A whole host of exciting events are planned to mark the Portsmouth100 celebrations, from large-scale live performances to community-led initiatives and everything in-between.
All the Portsmouth100 events can be found on the What's On page.
In addition to all those, there are a number of installations, activities and attractions being organised to mark this huge date in Portsmouth's calendar, which are set to run for some weeks or even months. As these go on for a longer time period, or are more intermittent, we've collated them onto this page. Many have come about as a result of the Portsmouth100 Community Grant Scheme, to celebrate pride in the city, its communities and culture - whilst also providing a legacy from this centenary year.
As with all the Portsmouth100 goings on, there's certain to be more to come over the weeks ahead, so be sure to check back to this page regularly to see any new additions.
Your museum. Your stories. Your city.
Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery's centenary exhibition - 'Your museum. Your stories. Your city' - will be set across its two main ground floor gallery spaces and art gallery, co-curated with local communities to reflect the city’s past 100 years.
By uncovering lesser-known stories and amplifying diverse voices, it aims to foster a stronger sense of place and identity. The project will actively involve communities in shaping the displays, ensuring they feel represented and heard.
The exhibition opens at Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery on 26 October, and has been made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players.
Find out more about some of the items in Portsmouth Museum's collection on its website.
Solent Original Walks
Regular guided walks will take place around Old Portsmouth and the surrounds throughout this anniversary year, to showcase the area's history and heritage - whilst also shining a light on mental health.
Delve into various facets of Portsmouth history, including the life and death of Admiral Nelson, the area's historic pubs, the battle fought to retain common ground in the city, and loads more besides. What's more, during 2026 all walkers will be given a copy of the Portsmouth100 Factsheet, featuring one hundred interesting facts about the area.
All walks are at a leisurely pace, and are wheelchair, children and dog-friendly. The maximum group size is 15.
Walks take place regularly and are free to attend, though donations are welcomed.
Discover more on the Solent Original Walks website.
2126: What If?
Aspex celebrates Portsmouth100 by inviting three artists connected to the city to envision its next hundred years. Exploring themes of sustainability, community, justice, and technology, 2126: What if? encourages visitors to reflect, dream, and contribute to a collective, hopeful future, shaping a visionary narrative that honors the city’s past while looking forward with imagination and purpose. It opens on 26 June and runs until 6 September.
Lively Lady: Around and Around
See the historic boat in which the late Sir Alec Rose single-handedly sailed around the world during his 1968 adventure.
Lively Lady, the historic boat that took Southsea greengrocer Alec Rose around the world, will be afloat and on show for 3-4 weeks from July 4 in a live exhibit at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard's Boathouse No. 4. She will be manned by volunteers and supporters who will gladly show the public around the boat and be available to answer any questions. There's more information on the boat and its restoration on the Lively Lady website.
Cycling Without Age Centenary Tour
During the Pride of Portsmouth lion trail (13 July to 13 September), The YOU Trust will be offering rides on its trishaws to vulnerable, socially isolated people, or those with mobility problems. This will ensure those who may not otherwise be able to see different routes of the tour won't miss out.
Anyone wanting to get involved can self-refer or be referred by family/friends or local organisations. The YOU Trust will offer bi-monthly drop ins at various locations throughout the tour route (with the trishaw in tow), where there will also be other services and local charities for signposting.
This venture aims to celebrate the local community and culture, whilst enabling people to see the trail and be aware of solutions for any additional needs.
Find out more details about Cycling Without Age, as well as the charity more widely, on the YOU Trust website.
Good Deeds in Portsmouth
GoodGym Portsmouth is made up of a group of local residents who run, walk or cycle to help out community projects and older people in Portsmouth. It is contributing to the Portsmouth100 commitment to do one hundred acts of good during this centenary year - but going further still, with an attempt to do 100 good deeds a month!
Across the course of the year the group will be doing its usual activities, plus some Portsmouth100-specific good deeds - so keep an eye on the GoodGym Portsmouth website and its social channels for all the details.
Crying Out Loud: The Point is Portsmouth
From June to September 2026, The Point Is Portsmouth, produced by Crying Out Loud, will bring a summer of bold, high-energy events to the city, transforming civic, heritage and community spaces through live performance and shared experiences.
The programme spans contemporary circus, large-scale outdoor performance, immersive installations and community-led activity - featuring an exciting line-up of international circus and dance artists, bringing globally recognised performance to Fratton, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Victoria Park and Guildhall Square.
Companies include Šeiko Dance Company from Lithuania and Morocco’s Company Zid, alongside Catalan artists Delrevés, Osadia and If Circus. Each will present bold, visually striking work - much of it showing in the UK for the first time - reinforcing Portsmouth’s position as a destination for ambitious, internationally connected cultural experiences.
Read more about the summer of activities on the Crying Out Loud website.
Love Your House: A celebration of the Portsmouth Terraced House
The Portsmouth Society is running a campaign throughout the centenary year to record and celebrate one of the city’s most characteristic buildings - its terraced houses!
Participants are encouraged to share a photo of their terraced home (or their favourite houses in Portsmouth if they do not live on a terrace) on the Portsmouth Society website. This will go on to form a record of how the city looks in its 100th year.
Find out more about the project on the Sustainable Conservation Trust website.
Pompey People: The Portsmouth100 Podcast
Pompey People: The Portsmouth100 Podcast will shine a spotlight on the voices, experiences and untold stories from across Portsea Island, celebrating the people who live, work and create in our city every day.
Hosted by local ambassador and content creator Terence Carvalho, the series forms part of both Portsmouth100 and Express20 - marking 100 years of Portsmouth being a city and 20 years of Express FM serving the community.
People from across the city will be invited to share their stories, whether they’re small business owners, students, frontline workers, volunteers, creatives, lifelong Pompey locals or anyone whose journey deserves to be heard.
Want to listen or even get involved? Find out how on the Express FM website.
Coconuts: Paradise in Portsmouth100
100 residents. Two electric bikes. One unforgettable city.
To celebrate Portsmouth’s centenary, Coconuts is giving away free guided electric bike tours for two all summer long (1 June - 31 October). Glide along the stunning coastline and rediscover the city like never before - from the seafront to the Spinnaker, vibrant street art to the International Port, and from Charles Dickens’ birthplace to Langstone Harbour.
Feel the buzz of fresh air, light adventure, and great company - whether you ride with a friend, partner, colleague… or even build up some brownie points with your boss.
Coconuts is more than your average courier company, it aims to deliver paradise across Portsmouth - connecting communities with new urban transport solutions. From its coastal bike tours to reliable delivery service, everything Coconuts does is about bringing people closer - revitalising streets, sparking connection, and helping shape a city that’s safer, healthier, and more social for everyone.
Hop on. Ride out. Fall in love with Portsmouth all over again - getting ready for the next 100 years.
Discover more on the Coconuts website.
University of Portsmouth: Pompey of the Past - Narrative Game Jam
The Games Team at the University of Portsmouth hosts a game jam (an event where participants gather to create short, innovative videogame prototypes, within a limited timeframe) themed around the city and its heritage to celebrate Portsmouth100.
The university has a long history of running games jam events, and even has its own itch.io page where past entries are uploaded for the public to play. To celebrate this centenary year, the UoP's next games jam will be themed around Portsmouth's rich cultural heritage.
Jammers will have until 9 June 2026 to create and upload their prototypes. Note this is a publicly accessible (remote) jam, so all entries are very welcome - and even if you have no interest in participating in a build project, the games will be publicly available from 9 June on the university's itch.io page.
Bobby and Rozina Mehta: Fundraising Activities
Bobby and Rozina Mehta are on a mission throughout the Portsmouth100 year to raise funds for five incredible charities: DementiaUK, Pompey In The Community, Spark Community Space, The Mary Rose Museum and Urbond.
These organisations represent a powerful cross-section of vital work: reducing isolation; preserving national heritage; empowering young people; strengthening community bonds; creating education and sporting opportunities; and providing specialist dementia support.
By supporting these five charities together, Bobby and Rozina aim to put Portsmouth's community spirit into action - caring for the city's people, preserving its history and investing in the next generation - to not just look back with pride, but build forward with purpose.
A GoFundMe page has been created to take donations.
Hope Church Centenary Garden
Hope Church Portsmouth will use the anniversary year to uplift the outdoor grounds around the church, creating a dedicated space for quiet reflection and prayer. Offering greenery and outdoor peace in an area of the city without much accessible green space, this new area will be free and open to the community, with signage dedicated to Portsmouth100, recognising the significance of the event and creating a permanent reminder of the city's history and impact.
Work will begin in July and is expected to be completed by August/September.
Island City Voices: 100 Years of Pompey Voices
The Island City Cafe in North End will be documenting local people’s stories through imagined phone calls - everything from reflecting on the past to saving messages for themselves or for future generations.
This project will provide the people of Portsmouth with an opportunity to explore the importance of gathering, preserving and interpreting the voices and memories of local communities. It's hoped the scheme will bring together individuals from all walks of life to share their stories, struggles, and vision for the future.
The finished product will be made accessible through various social media channels, so anyone can have access to see and listen to the stories shared and can interact with the ‘callers’.
Queens Hotel centenary celebration: The icing on the cake
Celebrating the city centenary by bringing design and tech expertise to its famed afternoon teas, the Queens Hotel enlisted the help of the University of Portsmouth to create a new design to be stencilled onto its macarons. A host of design entries came in, with the hotel eventually settling on that from Masters student Vishnu Ellampallil Venugopal - who uses geometry and minimalism to tell stories of meaning, memory and identity.
His design - which ties together the 100-year story of Portsmouth and the Queens Hotel - will be emblazoned onto the hotel's afternoon tea macarons for the remainder of 2026. What's more, after seeing the story of local 104-year-old Betty Cowley in the Portsmouth News, the Queens Hotel ensured she would be a VIP guest - and one of the first people to try the newly decorated treats.
