Upfest may be taking a break from Bristol this year. But Weston Wallz is set to add a splash of colour to our seaside neighbours for a fifth year straight. Meaning Weston-super-Mare’s very own street art festival is starting to rival Bristol’s graffiti scene for spray-and-paint action.
Weston Wallz, which is actually set up by the Upfest team, will return for nine days this summer (July 19 to 27)—popping up across multiple Weston venues with free-to-attend workshops, live painting, arts activities, and street art tours. Expect a range of top-quality new artworks for all street art lovers to enjoy.
Adding to an already existing 58 permanent murals in town created over the past four years, this year sees another 17 brand-new large-scale artworks pop up across Weston—coming from a talented range of local, national and international artists, including Dale Grimshaw, Sophi Odling, Shauna, and HazardOne.
What started as a small mural trail, however, has grown into a week-long programme of street art and creative workshops. And once again, the Italian Gardens will host a Sprayjam for two days of live painting (July 26 & 27), alongside workshops offering young people and their families the chance to take part in hands-on creative sessions.
“Weston Wallz has quietly become a significant part of Weston’s evolving identity,” Stephen Hayles, founder of Upfest, said. “Over the past five years, we’ve seen not just murals appear, but relationships formed, ideas shared, and new visitors drawn into the town. It’s rewarding to work with residents and partners who see the value in public art, not as decoration, but as dialogue.”
Once again, Upfest brings its successful ScaleUP programme to the coast. Launched at Upfest Presents last year, the initiative will give local artists mentorship from some of the renowned street artists taking part—culminating in an artwork being created during Weston Wallz. And you can apply here.
More artists will soon be announced, as well as the complete programme of events. But to learn more about Weston Wallz head here.