Celebrate Portsmouth 100: Our Naval City Festival

FREE festival brings live music, performances, historic vessels, family activities, food and fascinating talks to Portsmouth Dockyard Portsmouth 100: Our Naval City Festival ⚓ Saturday 3 October 2026 | 10:00–21:00 📍 Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Celebrate 100 years of Portsmouth as a city at this FREE one-day festival celebrating the people, places and stories that have shaped our naval city. Enjoy a packed programme of live music and performances, historic vessels and vehicles, fascinating talks, tours, family activities, food and drink, charity stands and market traders. ⚓ What's on? • 🎶 Live music, sea shanties and performances from the HMS Nelson Royal Naval Volunteer Band • 🚢 Historic vessels and vehicles • 🎤 FREE talks with academics from the University of Portsmouth • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family activities, including a special Dockyard trail and Have a Go Archery with the Mary Rose • 🛍️ Love Southsea Mini Market, charity stands and traders • 🍽️ Food and drink, including traditional naval-inspired fare • 🏛️ Heritage experiences, tours and activities throughout the day Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust Tours – 11:00 & 14:00 Uncover the fascinating true story of Jack the Painter (John the Painter) and discover his surprising connection to Portsmouth Dockyard. Tours are led by volunteers from the Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust, many of whom are former Dockyard workers and Royal Navy veterans, passionate about preserving the Dockyard’s civilian history. 👥 Max 12 people per tour 🚤 Last chance for a boat trip this year! Make your festival visit even more memorable with a trip aboard one of our historic vessels. This will be your last chance of the year to get out on the water! • Landing Craft F8 - £12 adult | £6 child (5–15) | £30 family ticket (2 adults + 2 children) - 30-minute experience • High Speed Launch 102 - £65 per person - 45-minute experience • Motor Gun Boat 81 - £130 per person - 1-hour experience 🎟️ Book your boat trip: tickets.portsmouthhq.org/tickets 🍽️ Food & Drink There will be plenty of options to keep you fuelled throughout the festival, including Boathouse 4 Kitchen and a range of food and beverage offerings across the site. 🎟️ Admission Entry to the festival and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard site is FREE. You do not need to book a ticket through Eventbrite to attend the festival - this page is for information and programme details. Please note: Free festival entry does not include admission to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard museums and attractions, which require separate admission. Come and celebrate Portsmouth's extraordinary naval heritage and discover the stories that helped make it the city it is today. For more information and the full programme, visit portsmouthhq.org Saturday 3 October 2026 | 10:00–21:00 Portsmouth Historic Dockyard | FREE ENTRY