In 2009 Portsmouth commemorated 65 years since the D-Day landings with events including a 1940’s style party and one million poppies being dropped from the skies over Castle Field. While the dockyard hosted “Royal Navy Past and Present” an event in July to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the laying of HMS Victory’s keel. The Portsmouth Festivities ended with a Ghost Ship Pageant on Castle Field featuring fireworks, light and the burning of a ship.

In September 2009 Portsmouth Live launched which is Portsmouth's very own internet television station. On 5th January 2010 arctic conditions spread across the United Kingdom with Portsmouth being blanketed in thick snow. On 3rd June 2010 the Royal Navy welcomed the second of its class 45 destroyers "HMS Dauntless " into service in Portsmouth.

In the summer the Portsmouth Festivities took the theme of the Victorians – age of wonder and featured the South Coast Proms and culminated in a daytime firework display which was set off by the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis Also on 30th July Navy Days returned to Portsmouth .

Blanketed in Snow HMS Ark Royal returned to Portsmouth on 3rd December for the last time before her decommissioning in March 2011. On 29th April 2011 many of Portsmouth’s streets hosted street parties to celebrate the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton.