Music festival marks return after 2023 cancellation

23 August 2024 Connor Steel

GOSPORT WATERFRONT FESTIVAL returned to Walpole Park last week as crowds attended a jam-packed weekend of live music from 16-18, after unfortunately being cancelled in 2023 to huge disappointments from its fans.

The event transformed Walpole Park into a venue complete with activities for children, food and drinks vendors; alongside stalls run by local businesses. It also saw the return of 90s boy band East 17 as Saturday headliners, having previously headlined in 2022, as well as a wide range of other bands of which many of them are local to the area.

I was invited to write about the occasion on behalf of the Gosport & Fareham Globe and attended for two days of the three-day spectacle; Saturday and Sunday. Below are my thoughts on the events and readers can enjoy photographs in the gallery below.

Saturday:

The festival opened at 12pm on both Saturday and Sunday, with acts starting shortly after. The early afternoon on Saturday saw performances from acts such as Parallel Lines, China Lake and Stone Cold Sober.

Saturday afternoon brought us Spike and the Pieman, a local family band performing covers of 70s and 80s rock classics. The band consisted of vocalist Emma Hughes (who also helped with the organisation of the event), lead guitarist Tom Hughes, bassist Andy Gent and drummer Spike Hughes. Jordan Bernice also stepped in to help out on rhythm guitar.

Spike and the Pieman were a lot of fun, and as the sun set, the festival started to get increasingly lively and busy. Next up was HARDDRIVE, an 80s synth pop duo consisting of Vic Woods and Kev McManus. They performed a range of the best “80s bangers”, such as A-ha, The Human League and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. They were also joined on stage by Steph Leaver, who also had her own set earlier in the day performing pop ballads.

HARRDRIVE gave a passionate performance and were a massive hit with the audience, with everyone singing along to every song. After an encore, they got the crowd ready and excited for the final act of the day.

Now it was time for the day’s headliners: East 17. According to the event organisers, East 17 returned to Gosport Waterfront Festival “due to their outstanding success” at the 2022 festival. The festival had never repeated a headline act the following year, but made an exception for East 17 due to their popularity among the crowd.

East 17 gave it their all, with a high energy performance complete with choreography and acrobatics. It was clear to see why they were such a hit in 2022 and with that, a thoroughly enjoyable Saturday was brought to an exciting close.

Sunday:

Early afternoon on Sunday brought us Del Ince, a 50s/60s swing singer who performed classics from singers such as Bobby Darin and Frank Sinatra. Ince got the audience singing and dancing along; he also runs open mic nights at the Three Tuns in Gosport and the Red Lion in Stubbington.

Next up were Midnight Sun, an eclectic band who performed a wide array of songs, ranging from the Beatles and Nancy Sinatra from the 60s, to the White Stripes from the 2000s. Midnight Sun’s members were also a wide range of ages, with the youngest member being just 13 years old.

It was great to see young musical talent being promoted at Gosport Waterfront Festival; bands from the St Vincent College music department playing on both Saturday and Sunday. By mid-afternoon, it was Bullfrog’s turn to take to the stage. They performed covers of the Who, the Beatles and Primal Scream to name a few; giving us a strong and professional performance.

Other acts that played on Sunday included The Alibi, Voltaires and The Groove Lemons. Sunday’s headliner was Big Brother Soul, a soul music group who have been performing locally for 25 years. And this brought the Gosport Waterfront Festival 2024 to an end with possibly thousands of people visiting across the three days; some not missing any acts and enjoying the hot weather that accompanied the entertainment.

It is great to have an event like this in Gosport. Gosport Waterfront Festival is a Community Interest Company, meaning that it serves to benefit the community, rather than existing for profit. With festival and concert tickets becoming increasingly expensive, it is nice to have an affordable and accessible option in the heart of the town, aimed at all ages and music tastes. Additionally, this festival gives local artists a chance to perform and gain recognition; so here’s to Gosport Waterfront Festival 2025!

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