Summer holidays with kids are always a mix of optimism (“we’ll make memories!”) and reality (“we’ll make memories, mostly of whinging”). When I saw that the Portsmouth Fringe Festival was happening for the first time this year, thanks to Porstmouth Hub, on 26th July and 3rd August, I thought: why not? A family day out, lots of activities, and, crucially, other people’s entertainment of my children. Bliss.
We picked the 26th July date, which, in true British style, started off grey and windy. Nothing screams “family fun” like threatening rain clouds. Still, armed with raincoats, snacks, and an optimistic sense of adventure, we headed to the festival site.
First Impressions
The Fringe doesn’t pretend to be Glastonbury, thank heavens. It’s small, friendly, and run with a very local, community vibe. Instead of hordes of teens in glitter and hotpants, there were toddlers clutching bubbles, parents clutching coffee, and pensioners happily watching it all unfold. I immediately relaxed; this was not going to be a day of battling drunk twenty-somethings in a muddy field.
We were greeted by music from a local band on the main stage, the kind of upbeat acoustic stuff that makes you want to tap your foot even if you’re trying to look cool (or, in my case, pretending not to look panicked as my youngest legged it towards the bouncy castle).
Children Entertained = Parents Happy
The beauty of Portsmouth Fringe is that it actually thinks about kids. There were workshops for them to join in with, from silly dance sessions to craft corners where glue sticks were somehow not entirely glued to the floor. Mine spent a good hour making something with feathers and glitter that later disintegrated in the car, but it kept them happy.
The bouncy castle was, of course, the centrepiece. The queue was biblical, but once they were on it, they were out of my hair long enough for me to drink half a cup of lukewarm tea in peace. That alone is worth the entry donation.
Street performers wandered about, juggling, balancing on unicycles, and generally reminding me how deeply uncool I am. The kids were enthralled; I was mostly impressed that nobody fell on their head.
The Food Situation
Festival food can often be dodgy and extortionate, but Portsmouth Fringe had a decent mix. Local stalls dished up everything from wood-fired pizza to churros. We went for burgers- messy, meaty, and wolfed down before the children noticed the churro stand. The only downside? Prices were definitely “festival”, not “family day out at the park”.
I paid £12 for a burger and chips and then had to sit on the grass because chairs were like gold dust. Still, better than making sandwiches at 7am.
Music & Atmosphere
As the afternoon went on, the music got livelier. The main stage hosted everything from indie covers to proper crowd-pleasing pop, while smaller corners had folk musicians and buskers. At one point, a brass band marched through, which sent the kids spinning around in delight and me wondering if I should have brought earplugs.
The atmosphere, though, was the winner. Families sprawled out on picnic blankets, kids running feral but in a safe, contained way, and volunteers with big smiles keeping everything ticking along. You don’t always feel welcome with little ones at public events, but here it was clear that chaos was part of the plan.
The Downsides (Because There Always Are Some)
I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have a moan:
- The toilets. Always, the toilets. Queues, smells, and the children suddenly needing to go at the worst possible moment. Enough said.
- The weather. The drizzle arrived mid-afternoon and hung about just long enough to dampen the grass and my mood. Luckily it didn’t put a stop to the fun, but my shoes may never recover.
- Crowds. While it wasn’t unbearable, the bouncy castle queue alone could have been classified as cruel and unusual punishment. Next year: more inflatables, please.