The explosive new incarnation of Upfest begins next week
Posted on: 08 May 2024Upfest Presents, the new 18-day long version of Europe’s largest street art festival, returns to Bristol next week, Friday 17 May.
Upfest is Europe’s largest street art festival – which would usually take place over a weekend in a park. However, after a rocky few years for the festival (and the world, being fair), and a hiatus in 2023, Upfest have reconsolidated, rested and rethought (and crowdfunded) their way into an exciting new dawn.
Their crops are watered, their skin is clear – and they’re presenting a 3-week programme of exciting street art events. Upfest Presents, as the festival is now styled, takes place from the 17 May – 2 June and encompasses workshops, activities, music – and, of course, live painting!
Workshops running as part of the festival include a beginniner’s lino cut workshop on 24 May; the “Draw a Dino” workshop with Andy Council (you’ll have seen his dinosaurs constructed from Bristol landmarks around the city) on 25 May; and a chat with a prolific artist in An Evening with Mister Samo on 30 June. That’s just a fraction of what’s going on though, so head to the Upfest website to see more.
It’s also worth pointing out the multiple collaborative murals taking place over the 18 days – including the POSCA Doodle Wall (in collaboration with POSCA pens), and the Upfest Masking Tape Collaborative Mural via Tape Art Project.
Music comes out on the weekends, with Saturday DJ sessions taking over the Tobacco Factory from midday to 20:00 – enjoy the sunshine and the varied beats of varied DJs, and who knows: you might even see a few artists coming down to boogie in between paints!
Speaking of, you can see a list of which artists are painting on which days (and where they’re painting) via the Upfest website, with usually around 30-40 artists each day – this is a chance to see some of Bristol’s, the UK’s and the world’s best artists at work. Whether you’re an aspiring artist looking to observe to improve your skills, or just an admirer of street art, make sure you catch some of these; it’s what the festival is all about!
Upfest Presents takes place from Friday 17 May to Sunday 2 June - find all the details, full list of events, artists, and tickets on their website.
Read more:
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Get to Know on the Go: Stephen Hayles, founder of Upfest
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Upfest: Look out for a special Upfest Bus driving around Bristol
Article by:
Patrick is a filmmaker with so much Bristol in his blood the white blood cells are graffiti'd. Educated at the Northern Film School in Leeds, he’s returned home to be a Videographer and Reviewer for 365Bristol and BARBI. When he’s not messing about with cameras, he enjoys playing guitar, spending far too much time on tabletop RPGs, and being an awful snob about cider. Have a look at his work here, or get in touch at patrickb@365bristol.com.
