Craig David describes the upcoming Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth as a homecoming, and it's easy to understand why. The Southampton-born singer-songwriter headlines Sunday's Après-Sail entertainment programme, performing just a short distance from the places that shaped his early years.
"Every time I'm around the south coast, it brings back so many memories of growing up there," he says. "I spent a lot of time in Southsea with my friends, hanging out on the pier. We used to go to the Portsmouth Pyramids swimming pool, spend time by the water and just be kids."
Those years left a lasting impression on the multi-platinum artist. "The south coast definitely shaped me," he explains. "I had the space to grow up naturally, even while music was my passion. There were loads of times my friends would be going out to play football and I'd stay home to finish a song. Eventually those songs became Walking Away, Fill Me In and Seven Days."
David got his first taste of SailGP at the 2025 Season opener in Dubai, where the combination of elite sport and live entertainment caught his attention. "What stood out was how SailGP brings sport and entertainment together," he says. "You've got these incredible F50s racing, then this whole immersive experience around it, finishing with live music. It feels like you get everything in one ticket. I think Portsmouth will have that same energy, but with even more of a homecoming feeling for me."
Watching teams prepare their F50s behind the scenes drew a parallel with his own world. "You realise it's not just about the driver. It's the whole team behind them," he says. "The preparation, the coordination, everything that makes it happen. I've got a lot of respect for that because it's exactly the same in music. People see me on stage, but there's management, production, tour crew and riggers. Everyone has a role to play and none of it happens without them."
David shares the entertainment bill with pop sensation Jess Glynne, who performs on Saturday with hits including Hold My Hand, I'll Be There and Rather Be. David closes out the weekend on Sunday with his TS5 show, a DJ-led performance blending his biggest hits with club classics in the open-air Race Stadium setting by the waterfront.
Asked which song will always make the setlist, he doesn't hesitate. "Seven Days has to be in there in some form," he says with a trademark grin.
More than 25 years on from first making his mark, David is reflective about what the occasion means. "To come back all these years later and perform in this capacity is really special," he says. "There's a part of me that still feels like the kid thinking, 'Who would have thought this?'"
