Nuart Aberdeen Earns a Spot Among Top Street Art Festivals
The Financial Times has listed Nuart Aberdeen as one of the top six street art festivals worldwide.
Nuart Aberdeen has been named by the Financial Times as one of the world's top six street-art festivals, placing the city alongside cities like Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, and San Francisco. This recognition highlights the Granite City’s vibrant street art scene, just as it gears up for its 2024 festival starting tomorrow (6 June).
This year’s theme, Living Heritage, aims to blend contemporary art with elements of Aberdeen's rich cultural history. Eleven globally recognised artists will add to the existing urban gallery that has evolved since Nuart came to the city in 2017. These artists, including local talent KMG and the celebrated Hera of Herakut, will create site-specific murals across various city locations, from Aberdeen International Airport to the iconic Union Point in the harbour.
Martyn Reed, founder and curator of Nuart Aberdeen, expressed his satisfaction with how the festival has been embraced. “It’s an unpretentious affair that I think very much fits the ‘outsider’ character of the city and its people despite the supposed oil wealth,” he noted. Reed passionately reminded visitors, “These streets are your streets and we’re honoured and privileged to be walking and working on them.”
The festival isn’t just about the murals. It offers a packed schedule of related events, including creating the world’s largest chalk mural with artist Molly Hankinson, a range of activities at the Inspired Nights at Shiprow, and the UK premiere of a Banksy documentary. On top of this, a major street art conference, Nuart Plus, will bring together experts and academics, coordinated by Prof. Susan Hansen.
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Artists like Millo, known for his friendly giant figures, and Case Maclaim, celebrated for his photorealistic artworks, will also contribute to this year’s theme, painting on notable sites such as Atholl House, Union Point and the former John Lewis building.
Adrian Watson, CEO of Aberdeen Inspired which co-hosts the festival with Aberdeen City Council, commented on the international praise, “We know many people in the global street art community have said Nuart Aberdeen is the best street art festival in the world. To have something of that calibre, with that recognition, happening right here in Aberdeen this week is something everyone in the city should be proud of.”
Case Maclaim at Shiprow and CBloxx at Loch Street
The artists taking part in Nuart Aberdeen 2024 are:
- Know Hope - Simpson Pavilion
- Bahia Shehab - Loch Street
- Case Maclaim - Shiprow
- CBloxx - Loch Street
- Hera - Union Point
- KMG - Aberdeen International Airport
- Mahn Kloix - Wapping Street
- Millo - Aberdeen Community Care Village
- Molly Hankinson - Marischal College
- Niels Shoe Meulman - Wapping Street
- Wasted Rita - City-Wide Treasure Hunt
Check out our guide to the Nuart Aberdeen 2024 artist line-up.
The best way to explore Nuart is through popular guided walking tours available during the festival weekend. Booking is highly recommended for these tours, which take place at 1pm and 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays, departing from the Aberdeen Maritime Museum on Shiprow. Book a tour now.
