With school holidays fast approaching and the lifting of lockdown restrictions meaning that things are starting to go back to normal, it's time to start planning your summer activities.

Whether you're a seasoned visitor or a first timer, there's plenty to keep you entertained as you put the wind in your sails at the Great Waterfront City. Take a look at our suggestions below if you're wondering what to do in Portsmouth this summer.

Events

After a year off, many of the city's biggest events are making a welcome return in 2021. Among them is Victorious Festival, which will once again bring some of the biggest bands and artists to Southsea Common over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

This year's event will feature headliners The Streets, Royal Blood and Madness, alongside Nile Rodgers & Chic, Annie Mac, Craig David, The Kooks, Richard Ashcroft and loads more besides.

Victorious Festival fireworks

Of course, families are also well catered for at Victorious Festival, with a whole arena dedicated to fun things to do for all ages. You can expect to find fairground rides, live music, and activities organised by some of the city's biggest and best-loved attractions.

What's more, ticket prices remain lower than comparative events, so it's an affordable day out - or even a full weekend - that everyone can get involved in.

Victorious Festival isn't your only chance to enjoy live music this summer, however. Live at the Bandstand makes a very welcome return, with a host of acts across numerous genres performing right alongside the water's edge.

Live at the Bandstand returns on 24 July and runs on both Saturdays and Sundays until 26 September (barring a short break for Victorious Festival and the site build). As ever, it's totally free to attend.

Flyer image for Live at the Bandstand

Staying on Southsea Common, we also have the return of the Portsmouth International Kite Festival over the weekend of 7-8 August, with this year's theme being 'Enjoy the Sky'. There will be a huge selection of kite displays to enjoy, from the large novelty kites featuring characters you'll know and love, to breath-taking aerial displays set to music. If you want to get in on the action, there will be a number of stalls selling kites and all the related gear, as well as food and drink.

Other events for the whole family to enjoy include the Assault Course at Fort Nelson, Port Solent Kids Club, Beach Dubbin', and Summer Saturdays at Aspex Portsmouth.

Attractions

Portsmouth's attractions are gearing up to welcome visitors back for a bumper summer, after having to close their doors for long spells in 2020. Visitors will likely see a few changes from when they last came - and not just with some one-way systems and timed entry slots. In fact, there are a load of entirely new things to see and enjoy.

The D-Day Story has a brand-new attraction you literally cannot miss - as it's a 57-metre-long Landing Craft Tank situated right outside the museum. Following a multi-million-pound restoration project undertaken by the National Museum of the Royal Navy with Heritage Lottery Funding, the craft has been brought back from the brink and restored to its former glories.

LCT by night

Now, LCT 7074 is open as a visitor attraction as part of The D-Day Story. Your visit to the museum starts with a trip around the LCT, where you'll see the sprawling tank deck (big enough to carry 10 vehicles), as well as the areas where crew members ate and slept on their Channel crossings.

Over at The Mary Rose, meanwhile, you'll find 1545: When Their World Ended. It's a brand-new, immersive experience that shows visitors the ship's final moments before sinking into the Solent. There's also a very familiar voice guiding you through proceedings, with narration from bona fide national treasure Dame Judi Dench.

Staying inside Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, visitors can also now take in HMS Victory from a new vantage point. The Under-Hull Walkway is now open, letting you head down into the base of the state-of-the-art dry dock and see a new view; a first for Victory.

Of course, we can't forget Southsea Seafront - is it even a trip to Portsmouth without seeing (or even dipping your toes into) the sea? Pop-up Portsmouth means there are a host of new coffee outlets and eateries in huts along the seafront, or you can take in some traditional fish and chips at the end of South Parade Pier. If you're looking to avoid the crowds, head for a walk along the Eastney end of the beach where you'll have plenty of open space to yourself.

Southsea Seafront and South Parade Pier

Plus, getting around is easier than ever, with a new open-top bus service running throughout summer.

If you're looking for free things to do in Portsmouth this summer, then Southsea Castle is a great place to start. Inside you can discover more about King Henry VIII, who helped design the fortification and was inside during the Battle of the Solent - when the Mary Rose sank. You can stand in the same spot, looking out over the sea or back towards the city over Southsea Common.

Food and drink

The city's hospitality businesses cannot wait to get back to serving their customers or showing off their skills to new visitors. Whether you have a firm favourite you have to visit every time you come down, or want to try something new and interesting, this summer is the opportune moment to do so.

New to Portsmouth is the Garden Restaurant, opened on Florence Road as part of the Mercer Collection. Made for sunny summer days, the outside space is a great location to enjoy cold drinks and hot pizza, just a stone's throw from the seafront. Even if the weather isn't keeping up its end of the bargain when you visit, there are indoor tables available to hide away in luxury.

If you want to sample some of the local spirit, a tour of the Portsmouth Distillery is a must. Not only do you get to see the fascinating inner workings of a micro distillery (and sample some of the produce, naturally), you also get to enjoy its magnificent surroundings - the casements of historic Fort Cumberland. You can stay put and enjoy some rum or gin (or even the 'botanical rum' that sits between the two), or take some away to enjoy a taste of Portsmouth back at home.

Whatever you want out of your summer trip to the Great Waterfront City, you'll certainly have plenty of choice. And we simply can't wait to welcome you back.

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  1. Haze
    Looking forward to coming down there the weekend of the kite festival. We got married in Pompey 54 years ago and living up north we still try to get down there at least once a year. Love the place. ❤️
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