Rawkus City is Portsmouth’s free hip-hop arts and movement festival. It returns to Guildhall Square on 13 September 2026, with a Creative Conference the day before and a two-year artist development programme running through to June 2028. Sponsorship packages start at £600.
Portsmouth is longlisted for UK City of Culture 2029, one of seventeen cities nationally. The shortlist is announced in autumn 2026. The September festival lands inside that window, alongside Portsmouth 100 and the city’s centenary year.
The festival is free to attend, accessible and family friendly.
You can back the programme with what your business already does. Supply any of the below and you become a partner, with recognition agreed directly with you and matched to what you give.
Flyers, posters, programmes, info cards, festival t-shirts and lanyards.
Stage banners and the DJ booth backdrop, large-format roll-up or PVC.
Food and drink for the team and volunteers on festival day.
Photography, videography, social content, press release writing, media introductions and copywriting support.
Stage, sound systems, tables and chairs, cables and power, and vehicle hire for equipment transport.
Stewarding, security and first aid provision on festival day.
Packages are allocated first come, first served, with a production deadline of 7 August 2026. Confirming early gives you the widest choice.
Rawkus City 2026 is delivered by Funk Format Soul Rawkus CIC. Supported using public funding by Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants, and supported by Portsmouth City Council.
