The Portsmouth Music Experience Exhibition

The Portsmouth Music Experience Exhibition is open at Portsmouth Guildhall, a permanent look at the city's musical history. It's a broad one, too: it traces the music and the history of the Guildhall itself, but sets that within a wider historical context. There are dedicated spaces for the broader musical influences that have shaped the city, so it's as much about Portsmouth's wider sound as it is about the building it's housed in.

Inside, you'll find accounts of some big moments that happened right here. The Beatles played the Guildhall, and Pink Floyd premiered Dark Side of the Moon in the same building, both of which get their own space. The exhibition doesn't just stick to the household names, either; it includes video, audio from Portsmouth bands, and photographs, so you'll hear as much as you see. It's presented as a first version, and they're open to contributions from visitors, so if you've got a story or a piece of the city's music history that belongs here, it's a space that wants to hear it.

It's a general-interest exhibition, aimed at music fans and anyone with an interest in Portsmouth's cultural history, and it's suitable for all ages. It's free to enter, and it's open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 16:00, with the exhibition running until 31 December 2027.