Beautiful Cities for Street Art in the United Kingdom

Do you love city trips and street art as much as I do? Then I'll tell you in this article which are the best street art cities in the United Kingdom. Besides the prominent places of London and Bristol, there are many more locations in the UK where you can see amazing murals and graffiti. After exploring street art cities around the world from Valparaiso in Chile to Churchill in Canada, here are the most exciting cities for street art in the UK.

Admittedly, considering that the UK consists of four countries, a list of only ten cities seems far from complete. And as I continue my travels through England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, I will likely add more cities to this list. For now, here are some top destinations to get started.

The following cities are listed alphabetically from A to Z. Have fun exploring, and if you have another tip, leave it for me as a comment at the end of the article!

The northern Scottish city of Aberdeen appeared on my radar a few years ago after I saw photos from Nuart Aberdeen on social media. This annual festival has been held for a few years now and has quickly become one of the best street art festivals in the UK.

In recent years, over 30 spectacular murals have been created by some of the world's best artists. Among them were artists like Smug, Bordalo II, Fintan Magee, and Ernest Zachaveric. I am particularly impressed by Smug, as one of my all-time favorites is located in Glasgow (see Glasgow).

In addition to the newly emerging paintings, the festival also includes lectures, street art walks, workshops, film screenings, and other cultural events. The Nuart Festival usually takes place over three days in mid-April.

For current dates, simply check the Facebook page or the official website.

Unfortunately, there are currently no direct flights from Germany to Aberdeen International Airport. Alternatively, you can fly to Edinburgh and take the very comfortable 2.5-hour direct train from there. I really recommend train travel in Scotland.

I always search for cheap flights on Kayak.

Street art in Belfast is particularly notable.

In addition to great contemporary street art, you will find a large number of political murals in Belfast. Explore West Belfast to discover and photograph these political artworks. I was fortunate to be accompanied by a local expert. The situation on-site is no longer as tense as it was a few years ago. However, there are corners where you better don't take photos. What impressed me was how Northern Ireland's tumultuous past is reflected in the street art. These political murals depict reality and represent the history and identity of the country.

The best places to find street art in Belfast are: High Street Court, Hill Street, Kent Street, Lower Garfield Street, North Street, Talbot Street, and Union Street.

For more information about Belfast, check out my detailed article on Belfast with all the tips and highlights.

Bristol is the hometown of the world's most famous street artist: Banksy. It boasts an impressive art and music scene. In my opinion, Bristol is definitely one of the most remarkable street art locations in the UK!

Bristol is painted with murals and graffiti everywhere. You will find this type of art all over. However, my tip is to venture a little further south into the city and explore Bristol Bedminster. This neighborhood hosts the annual Upfest, Europe's largest free street art and graffiti festival.

Upfest spans nearly 1.5 kilometers along North Street and the surrounding streets, with the cultural center The Tobacco Factory at its heart. During the festival, artists create art live on-site, and you can watch them. There's also live music, food and drink stalls, and you'll meet nice people who love street art just as much!

Banksy street art in Bristol: For this, visit the Stokes Croft area. Banksy's Mild Mild West artwork is located next to The Canteen, and the best view of it is from the intersection at Jamaica Street. Book a street art walking tour here (Where the Wall) or here for more info.

Direct flights to Bristol are available only from Cologne with Ryanair to Bristol Airport. All other flights have layovers in Amsterdam. Alternatively, you can fly from Germany quite cheaply to London and then take the train to Bristol.

My tip: If you're already here, you can combine your city trip with a visit to nearby Bath, the beautiful hometown of British author Jane Austen.

Wales and street art? Exactly. But I agree with you. When people think of Wales, they first think of its breathtaking landscapes and dramatically beautiful coastlines with steep cliffs. However, the Welsh capital Cardiff offers a large number of great street art.

In recent years, the public buildings and walls of Cardiff have transformed into huge canvases for some of the finest nationally and internationally known artists.

Currently, unfortunately, there are no direct flights from Germany to Cardiff. There are daily flight connections from several German airports to Cardiff via Amsterdam.

You can also fly to London Heathrow and then reach Cardiff in 2.5 hours by bus or rental car. A train departs every 30 minutes from London Paddington to Cardiff Central station (Duration: 2 hours).

I always look for the cheapest flight deals on Kayak.

Cheltenham is actually known as a spa town and suburb in Gloucestershire in the southwest of England. The city has a reputation for being a wealthy and genteel place. However, since it has hosted the annual Cheltenham Paint Festival, the city is increasingly becoming a hidden gem for street art in England.

The journey is via London by plane or train. Then from London Paddington, take the train to Cheltenham Spa (GWR train). Travel time is about 2 hours.

I remember my city trip to Glasgow in January best. My favorite piece by Smug adorns an entire building wall here.

In Glasgow, there is even a mural trail, along with a small brochure available as a PDF. We walked through the most beautiful and important spots for street art in Glasgow with a local photographer who also offers street art tours.

If I had to choose one hotspot besides London, it would be Glasgow!

View all tips & attractions for Glasgow here

Leicester offers an ideal mix of history, interesting architecture, urban art, and hip cafés. Leicester is in the East Midlands and is not necessarily on the must-see list for tourists outside the UK. Nevertheless, Leicester is a fascinating place, ideal for exploring on a road trip in England.

If you are interested in culture and history, Leicester is a definite must-see.

Every year, the Bring the Paint Festival takes place here. The best locations for murals are GraffHQ (4 Norths Mills, Frog Island, LE3 5DL), a great place to stock up on spray equipment or eat vegan. But the Cultural Quarter (with Rutland Street and Yeoman Street) is also a must for street art.

The best way to get to Leicester is by train from London St. Pancras station. The journey with East Midlands Railway takes a little over an hour.

Okay, London is not only the capital of England but also, for me, the capital of street art in the United Kingdom. During my last visit to London, I spent a whole day exploring the Shoreditch area and its street art and graffiti. Then I discovered and photographed artworks in other boroughs for several days. Do you love urban art? London is the ultimate mecca.

In London, you will find murals by the world's best and most famous artists.

Given the size of the city, there are several hotspots in London. Especially in the hipster districts of Shoreditch (East London) and Camden (North London), which are generally popular with tourists, you will find two of the best places to discover murals in London.

Check out all tips, information, and reports for London here

The city of Manchester is primarily known for music fans. It is often overlooked that the city generally has a very vibrant art scene.

The city of the industrial revolution and women's suffrage movement has played an important role in British history. Today, it is the third-largest city in the UK and also one of the best street art locations in England.

Fortunately, the center of Manchester is much smaller and more compact than London. This makes it much easier for you to navigate the city in search of artworks. The trendy Northern Quarter, in particular, offers a large number of fantastic murals. In the same area, you will find numerous hip cafes, bars, and restaurants. Ideal for lingering.

Currently, direct flights to Manchester are only available from Munich and Frankfurt. Other German cities only connect to Manchester with a layover.

Sheffield was chosen as one of the 10 best student cities in the UK. The illustrator and street artist Phlegm has left his impressive art on the walls of Sheffield and captivates viewers. He is from Sheffield, and his fascinating monochrome works with their characteristic magical landscapes impress me every time.

This street art map for Sheffield will help you find the local murals and information about the artists. It is regularly updated.

To get to Sheffield, take a direct train from London St. Pancras, which takes about an hour on East Midlands Railway.

Check out the shop of Pete McKee; I love his art!

Have you been to any of these British street art cities? Which one would you like to visit next? Let me know in a comment below! Thank you, Katrin.

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