Nuart street art festival returns to Aberdeen in June
There's a new theme for this year's popular festival
Last updated 29th Jan 2024
The popular Aberdeen street art festival Nuart is returning for 2023 with a new theme.
It's been a staple of summer in the city since its inaugural year in 2017, only stopping briefly due to the pandemic.
Rewilding the Granite City
The theme of this years event is rewilding.
Martyn Reed, founder and artistic director of the Nuart festivals, said the theme developed from the parallels between street art and the ‘freedom to roam’ in Scotland.
"We decided on rewilding, a topical theme which touches on many of the same issues as access and trespass, but provokes different questions and sends us down different paths. Rewilding isn’t without its own issues, of course - it’s not all meadows full of wildflowers and the freedom to roam.
"But if we take a bird’s eye view of a future city, will the roots from the art on the streets be entwinned around the granite columns of our illustrious art institutions, and will the carefully curated flowers of the institution be flooding out through the double doors and out into the high-street?
"It’s an interesting picture, which is what we live for - and what we’ll hopefully be contributing to the environment in Aberdeen this June."
A tourism boost
The festival is taking place on the second weekend in June, 8th-11th.
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said Nuart Aberdeen is now firmly established in Aberdeen’s cultural landscape.
"Nuart has far reaching appeal. It attracts visitors to the city from out with the area as well as drawing local residents in to discover the new pieces.
"We hope that people will choose to experience Nuart Aberdeen 2023 during the festival weekend and make the most of spending time in the city.
"There will be so many murals and artworks to see, from this year as well as from previous festivals that a weekend in the city will give visitors time and opportunity to soak up everything there is to see and take in the vibrant atmosphere without having to rush."