Plans revealed for Upfest's 15th anniversary
Organisers say next year's street art event will be bigger than ever
The organisers of Bristol Street Art festival Upfest say it will be back with a bang in 2022.
This afternoon (20/12) they have announced plans for the event on May 28 and 29 next Spring, with 2022 set to mark the festival's 15 year anniversary.
The festival, considered Europe's biggest street art event, is renowned for bringing together street art’s freshest talents and next year the festival will see new murals begin to emerge in Bedminster from May 5, three weeks before the official festival weekend.
Following three weeks of street painting, the festival weekend will see hundreds of artists painting live with festival hubs at Tobacco Factory and Ashton Gate Stadium.
For the first year the festival will take over Greville Smyth Park as its main venue with music and live painting across the weekend.
Upfest co-founder, Steve Hayles, said: “It feels great to be bringing the festival back in all its glory, especially for its 15th year anniversary.
"2022 will see a new format to the festival with three weeks of street painting then a weekend with a true festival feel at Greville Smyth Park, we can’t wait to bring the fans of the festival together again for an incredible weekend of live painting.
"We will be continuing our long-standing support of NACOA (National Association of Children of Alcoholics), who’ll be back at the festival making sure the kids have a fantastically crafty time.”
In 2020 the festival was essentially cancelled in its usual form with events taking place online instead, but the 2021 edition saw 75 artist's complete 75 new murals across Bedminster, including Insane51’s remarkable 3D mural on the festival's landmark location, The Tobacco Factory.
Artist applications for 2022 will open in January.