-seas-life of battles waged and sordid acts on salty shores. Head to the Groundlings Theatre for a mixed media puppet show of epic proportions; a phantasmagorical journey to the rum-soaked heart of histories forgotten dynamic duo.

Raymond Antrobus
27 June, 7pm
Portsmouth Guildhall
Raymond Antrobus MBE is a British poet, educator and writer, and investigator of missing sounds. He's won the Ted Hughes Award for new work in poetry, amongst multiple other accolades. His poetry has appeared across the BBC, on Channel 4 and in The Guardian, among others. Portsmouth Guildhall hosts an evening of Raymond's world-class poetry, which will also feature an exciting warm-up with local emerging talent.

Lunch Time Brass Band
28 June, 12pm
Gunwharf Quays
Ahead of summer concerts in Salzburg, the PGS Junior & Senior School Brass Band heads to Gunwhwarf Quays to perform songs from shows and films, along with some classical light music in the open air.

Markus Simijoki
28 June, 6pm
Portsmouth Central Library
Markus was the winner of the Ports Fest Showcase prize in 2023 in support of Portsmouth Music Festival. He is currently an organ scholar at St Mary's Church Fratton and viola player in the National Children's Orchestra. See this emerging talent with an evening of Schubert, Gershwin and Beethoven.

What Lies Ahead
28 and 30 June, 7.30pm
Groundlings Theatre
In collaboration with Crowbait, Groundlings Theatre will be asking local writers to submit short monologues inspired by the title ‘What Lies Ahead’ and the idea of what does the future await for society. These monologues will be performed live at the intimate Groundlings Theatre.

Mardi Gras Parade
29 June, 3pm
Albert Road
Join Ports Fest on Albert Road for this year's Mardi Gras. The theme this year is Futures, and many community groups and young people have been exploring this concept from creating cleaner seas to AI and robotics. This event will also see a world premiere of a new piece of percussion created in partnership with the Multi Story Orchestra. Albert Road will be a hive of activity including live Samba bands to create a carnival atmosphere that will celebrate unity and creativity.

Romeo and Juliet
29 June, 7pm
Mountbatten Centre
Two wealthy families, the Montagues and the Capulets, are at war. Their feud has been long and bitter. But when Romeo, Montague’s son, gate-crashes Capulet’s party in disguise, everything changes. There he meets Juliet, Capulet’s daughter, and the pair fall into an intense, forbidden love that sets in motion a chain of events leading to a devastating conclusion.
Performed by Illyria in the great outdoors, this fast-paced production has been created using only the First Folio text, the most authoritative edition of Shakespeare’s plays. Illyria first performed this terrific play more than two decades ago to critical acclaim worldwide. This summer it returns.
Running time (approx): 2hrs 20min (inc 20 minute interval). Suitable for all ages.
Please bring your own seating/rug, suitable clothing and a picnic. Only assistance dogs are permitted. The venue is wheelchair accessible.

Open Studios
29 and 30 June, 10am
Art Space Portsmouth
Explore all the 30 varied studios at Art Space Portsmouth, where you can talk to the artists, view the members’ exhibition, buy art direct from the artists themselves. Plus, get refreshments from the pop-up café and relax in the garden.

Our Home
30 June, 11am
Gunwharf Quays
Our Home will be an an amazing day of poetry, music, dance, rap, and much more, bringing together Portsmouth’s talented artists from all walks of life. Telling a story of how the city is shaping up, Our Home is a digital journey of arts.