World Class Street Art

In recent years Leicester has become a magnet for street art excellence, most notably with Graffwerk’s Bring the Paint festival. This award winning, biennial, street art festival sees world renowned artists from America, Australia, Tahiti, Mexico, Germany, France, Greece and the UK; transform the walls and buildings of Leicester city centre and was celebrated in The Guardian's guide to the Top 10 UK outdoor arts events.

Read more about Bring the Paint.

Transforming the Urban Landscape

Street art can enhance the public realm in different ways, it can be both decorative and informative. Projects such as Art on the Waterways in partnership with the Canal and River Trust, introduced murals that provide passers-by with relevant information, whilst simultaneously celebrating the heritage and character of the area.

The Savoy Street mural on Belgrave Gate takes inspiration from an Art Deco theatre that formerly occupied the site. The artwork decorates three buildings lining the new road connecting the Haymarket and St Margaret’s bus stations. Known more recently as the ABC cinema, The Savoy Theatre and other long-gone Belgrave Gate venues - The Palace Theatre and Floral Hall - are memorialised in an artwork featuring heritage typography and ticket stub graphics.

Leicester Street Art Guide

Leicester Street Art

Discover the city’s murals and spray zones in the Leicester Street Art Guide, available from Visit Leicester or online. For any artists looking to hone their spray skills, Leicester hosts a number of legal graff sites, the full list is in the guide and available from the Street Art Guide.

St Margaret’s Community Spray Zone

In August 2019 St Margaret's Community Spray Zone launched, an open site located across 3 tunnels and ramps, in a network of pedestrian subways close to St Margaret’s bus station.

“By designating the subways as legal spray walls, the city council has created one of the largest undercover legal sites in the country – and that’s forward thinking.” Antony Overend, director at Graffwerk

Read more about the launch of the St Margaret’s Community Spray.