Fallow year Street art fest to return in 2024
EUROPE’S largest street art festival, Upfest, will move to a biannual model, taking a break in 2023, following the rise in infrastructure costs.
Organisers of the Bristol festival have made the tough decision to not hold the festival in 2023 as they focus attention into planning ahead for 2024 with another stellar line-up of artists.
Upfest is a highly anticipated event on the city’s cultural calendar which attracts over 50,000 visitors to the festival across the weekend.
As one of the city’s largest free-toattend festivals, it is important to the Upfest team that it remains a free festival for everyone to attend. Previous editions have brought phenomenal, large-scale murals to Bedminster including Kobra’s iconic John Lennon mural & Insane51’s 3D piece featuring Greek Goddess NYX.
Due to the increasing costs related to putting on such a largescale event, bringing world-class street artists from across the globe to the city of Bristol, festival organisers need to raise at least £180,000 to stage the free event in 2024.
The Upfest team will focus on other projects and interventions throughout 2023 including artist exhibitions at their North Street Gallery, as well as getting a head start on 2024 planning.
Steve Hayles, Upfest co-founder said: “We’re gutted to not be putting on the festival in 2023 but the risk to the organisation is just too great. We know our visitors love the festival and it has played a big part in making Bedminster a street art hub for the city and has become known internationally for it. With rising infrastructure costs, site fees and without funding, we won’t be able to raise the funds we need in 2023 to keep the festival free, so instead we will turn our attention to 2024. Anyone who would like to support or sponsor the festival in 2024 would be very welcome and please do get in touch.”
Upfest 2022 saw the festival move to a brand new location at Greville Smyth Park, as well as Ashton Gate Stadium and the Tobacco Factory, and saw over 400 artists from 70 countries congregate for a weekend of street art magic.
World-class artists such as Aches, Inkie, Kashink, L7m, Sabek and Goin are amongst the many talents to have picked up a can of spray paint and unleash their unique talents onto the blank canvas of Bedminster’s high streets.