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Where To Find Bristol Street Art: Map & Self-Guided Tour

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The street art in Bristol is one of my favourite things about the city. You can either take an organised tour, spot bits at your leisure or, for a happy medium, take a self-guided Bristol street art tour. It was my third in the last year after taking them in both Cape Town and Shoreditch . Like any kind of tour they have their pros and cons – you get a better understanding of the street art and its meanings thanks to your guide but sometimes you feel a bit rushed. I did lose the group for about 5 minutes and had to run after them, snapping photos on the move… but maybe that was my own fault for ogling cats through the window of a cat cafe!? This tour was with Where the Wall and what I really liked was that our guide, Alex, was a street artist himself. This hadn’t been the case with either of my past tours so it felt really authentic and like we got a good level of insight, especially when he talked about the pieces he’d actually done – who could know better? I would highly recommend seeking out some street art during a weekend in Bristol . In this guide, you’ll find the works of art I saw & their locations in case you’re doing it alone.

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Why is Bristol street art so famous?

A certain artist you have probably heard of had really put Bristol on the street art map globally! There are plenty of pieces of Banksy street art in Bristol which you will see if you follow this guide. These pieces of art usually pop up out of the blue, such as the Banksy sneezing woman art that popped up on the side of a house in December 2020. A local man spotted someone on scaffolding but didn’t make the connection until crowds gathered in the streets to snap the newest piece of Bansky street art in Bristol! While Banksy may have kickstarted the popularity of street art in Bristol, now there are plenty of other street artists who visited Bristol from all around the world to make their creative mark. One of the world’s largest street art festivals even takes place in Bristol each year! I’ll tell you about some of the other Bristol street artists as we go.

Where to find Bristol street art

Bristol street art map:

Want a guided tour? Check out this street art tour with a local guide or this self-guided Bristol street art tour by mobile app

Self-guided Bristol street art walking tour

If you’re travelling the UK on a budget , you may not fancy paying for a tour. For a free and informal self-guided Bristol street art tour, follow the below itinerary. After these stops, I’ll share a few additional locations, street art history and my favourite Bristol artists!

Stop #1 – College Green

You’ll start the tour by seeing Banksy’s Well Hung Lover on Frogmore Street. It’s high up so the best view is from Park Street (across the road from College Green) before taking the windy staircase down to Frogmore Street itself.

Stop #2 – Frogmore Street (under the tunnel)

Just below the Banksy is this colourful and chaotic image above. A little further down the street you’ll find this black and white stencil of two children by artist JPS. Apparently James Paul Scanlon’s work was inspired by Banksy and our guide told us this particular design was created quickly with skill and a stencil – and took just six minutes to be put up. It comprises three stencils: black, white and grey to create the tones.

Stop #3 – Culver Street

The more you learn about the Bristol street art, the more you’ll realise it’s about more than just pretty pictures. This Spartacus image above, also by JPS, a few paces from the one above tells the story of slavery and freedom in Bristol. It became a wealthy city when John Cabot (the voyager who first ‘discovered’ the coast of North America) brought slaves to the region, and the image here represents the freedom that they long struggled for. It’s also in memory of Andy Whitfield, the actor who played Spartacus and passed away in 2011.

If you find that story interesting you can see representations of the Native American, Chinese, African and Catholic slaves that helped to build Bristol carved into some of the architecture in town. It’s may not be street art but it’s still an important artistic representation of the city’s history.

Stop #4 – Leonard Lane

Next, we headed for town and soon found this little alley which was my hands-down favourite place for street art in Bristol. Begin by locating the entrance on Corn Street. It doesn’t look much from the outside but it’s certainly a Bristol hidden gem when you get inside!

It was here our guide explained that street artists often add to other artists’ work. An example is this woman above who has recently had leaves added to her hair to give the piece a multidimensional feel.

Leonard Lane was a place where it was great to have a Bristol street art guide. Alex instructed us to look down to the gum splats by our feet – and we noticed many were actually tiny designs! One even showed a miniature image of Leonard Lane itself. I’d have never noticed this level of detail alone.

Stop #5 – Bell Lane

You’ll exit Leonard Lane on Small Street but don’t stop – keep going forward on to Bell Street which isn’t as tight as Leonard but is still an enclosed alleyway. You’ll see lots more Bristol street art and eventually come out besides St John’s Church. This mother and child piece by El Mac is technically on Nelson Street but you can see it clearly from Bell Lane.

Street art stop #6 – Church of St John / Broad Street

Exit Bell Lane on to Broad Street where you’ll see this medieval piece by Conor Harrington on the corner. You’ll emerge beside the Church of St John which has a quirky side to it. The two walk-through tunnels are layered in street art: one with lions to represent England and the other with unicorns to represent Scotland.

This resulted in me learning a new fact. I didn’t know that the unicorn was Scotland’s national animal. They’re known for being noble and courageous so who cares if they’re real!?

Stop #7 – Quay Street / Nelson Street

Once walking through the tunnels you’ll be on Quay Street which connects to Nelson Street. Here there are various pieces of art like the giant dog by Aryz and Stik below. However, one of the most unique examples was this ‘reverse graffiti’. This is also called eco-graffiti and uses no paint but the technique of cleaning sections of the wall to create contrast.

Stop #8 – The Bearpit

If you take a self-guided street art tour in Bristol you’re likely to pass the Bearpit, a regenerated space where underground road tunnels meet. It’s a quirky place for street art in Bristol and has various pop-ups and street food stands like the punny  Bear ritos Mexican van. We didn’t spend much time there but it’s somewhere quite unique with a bit of an East London vibe to it.

Stop #9 – North Street

If ever I stay in Bristol and my friends aren’t around, I’ll be straight to the  Full Moon hostel which looks cool from the outside but apparently is even more interesting inside as each dorm room has a unique work of art on the wall. You’ll find it on North Street just two minutes from the Bearpit.

On the left outside wall as you walk down Moon Steet there are another few pieces of art worth checking out.

Stop #10 – Wilder Street/Backfields Lane

There are a few more colourful wall canvases in the area behind the Full Moon including one wall all completed by female street artists. It got me thinking how male-dominated it is as an industry – hopefully that’ll change!

Stop #11 – Stokes Croft

The first thing I saw when we arrived in the quirky Stokes Croft area (adjacent to Moon Street) was this yellow woman by artist Stinkfish. It was a fantastic introduction to the neighbourhood which is one of Bristol’s coolest and most quirky areas. Of course there’s street art here!

We ended our Bristol street art walking tour at hippie cafe, the Canteen , where there are two well-known pieces outside. One is Banksy’s Mild, Mild West which was a response to riot police attacking partygoers at unlicensed 90s raves. Our guide told us it became relevant again when locals protested against a new Tesco’s. Next to the Banksy is this Roman image by  Cosmo Sarson which is apparently made of a kilo of gold. The most expensive street art in Bristol for sure.

Aaaaand that’s the end of my self-guided Bristol street art tour! However, I’d also recommend checking out…

I ended up seeing the Bedminster street art by total accident as it was the area I stayed in with my friend who lives there. I didn’t even know there was street art there ’til we wandered her neighbourhood and I ended up spying some giant pieces, many of which impressed me more than the works I’d seen earlier. Areas of interest include :

• The giant gull on Back Lane
• The crying eye on Mount Pleasant Terrace
• The cat and mouse on Gladstone Street.

Final piece – ‘Girl with a Pierced Ear Drum’

Sadly I missed this piece myself but it’s a popular mural so I’d recommend squeezing it into your itinerary. Not far from M Shed and the SS Great Britain is this quirky remake of the famous Girl with a Pearl Earring painting. It’s been around since 2014 and isn’t likely to vanish soon. Perhaps it’s no accident that the piece is nearby Aardman Studios known for TV shows such as Wallace and Gromit. This piece of art is no less creative!

What is the difference between graffiti and street art?

Our guide brought this up whilst still on the first street of the tour – would you know? I didn’t. Alex told us that graffiti was originally defined as the art of letter writing on the street and came from the Italian word to scratch which generally had negative connotations of damage. Urban art became popular during the 80s when hip hop grew in New York. It became seen as a form of self-expression and now ‘street art’ means anything creative you interpret on the street – this can include visual art and performances/expressive displays.

An event for your Bristol street art diary – UPFEST

Held in Bedminster each year is the largest event of its kind, UPFEST . Street artists come from around the world to adorn wonderful murals all over the neighbourhood which remain until the following year when they are removed and replaced by new pieces. A John Lennon piece by my favourite street artist, Kobra, stayed in the Aldi carpark for a while but has now left the building – but hopefully there will soon be another vibrant mural in its place!

Who are the other Bristol street artists?

So Banksy doesn’t get all the credit, make sure you know about the other street artists who have made Bristol the colourful, creative place it is today.

• INKIE (real name Tom Bingle) has been creating street art around Bristol since the 1980s. He’s originally from Clifton, an area known for the Clifton colourful houses but nowadays his work can be seen in London and further afield. From Art Nouveau to urban, Maya architecture and Islamic geometry, his work is unbelievably diverse and take influences from all over the world.
• Cheba is responsible for the art on Full Moon hostel (pictured earlier in this blog) as well as countless other pieces of Bristol street art. His Weapon of Choice Gallery is worth a visit while in Bristol.
• Nick Walker is known for his stencil-style street art which was thought to have influenced Banksy’s style. Walker’s work has appeared in Bristol since the 1980s and often features his signature character, a man in a bowler hat.

Female-led Bristol street art

Like many locations, the street art in Bristol has traditionally been male-dominated. While there’s no denying the talent of artists like Banksy and Nick Walker, it’s great that female street artists are becoming more active and included in the street art scene in Bristol. Inspired by the Painted Ladies of San Francisco, the ‘Six Sisters’ is an enormous new art piece in Bedminster created by local artists Lucas Antics and Ejits. I’m yet to see and photograph this piece but here’s a mural by Lucas Antics found in Stokes Croft.

Are you a street art fan visiting the UK? Check out:

• Self-guided Shoreditch street art tour
• The best street art in Camden & where to find it
• Ultimate Glasgow street art guide
• Where to find street art in Manchester

Thanks for following my self-guided Bristol street art tour!

I hope you have a better idea of where to find street art in Bristol!

Like Bristol / street art? Check out my other posts:

• How to spend 2 days in Bristol
• Where to find the colourful houses of Clifton, Bristol
• The perfect Bath day trip
• Vienna street art guide
• Where to find the best street art in Singapore
• Woodstock street art: Cape Town’s urban gallery

See you next time for more adventures,

For more travel content, follow me on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter and YouTube .

Ps. Liked my Bristol street art guide? Pin this for later!

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Rose is a solo traveller from the UK who has been on the road since 2015. She wants to show other women that solo travel isn't scary and doesn't have to be expensive! Rose has lived in Mexico, Canada and all over Asia, seeking out food, bubble tea and street art wherever she goes!

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The ultimate walking tour of Bristol – From Blackbeard to Banksy. With over 1000 5 star trip advisor reviews, our guided walking tour is a fun and fact filled way to explore the story of the wonderful city of Bristol.

Continually voted the U.K’s number one city to live in Bristol offers a vibrant mix of old and new. From it’s ancient roots to becoming the capital of Street Art, Bristol has to be experienced to be believed.

Join us on College Green for a tour through Bristol’s old town and beautiful harbourside where local historians and artists will guide you through 1000 years of Bristol’s history!

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Stroll along the route of the Saxon town walls taking in Pirate haunts and the highlights of Bristol’s Street art. See Long John Silver’s Inn and Robinson’s Crusoe’s first port of call. Observe evidence of Blitz damage, storm the Norman castle listen for Underground rivers and hear bizarre echoes.

Whether you are spending the day or have lived here all your life, this unique walking tour will tell you all you need to know about Bristol’s fascinating past, and exciting future along with hints and tips to make the most of your stay in the city.

Local artists and historians will share their knowledge, passion, and enthusiasm for this wonderful city.

This unique walking tour will introduce you to all aspects of this magical city leaving no stone upturned. There is no better way to get an instant feel for all aspects of Bristol, leaving you with plenty to revisit and lots of ideas for your remaining stay. You will feel like a local ready to bring friends and family back with an insider’s knowledge of the cities delights from Street Art to the best restaurants in town.

Experience the historical charm of Bristol! ★★★★★

Yesterday’s tour was a perfect combination of learning about street art, history, and architecture. Peter was knowledgeable about the city and it’s culture. We walked away with a better understanding of Bristol and lots of ideas about how to spend the rest of the day.

Pete gave a really interesting and engaging tour - the combination of history and street art, combined with local knowledge and a love of the city was excellent.

We enjoyed Luke’s Walking Tour immensely!! He had such enthusiasm for the Street Art of Bristol it was contagious. Luke’s booming voice was crystal clear that we could hear every word even with a large group of 28! Plus we learnt lots about the colourful character, Blackbeard! Thoroughly recommend this tour.

The tour was really informative and I learnt a lot about the city and parts I had overlooked. The guide was passionate and really friendly and helpful

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Best street art tour in bristol england.

Street art is lamented by just about every community in the world. On one hand, it’s art — sometimes beautiful and truly inspired; on the other hand, it can be seen as vandalism and defacing of public property.

In Bristol, a city just an hour and a half drive from London in the south west of England, street art is alive and thriving, despite efforts to prosecute the artists, or vandals – however you might see it.

For me, the highlight of the time we spent in Bristol was the Bristol Street Art Tour with WheretheWall , which taught us a lot about the situation and introduced us to a bunch of the top artists in the community.

The tour starts from the College Green and takes you around town to see some of the best and most creative street art in the city. Our tour was led by the incredibly knowledgeable John Nation; John has worked with the Bristol youth — including Banksy — for decades, trying to provide a legal way for them to showcase their talents and provide something enjoyable for the community.

He and their other tour guides have insider knowledge that makes the tour both up-to-date with the newest art and thoroughly educational. We got to see some of the famous Banksy paintings, along with commissioned pieces and we even watched some of the up-and-coming Bristol artists at work.

It would be impossible to talk about all of the art we saw along our tour, but I picked out a handful of my favorites to highlight the diversity the tour provides.

The Well-Hung Lover by Banksy

Banksy is a Bristol native and one of the most-recognizable names in street art. He was the only artist I was familiar with before this tour, so it seemed appropriate to start with one of his pieces.

The Well-Hung Lover depicts Banksy’s former business partner in a bit of a compromising position; allegedly they had a falling out after many of Banksy’s pieces that had been “lost” were found in his possession.

The Well-Hung Lover was stenciled on a busy street under the cover of night. The blue splotches of paint were from a drive-by paintball “attack”; apparently not everyone is a fan of Banksy’s work.

The Vandal by Nick Walker

Nick Walker created this six-story piece by projecting a stencil he had made onto the wall from the building across the street.

This wasn’t the largest street art we saw on the tour, but it was fairly close; it took Nick four nights to finish it, working up close to the building and then coming down once an hour to gain fresh perspective.

I really liked the vandal character — a recurring theme in Nick’s work.

Untitled by Stik

Stik is a London -based artist known for drawing stick figures. This was probably the most minimalistic of everything we saw on the tour, but I liked it anyway.

Standing almost 9 stories tall, you have to really crane your neck to take in the towering stick-figure giants glancing down at you. Like The Vandal, this art was commissioned as part of See No Evil, a giant street art festival held in Bristol.

Stokes Croft Area

Halfway through the tour, we moved on to the Stokes Croft area of Bristol, known as a more bohemian neighborhood. The art in this area was being actively worked on, and John informed us that most of it lasts for a few hours to a few days before someone else comes in and either defaces it, or replaces it with something of their own.

We got the chance to watch one artist at work, and found quite a few pieces that we liked in this area. It’s a shame to think many of them might not exist anymore today, but it also adds to the vibrancy of the area.

Brunswick Square Construction Site

The hoarders surrounding the Brunswick Square construction site were originally painted a plain blue and the walls were quickly tagged (and covered up, and re-tagged) by locals. WHERETHEWALL worked with the construction manager to arrange for well-respected members of the tagging community to create commissioned art for the hoarders; once the new art went up, the illegal tagging stopped.

Personally, I am not a fan of tagging — I can appreciate the skill for quality tags, but it just doesn’t do anything for me aesthetically. Still, I liked how WHERETHEWALL was able to get legal work for the artists.

The two-hour tour went by fast, and I could easily have walked around with John for another hour or two. It was clear we had only barely scratched the surface of what Bristol street art has to offer.

If you’re interested in a tour, you can book through their website or by emailing [email protected] . Not surprisingly, Bristol made it into the list of Best Cities for Street Art.

A big thank you to VisitBritain and VisitBristol for hooking us up with this awesome street art tour. See all the coverage of our trip to the south west of England .

(As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own honest reflection on our travel experiences).

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20 thoughts on “ best street art tour in bristol england ”.

I actually don’t have a problem with street art, but only when it’s done in a contained area (such as Melbourne’s Hosier Lane). Graffiti on the other hand…

That Stik Stick Art is probably my favorite. It goes so well with the building, I didn’t actually notice it on first glance. Very cool tour.

Art is totally not my thing, and I don’t often stop to look at it, Some street art, however, definitely intrigues me…particularly Banksy. Something about street art is so much more interesting than art in a museum (for me). There is a spot near my apartment in Seoul – a whole village of street art. I love jogging the streets and having something to look at while exercising!

Oh man, art is not my thing really but I love a lot of these. My favorite is the well hung lover by Banksy, that is hysterical on quite a few levels. I think i’d like to see more from him for sure, so clever! Maybe art is more my thing than I’ve been giving credit to. Thanks.

I adore street art! Especially when you get to experience different styles and color palettes. Loved your photos and the first ones remind me of some street art I saw in Dusseldorf.

What a great tour! I like the vandal. I’m impressed it only took 4 nights to complete.

Seems like Bristol is a great place for street art. I’m not much of a fan unless it’s really well done and I can totally see how this cheers Bristol up a bit!

I agree with that. It has to be really great art for it to be worth it. That’s the best part about the art in Bristol. Most of it is really good.

That’s some pretty impressive street art. Banksy is the only artist I had heard of before too, but I really like the other stuff as well.

I prefer the more “arty” pieces to the graffiti-like art, too, so Banksy is always a good choice.

I am enjoying a lot of street art here in San Francisco, so I bet I would enjoy the one in Bristols. I really like seeing street art 🙂

I’ve seen some in San Fran. You’d definitely love it in Bristol. The art there is just incredible.

So cool! I am really into street art so this is really interesting, I love going exploring looking for it wherever I go! I’ve seen a few Banksys in Liverpool and we have some great street art in Manchester too!

I’ve heard that about Manchester. It’s fun to see such great art.

This is great! Bristol is my home town so whenever I go back I get to see all of these! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and got to see a part of my city

It’s a great city, Sophie! I look forward to going back sometime soon.

I love street art and I had no idea Bristol has such a great street art scene. Thanks for sharing your awesome photos! 🙂

Your welcome! It really is a great place for street art.

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Bedminster AKA Bristol Art District features over 150 murals from national, international and Bristol artists, and is home to Upfest, Europe’s largest live street art festival . Discover over 40 creative businesses from galleries and theatres to bars which are pieces of art in themselves! Follow our mural trails, grab a gift from an independent trader as you explore one of Bristol’s oldest neighbourhoods. ‍

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Summer in bristol, enewsletter sign up, theatre shows & performances, bristol street art.

Scour the streets of Bristol and you’ll struggle not to find a cutting-edge piece of graffiti art decorating the city’s walls. Along narrow alleys, down side-streets and through under-passages, across building walls and boldly displayed on bridges, a piece of graffiti art soon jumps out depicting wry humour and subversive displays of pop-culture.

Bristol is also where  Banksy  hails from; the elusive graffiti artist extraordinaire has an enormous collection of artistic works featured on streets, walls and bridges all over the world, and has inspired a new generation to take to the streets to create innovative and dynamic art.

For the largest and most diverse selection, make a trip to  Stokes Croft , join the weekly  Bristol Street Art Tour , or the  Ultimate Bristol Walking Tour  for an insider’s guide. Alternatively you can download the  Banksy Bristol Trail app  which will guide you around the remaining Banksy artworks in Bristol, or listen to  A Piece Of…..Banksy! while you explore the city. This fully narrated audio and visual exploration of Banksy in Bristol features some of his earliest works, up to more recent activities in 2021, with exclusive and archive photos.

Want to have a go at making your own Banksy-style artwork? Join a workshop with Graft , who run regular stencil spray art workshops, or join one of the weekly  ‘no mess’ spray painting sessions from Where the Wall .

For a taste of the new talent on the scene, be sure to check out the streets of  Southville and Bedminster , where Bristol’s street art festival Upfest  and a thriving creative community ensures there's plenty of street art to see all year round. Take an  Upfest stories and street art walk with Yuup  to hear how a selection of them were created.

There’s also a burgeoning street art scene in the nearby seaside town of Weston-super-Mare, just half an hour from Bristol by train and an hour by bus, where the annual  Weston Wallz urban art festival creates an ever-changing line-up of murals across the seaside town. In 2024, the festival takes place from 31 August - 14 September - find out more here . 

Other areas of the city where you'll find some fantastic street art are:

• Stokes Croft
• Nelson Street in the  Old City
• Cumberland Basin

You can use our  Bristol street art map  to guide you around the city.

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Banksy is now a world-famous street-artist but once, he was just another kid on the streets of Bristol with a can of spray paint in his hands. As a result, some of his earliest work is hidden around the city, and spotting it is an absolute must for fans of his work.

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Bristol Street Art Tour

Explore some of the amazing, colourful street art of Bristol. Includes pieces by Banksy and many other well-known artists.

This walk is part of the Go Jauntly Bristol Walks Collection.

Go Jauntly is a free community-based walking and nature connection app that offers local trails for city dwellers seeking a quick dose of nature. Based on a user’s location, simple photo guides lead walkers around urban areas and surrounding wildlife, from greenspaces to community gardens.

Walk organiser

• 2024 Walks and Events
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• Bristol Walk Fest 2024 Programme
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Bristol Walk Fest 2024 is coordinated by Active Ageing Bristol and hosted by our lead partner Age UK Bristol with funding from Bristol City Council.

Our sponsors are Bristol Ramblers and Ellis Brigham. Bristol Walk Fest is supported by Bristol Walking Alliance, Doveton Press, Go Jauntly, Sustrans, Visit Bristol and Your Park.

Website by Zonkey

• Home – Bristol
• SPRAY PAINTING SESSIONS WEEKLY TICKETS
• Schools and College Visits
• International Groups To Bristol
• Team Building Events Bristol
• Corporate Events
• Special Ocassions in Bristol

Empowered and Inspired

FUN – SELF EXPRESSIVE – EMPOWERING – ACTIVITIES

WHERE THE WALL runs events & experiences promoting popular & contemporary culture through participation to a wide and diverse audience of people of all ages and backgrounds. The ‘Introducing Stencil Art’ Spray Sessions which run every week for all ages and abilities and explore spray painting skills, has become one of the most popular weekly events in the Bristol calendar, or by booking a private experience for your large group or corporate group, a customisable experience is possible through a number of different options that we offer. Our events are attended by 1000’s of participants each year who enjoy our varied activities, from spray painting to digital graffiti workshops, guided walking tours, cultural cinema and interactive movie experiences.

PUBLIC EVENTS

Are you are coming to “Introducing Stencil Art Spray Session“ which runs every week in the centre of Bristol, please click here .

Coming to the Bristol Street Art Tour? Tickets are available on the Bristol Street Art Tours ticket site, please click here .

WHERE THE WALL EXPERIENCES FOR GROUPS

If you would like to book one of our private group experiences for your large educational group or your corporate team building group, please click on one of the options below that best describes your requirement..

Are you a company looking for a team building session?

Are you a UK school or educational organisation?

Are you coming from abroad for a cultural visit with a large group of young people?

Are you a large corporate looking for us to provide a remote event?

Are you arranging stag or hen party weekend?

Are you arranging a small birthday or celebration and would like a private event?

We have packages available for providing your group with an unforgettable experience, journeying into a contemporary world which is full of colour, painted streets, personal style and self-expression.

Team Building Events

For team building and corporate activities we have worked with Red Bull, Sky, United Nations Foundation, Virgin Media, Dyson and many others. “Wow, what can I say, the experience was easily the best thing I have ever done at a work event.  Everyone raved about you and about how how delivered the different elements.  It was fantastic, thank you.” “Thanks so much for a brilliant afternoon. Everyone said how much they enjoyed it and it worked for everyone from office admin to creative director. Thank you!”

For more information about what we can offer your corporate group, please click here .

Educational Experiences for UK schools & organisations

For educational experiences for schools from the UK, we now have a sizeable list of schools & colleges who repeat visit us each year. We can adapt out activities to work with different ages, and we are always happy to collaborate so that your session with us can be tailored to complement your learning modules. “ Thanks to you for another great day- feedback from the pupils was so good – they all had a great time, with thanks to your team. The provisional visit was very useful and communication was excellent, right from the outset. We’ve already added it to next year’s draft calendar- I hope that’s ok! ” Head of Art, secondary school UK.

For more information about our educational experiences, please click here .

International Groups & Visitors

“ After a week long trip to the UK, we asked the students for their favourite activity and they all agreed the visit to WHERE THE WALL was the best activity of the week. ” Group leader cultural visiting group from France.

For cultural visiting groups from across the world who are coming to Bristol, we have become a must-do option when in the west of England, as one of the only providers of relevant contemporary experiences for young people. Our experiences have been designed specifically for young people encompassing street art, Banksy, self-expression, creativity, education, knowledge and technology.

If you are coming to the UK with your group and would like more info, please click here .

Special Occasions: Birthdays, Hen & Stag Parties or Friends Reunited

We can run a unique spray session event for your special occasion and make it a day to remember!

To organise your special occasion with us, please click here .

Bristol Street Art Tour with Where the Wall

Street art by Conor Harrington in Bristol. You can’t miss the street art on Bristol walking tours.

The Banksy phenomenon

We might not know who Bansky really is, but his paintings have sprayed themselves onto our consciousness through news and social media for years. So it’s a shock when I turn a corner into Hanover Place in Bristol’s Harbourside and see Girl with a Pierced Eardrum; Banksy’s parody of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. The weeds and broken glass under my feet give it grit. Horizontal and vertical lines on the buildings around it give it a softness. And for the first time I see how powerful street art can be. It’s a bit like the first time I saw Van Gogh’s sunflowers in Amsterdam. Even my screaming toddler couldn’t diminish the sunlight. And then I wonder if it would be as striking if I hadn’t seen Banksy’s familiar style and social messages regularly in newspapers and in my Instagram stream. Because although I have never been to Bristol I am already very familiar with this work of art, and others like it.

“There are six or seven artworks of his still here and I can only imagine the council are crying into their cups of tea about all the other works of his they removed.” – Rob Dean, Global Coordinator, ‘Where the Wall – Bristol street art tours’

Street art hasn’t always been celebrated in Bristol. In past years, as fast as Banksy and other artists got their work up, local councillors took it down. But these days public appreciation of it has grown worldwide. And the authorities have come to recognise that far from being vandalism or a stain on the city, it is a tourist attraction in its own right. In fact Bristol street art tours are now one of the top cultural reasons to visit.

Girl with the Pierced Ear Drum – Banksy’s work, in Bristol, which you can see on the Where the Wall street art tours

All on the walls in a Bristol street art tour

Our Where the Wall Bristol Street Art Tour starts outside the Cathedral where we all stand under a tree mysteriously dangling shoes from its branches. We are looking at nothing in particular on a wall in the distance. Because Banksy’s first artwork was long ago removed. We progress on just a few metres to Frogmore Street, where ‘Well-Hung Lover’ is preserved high on a building. Kind of. There are blue splodges on part of it and a patch at the side where someone has clearly tried to take a scrubbing brush to it.

“This painting demonstrates Banksy’s alternative styles of art; either his art has a deep meaning or it’s simply end of the pier,” explains our tour guide Rob Dean who is Global Coordinator at Where the Wall tours. He says although the subject is humorous; a naked man dangling from a window while his lover and her husband look out from the frame, this painting had a deeper meaning for the artist at the time. “Banksy was falling out with his manager so this is about fidelity and unfaithfulness.”

The well-hung lover, by Banksy, splatted by DBK.

A spray gun and a stencil

The Well-Hung Lover was painted using Banksy’s preferred technique at the time; stencil art. We learn that on our Bristol walking tour that a stencil is a piece of cardboard with the shape cut out which artists use to spray one colour. Artists then use a different stencil and a different colour to make layers. By working with stencils, Banksy and his closest contemporaries discovered you could get a lot of detail and narrative into a small space quickly, whereas the freehand spraying method preferred by other graffiti artists is less detailed and more time consuming. And speed and not getting caught are all part of the job description.

Rob points out that the painting has in turn been paint bombed by a group of Bristol taggers called DBK (loosely standing for Dole Benefit claimers.) They couldn’t reach with their pens so they used paint ball guns. But this isn’t seen as being disrespectful. “They were following in the traditions of tagging and bombing which was first popularised in New York in the 1980’s, where in a high profile location, your name would be seen by thousands of people, creating a notoriety and a fame for yourself.” Rob explains. “Taggers feed into a healthy culture of art as they force the regeneration of new art. Taggers are at the low level of the art, but help create the eco system which means Bristol will never end up a museum of art; it will always be a cutting edge street art gallery.”

Rob Dean of Where The Wall Street Art Tours in front of pop art in Bristol

Contemporary and temporary

Bristol is pretty much one big street art gallery. Turn a corner and you’ll stumble across anything from crude graffiti tags above a line of wheelie bins to huge murals taking their cue from classical art. Or perfectly produced pop art. “This painting is influenced by the works of Jack Kirby and Roy Lichtenstein from America. The thing to look at is how clean their line is. Each line is perfectly straight,“ Rob says, almost disappearing in front of a wall of aerosol art.

We stand cricking our necks at ‘Clothed with the Sun,’ – a Madonna and child that covers the whole side of a building, created by American artist El Mac and based on his family. “If the taggers carry on practising they may achieve something like this.” Rob points up into the sunlight. “He set up a projector on the roof on another building to create the outline of the shape. He asked for some buckets of ice and chucked the cans into the ice leaving everyone perplexed as to when he was going to get started. But it appears that when you freeze the spray can, the pressure is lessened, and instead of hard sharp lines you get a much softer line with feathering and blurring. And when this is built up over a mural of this size the whole effect has a softer feel.”

Some of the artwork is extremely graceful like the 17th century church with religious inspired art under the arches. Some seems more like the graffiti that used to irritate me outside my London home. And not everyone likes it. A quick surf on the net and you’ll find lots of examples in the local press of people complaining of constant tagging on their private property. But for many in the city there’s been a U-turn on its value to the culture and economy as the Banksy effect brings other artists and tourists here.

Madonna and child street art by El Mac in Bristol – Clothed with the sun

Festival of colour

Bristol’s Upfest Urban Painting Festival, annually held in the south of the city, invites 300 artists to come and paint. By the third day the art is finished and the area becomes a massive gallery with miles of newly painted work, which people come to photograph. “Creative culture tourism is now a global thing. I think for some people a smart phone with photographs of street art is the new souvenir that you’ve been somewhere, like the plastic Eiffel Tower photos. If you’ve seen that photo on the internet, it’s not quite the same as having your own photo.” Rob explains.

Religious inspired street art under the arches in Bristol city centre. Catch it on a street art tour of Bristol

Older than it looks

Street art in Bristol didn’t begin with Banksy. Local John Nation nurtured the first generation of street artists, Rob explains. “In 1986 he created the UK’s first legal painting environment for graffiti artists at Barton Hill Youth centre.  He set up a load of hoardings and boards, got some wall space where these young artists obsessed with the graffiti art coming over from New York could paint legally rather than going out on the streets. This became an incubator for the first generation of street artists like Inky and Nick Walker and Cheo. Four years after it had been running, a shy sixteen year old came along and picked up a spray can.”

Street Art on Nelson Street seen on where the Wall Bristol waling tours. Top – Vandal by Nick Walker. Lower – Bristol by Tatscru

Self expression in a can

And the rest is history. But the Where the Wall street art tour isn’t, in the end, about one man. It’s about the stories on the streets and about the myriad dreams expressed in aerosol. My tour today is without my family. But I’m thinking the teens would like the Street Art Stencil Challenge, also run by Where the Wall, a hands on group art session that families can sign up to. To hold a spray can and work out what their message is.

Rob explains what the sessions are about, “Everyone gets to spray their own A2 art print based upon some laser cut stencils that we have. It is literally for all ages but teens are the age group we are interested in. We see the future of the art form coming from this generation. And we’ve developed a system where we use water based spray paints so there’s no noxious fumes or damage to anyone who might have breathing issues or anything so it’s very inclusive. And it’s just such a buzz to give the youngsters these opportunities because once the spray cans get spraying you just feel the excitement.”

Bristol walking tours take in this piece of street art in Frogmore Street – by JPS of Weston-super Mare

Creating new Banksys

“This youngster from Bristol turned himself, through his determination, into one of the world’s most well known and popular contemporary artists. This has a message for all of us that whatever we want to do, and no matter how far-fetched it may seem, it is possible.” – Rob Dean

Rob and his fellow tour guides see part their role as making sure the art Banksy grew out of is preserved for future generations. “Banksy was himself a second generation artist in Bristol. He was taking inspiration from the first generation of artists and we are now moving on to the third generation of artists. We want to uncover the fourth generation so we know the art is safe in the hands of people, who let’s face it, are predominantly more obsessed with touching a smart phone with one finger.”

Check out our Bristol street art tour with Where the Wall here:

Practical Information

Upfest is held in Bristol each year in July. I went on the Where the Wall Bristol Street Art Tour Experience that takes in central Bristol and the creative quarter Stokes Croft. Tickets cost £9.20 for each adult or £24.80 for a family of two adults and two young people.

Running each weekend with sessions from 10am until 6pm, The Street Art Stencil Challenge is a team based activity giving everyone the chance to experience street art and graffiti culture first hand whilst having fun. Sessions costs around £20 per person.

If you want to give the guided Britsol walking tours a miss and instead make up your own tour, check out the website Bristol Street Art . Their Bristol Street art map  is very useful for helping you find the many works around the city.

Art and graffiti in Leonard Lane on Where the Wall Bristol walking tours

About the author

Kirstie Pelling

Kirstie is the Editor of The Family Adventure Project. A professional writer and poet, she's the creative and journalistic force behind many of the stories and features published here. She's a co-founder and co-director of The Family Adventure Project and also works as the #poetinmotion producing and performing poetry for print, video and live performance.

This sounds such a fascinating tour – it’s incredible how quickly some of the perceptions about street art have changed, from being a blight to a tourist attraction. I know I snap away at a lot of street art these days when I travel, although a preschooler does tend to limit the tours I’ve taken. This is definitely one I’d love for Bristol though, a city which has changed hugely since I lived there 15 years ago and which I keep meaning to go back to. Thanks for linking up with #citytripping

What a unique tour of a city! I take my two boys to a lot of art galleries so it only makes sense to do a tour of street art as an extension of that. I think they’d love the idea of creating their own #citytripping

my sister has just moved to Bristol and has said there is street art everywhere. i didn’t know it was a ‘thing’! #cityrtripping

Awesome! I absolutely love this post, the context you provided and the drive to ensure the art form is preserved for future generations. Coming from another street art obsessed city – Melbourne, Australia – I’ve been exposed to lots of different forms of this art. I find it extremely inspiring as not only do the artists have the talent to create beautiful imagery but they are often working with materials and an environment that will force them to make compromises and changes to their art quickly. I haven’t been to Bristol for years but I am looking forward to taking my kids there soon

A really interesting tour…it’s fascinating to hear more about the history behind street art and see some of Banksy’s Bristol works. I love wandering around East London and spotting some of his art hidden in amongst the buildings. Thanks for linking to #citytripping

[…] to paint. Bristol hosts the annual street art and graffiti festival Upfest and if you take a Where the Wall tour of the city the Banksy’s start to roll in within the first few […]

[…] reading: Enjoy a tour? Read about our self guided street art tour of Manchester or Bristol. Or if you are in the Gloucestershire area you might enjoy some active family adventures in the […]

[…] Bristol Street Art Tour with Where the Wall […]

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