Four days of action-packed entertainment at ACWS Portsmouth

by Dan Wilkinson 30 Jun 2015 09:57 BST 23-26 July 2015

Portsmouth Live! Spandau Ballet, Wet Wet Wet, McBusted and Carly Rae Jepsen to bring the party to Southsea common on the evening of Saturday 25th July

• Presenter Davina McCall to host the official live event prizegiving on Sunday 26th July in the Free Waterfront Festival Arena
• RAF Red Arrows, Red Bull Matadors, The Blades, Trig Aerobratic & Grace Spitfire aerial displays confirmed to fly over the four day event
• Moth Racing and freestyle kitesurf champions demonstrating each morning
• Interactive fan experiences on offer in the Race Village

The America's Cup World Series is guaranteed to provide an adrenaline fuelled spectacle out on the water, with the world's best sailors fighting it out in this prestigious competition. But the America's Cup World Series is not just all about the sailing: off the water there is a packed four-day programme of entertainment to enthral all the family, taking place in Portsmouth this July 23-26.

Portsmouth Live! – Saturday 25th July. The America's Cup World Series includes a spectacular evening programme (paid-ticketed separately), with the highlight being the Saturday July 25 pop extravaganza with performances from 1980s New Romantics Spandau Ballet, Scottish record-breakers Wet Wet Wet, boy band supergroup McBusted and Canadian star Carly Rae Jepsen.

Portsmouth Live! Saturday tickets holders now also allow full day access to the previously sold out Waterfront Festival Arena. Tickets are available via www.ticketmaster.co.uk/portsmouthlive

On the Thursday and Friday nights we welcome the South Coast Proms featuring the Massed Bands of Her Majesty's Royal Marines – an amazing evening of with this fantastic 64 piece band – don't miss it.

Look up!

While the America's Cup World Series racing catamarans will be flying over the water, up in the sky there are fantastic aerial displays. The famous RAF Red Arrows, one of the world's best aerobatic display teams, will bring their distinctive nine red Hawk jets, flying in tight formation as they fill the sky with plumes of coloured smoke and synchronised manoeuvres. The Red Arrows display takes place on Friday 24th July.

On Saturday 25th we welcome the Red Bull 'Matadors', with two modern acrobatic planes pushing the limits in a creative show packed with incredible stunts before the America's Cup racing starts. The Blades acrobatic display team will also hold a display with four high performance planes flown by former RAF fast-jet pilots performing a routine that includes over 30 manoeuvres and features plenty of close-crosses and heart-stopping dives.

The displays continue on Sunday 26th July with two bright yellow biplanes, the super-manoeuvrable 'Pitts Special', belonging to the Trig Aerobatic team performing stunts including loops and barrel rolls, with roaring engines and spectacular smoke. And an original 1944 Spitfire, the 'Grace Spitfire' ML407 will close the event by showcasing the agility of the famous and much-loved Second World War fighter plane.

Get hands-on in the Race Village

The America's Cup World Series isn't just about watching the spectacle – there are lots of chances to get involved and try out new experiences at the Race Village on Southsea Common, which will be buzzing from 1000am every day.

Take a ride on the big wheel, or head for the America's Cup Cinema Experience to get a surround-sound view of an America's Cup race. The home team, Ben Ainslie Racing, will have a virtual reality simulator which gives visitors the chance to experience what the America's Cup crews go through on the flying AC45s, and you can test your fitness against the sailors with the famous 'grinding' competition.

The Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation dinghy simulator lets you try out sailing for yourself – without getting wet! – and you can also take part in your own tinfoil boat race or knot tying competition. The RNLI will be running games and activities on their stand, while Heart FM will be offering face painting for little ones, and don't miss the Hampshire Fire & Rescue service vehicles on display.

Fancy a challenge? You can pit yourself against the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in a series of engineering and fitness challenges including a 40' climbing wall and offshore raiding craft. There is even a Red Arrows simulator, where you can climb into the cockpit of a virtual jet plane and see the world upside down like a Red Arrows pilot.

Discover more about how YOU could sail around the world with Clipper Ventures (no previous experience required!), or how to learn to sail closer to home at the Royal Yachting Association's stand. Plus the chance to take home unique memorabilia from the official America's Cup merchandise store.

There will also be plenty of opportunities to enjoy a drink or snack, from outlets including Goslings 'Dark and Stormy' bars, a pop-up Waitrose store and a host of independent food outlets.

Above the water

It's not just the AC45F catamarans that will be sailing high. The International Moth dinghies – which 'foil', or fly above the water on hydrofoils – will be out in force before the America's Cup races start. These singlehanded dinghies sail at incredible speeds several feet above the sea featuring some of the best Moth sailors in the world – Chris Rashley, Robert Greenhalgh, Ben Paton and Mike Lennon.

Also watch out for 'Team Bridge', a remarkable family of freestyle kitesurfer champions that includes three brothers – the youngest aged just 12 years old. They'll be demonstrating this fast-growing sport by showing off freestyle manoeuvres on the waters off Southsea.

Closing ceremony

After racing cheer the winners at a gala prize ceremony at the Waterfront Festival Arena on Sunday July 26th. Presenter Davina McCall (The Jump, Million Pound Drop, Long Lost Family, Big Brother) will be hosting the prizegiving featuring some very special guests yet to be announced and all of the race teams.

Fanzone Arena tickets are still on sale for across all four days Thursday 23rd - Sunday, July 26, which will also give access to the Sunday prizegiving. All current Waterfront Festival Arena (free) ticket holders will also be able to watch the prize giving show.

Book the summers 'must have' ticket, www.ticketmaster.co.uk/acwsportsmouth