The Simpsons announced for Upfest 2018 in Bristol
Posted on: 22 May 2018The world’s favourite animated family are coming to Upfest in Bristol for what is to be the biggest event to date.
In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Upfest, Europe’s largest street art festival to feature animated megastar family, The Simpsons.
Upon its return to South Bristol in the UK from Saturday, July 28th thru Monday, July 30th with Upfest will treat festival goers to renowned artist interpretations of The Simpsons- including Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie throughout the festival.
Having recently announced the 2018 edition of the festival, a special 10th anniversary event is taking place from Saturday 28th - Monday 30th July 2018. The organisers have also announced that the 2018 Festival Artist will be Bristol-based photorealistic artist Jody. The 2017 Festival Artist was Pahnl, a UK based artist who uses stencils, film, animation and photography to bring his miniature world to life on and off the street.
Upfest attracts over 400 artists painting 50 venues throughout Bedminster & Southville, Bristol. Talented artists travel from 70 countries and across the UK to paint live on 60,000 sqft of surfaces in front of 50,000 visitors. The music stages and art workshops round off a visually spectacular weekend.
This year, three Upfest artists have been selected by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening to bring The Simpsons to life in their own unique styles:
Bao, born and based in Hong Kong, is known for her freestyle work with vibrant murals and illustrations.
Soker, a wildstyle writer, is one of Bristol’s finest talents and has been putting his mark on the city since the late 80’s.
Nomad Clan, the collective of Cbloxx and AYLO, one of the most sought-after duos in the international global street art scene.
Speaking on the 2018 announcements, Upfest founder and gallery owner Stephen Hayles said "we can't wait to share what 2018 has in store as plans develop, and we're looking forward to opening artist registration in January to really get things started".
The festival has also announced its continuing support of NACOA - The National Association of Children of Alcoholics. Upfest will once again be used as a platform to fundraise for the charity, who offer support for children affected by alcoholism within their families.
The festival has received an incredible 1,100 applications from artists from 84 different countries ranging from Denmark to South Africa, Malta, Argentina and even Nepal. Organisers are now working through the huge number of talented urban artists - which must be whittled down to 400 artists, representing every corner of the street art scene.
Steve Hayles, Upfest founder, says: “We’re incredibly pumped to be celebrating the iconic characters of The Simpsons. It’s a show truly loved by people of all ages. 2018 marks a significant milestone for us. Being our 10th Anniversary we wanted to go big and given the global phenomenon surrounding The Simpsons makes this the perfect collaboration.”
For more information on Upfest, visit their website here.
Article by:
Hannah recently graduated with a degree in English with Writing. She is an avid writer, freelancer and creative. She is currently writing her first full-length novel and a collection of poetry. Always out and about in Bristol's music scene, she attends music events on a weekly basis.
