Things to do: Street Art Bristol
See an ever-changing urban art landscape on a walking tour around the best street art in Bristol. Discover hidden Banksy art, wall murals and modern murals.
Sooo Artsy
As a city, Bristol has always been a bit out there. So, it should come as no surprise that it has forged for itself a reputation as a Mecca for street art. Bristol’s claims to fame on this front are quite extraordinary.
As you roam the streets, it seems that artists have left no urban canvas untouched. Walkthrough any underpass, and you’ll find a veritable Sistine Chapel of artwork, surrounded on all sides by bright colours. Practically every available outdoor exhibition space features a mural of some kind – and many of them are exceptionally professional.
See an ever-changing urban art landscape on a walking tour around the best street art in Bristol. Discover hidden Banksy art, wall murals and modern murals.
Banksy's Well Hung Lover
Banksy’s Well Hung Lover is one of the most celebrated works of art in the entire city. It features a naked lover dangling by one arm from a window as a furious husband searches for the object of his wife’s affair, echoing a scene that has been part of the human experience from time immemorial. Despite being one of his earlier works, the city council decided not to remove the mural, even though (or perhaps because) it appeared on the side of a sexual health clinic.
Nelson Street
Nelson Street used to be the kind of place visitors to Bristol scurried through quickly to get to the more popular tourist hotspots. But then See No Evil festival arrived in 2011 and changed the entire area for the better. Dozens of artists descended on the neglected street, and now it is an outdoor gallery, featuring incredible artwork from people like Nick Walker. It is a massive improvement over the old, dull, 1960s concrete facades.
Stokes Croft
Stokes Croft is Bristol’s ethnic quarter and home to some of the city’s best street art. Here you’ll find both Banksy’s Mild Mild West and the work of grassroots artists.
If you head to Hamilton House, you’ll find Break-dancing Jesus by up-and-coming talent, Cosmo Sarson. You’ll also see work by the enigmatic Cheba which covers an entire hostel.
The M Shed Museum
The M Shed is an attempt to pay homage to Bristol’s burgeoning street art scene. Here you’ll find celebrated works by Banksy as well as a gallery dedicated to Andy Council’s illustrated dinosaurs.
If Bristol is on your bucket list then so should M Shed.
M Shed Bristol
Banksy's "Girl with a Pierced Ear Drum"
If you keep going past the M Shed Museum towards the harbourside, you’ll find Banksy’s Girl with a Pierced Ear Drum on the side of a somewhat unassuming dock building. Painted in 2014, this is the artists’ most recent contribution in his home town and well worth a look if you’re in the area.
Easton
Easton is Bristol’s Indian quarter and features the famous, self-reflexive Cat and Dog mural by Banksy, featuring a cat spray painting a wall in front of two guard dogs.
UpFest
Finally, if you’re in Bristol in July, be sure to take part in Upfest. This event, hosted on North Street in Bedminster, in the summer brings together more than 250 of the world’s finest street artists for workshops and exhibitions. You never know – you could discover the Banksy of tomorrow.
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