SPLIT Festival
Gosport has a rich history of grassroots live music and nurtures a thriving network of independent venues that host local talent throughout the year. At its core, SPLIT Festival was born from a shared desire to build on this legacy and create an event that would help ensure the long-term success of the town’s music scene.
After early conversations with local venues, the idea of a cross-venue music festival quickly took shape. With support from Quay West Events and Hampshire Cultural Trust, with coordination between venue teams, SPLIT Festival came to life across four town-centre venues: Katies Vinyl & Bar Kitchen, 33 Green Bottles, The Fox and Gosport Museum and Art Gallery.
Each venue programmed their own musical line-ups, showcasing 30 musical acts on one packed day. Technical production on the day was handled by Quay West Studios, with young people involved behind the scenes gaining experience in programming and sound engineering. Culture Connects supported the project through the development of the festival’s branding, managed the marketing of the event and played a central role in coordinating communication and planning between all participating venues to ensure the day ran smoothly.
The response from the public and performers was overwhelmingly positive. All venues were busy throughout the day, with a lively atmosphere and strong community presence. Online, the festival saw over 70,000 social media impressions, with many attendees sharing their experiences and calling for the event to return next year.
“We had an absolutely great time playing at @splitfestivalgosport on Saturday. What a fantastic day full of some great acts!!”
“Amazing event! Congratulations and thank you to all involved! Would love to see it return and become a fixture in the Gosport calendar.”
SPLIT Festival proved that when venues work together and when local artists and communities are put front and centre, something truly exciting can happen. Planning for year two is already underway, with conversations focused on building a sustainable model to keep the momentum going and to make SPLIT a lasting celebration of Gosport’s creative spirit.
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