A guide to planning a long weekend in Portsmouth & Southampton
| 28th February 2019
Planning a weekend getaway? There are plenty of places all over the UK to consider, but if you are planning a summer escape then you will might want to head to the south coast to ensure milder and somewhat brighter weather than you’d get ‘oop-north!’
Portsmouth and Southampton are fantastic cities with lots of interesting events in the coming months.
The International Kite Festival
One brilliant event which could make for a fun and special weekend getaway is the International Kite Festival taking place between the 10th and 11th August in Portsmouth. This colourful event will see the skies filled with stunning kites and amazing kite demonstrations such as swarms of snakes, frogs, lizards and all kinds of other creatures.
Victorious Festival
If music is more your thing then you could head down to the south coast for the Victorious Festival in Portsmouth from 23rd – 25th August. This year the lineup includes big names including Two Door Cinema Club, Rudimental, New Order, The Specials, Bloc Party and Plan B.
Southampton Pride
Southampton Pride is the fastest growing pride festival with this year set to be the biggest yet. It will feature an enormous parade, market stalls, celebrity appearances, live music from S Club and much more. It will be a great celebration and a good chance to show your support for the LGBT community – be sure to check out BooHoo’s Pride Collection and get kitted out.
It takes place on August 24th so you could catch a train from Portsmouth to Southampton and have a fun-filled weekend in both cities.
Unicorn & Prosecco Festival
Magic and happiness can be found at the brilliantly named Unicorn & Prosecco festival which is taking place in destinations around the UK this summer but will arrive in Southampton at Engine Rooms on the 3rd of August. Here you can find the world’s largest inflatable unicorn, unicorn rodeo, unicorn glitter centres, street food vendors, prosecco (obviously), DJs and much, much more.
Other highlights
These are a few of the biggest events that are happening on the south coast this summer but both Southampton and Portsmouth have a lot more to offer on a weekend getaway. Both have lovely beaches that are perfect for soaking up the sun, a wide range of cultural attractions and great food (particularly seafood) and drink – there is a lively nightlife in both cities. This means that there is plenty to keep you entertained and you will be hard-pressed to find better places for a fun weekend away.
During the summer months you will want to get away for a while, but you don’t always have to go overseas for a fun-filled, relaxing break. A trip to the south coast is a good idea as it comes to life during the warmer months of the year, particularly in Southampton and Portsmouth.