Nuart Aberdeen 2022 has been hailed a triumph – and organisers have announced the hugely successful street art festival will return next year.
Thousands of people flocked to the city centre over the weekend to take in the festival atmosphere and 11 new works – including massive murals – that have helped transform the heart of Aberdeen into a glorious canvas of masterpieces.
Aberdeen Inspired, the event’s organisers, said Nuart was given an added seal of approval after Spanish street artist Slim Salfont told them it was “the best street art festival in the world”.
Nuart delivered magnificent spectacle for Aberdeen
His huge mural of a girl in a tartan kilt on the side of Union Plaza is one of Nuart’s highlights this year and one of the most popular highlights on the festival’s walking tours, which took place alongside a host of events and family fun activities.
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said: “Nuart Aberdeen has once again delivered a magnificent spectacle for Aberdeen.
“The street art produced this year is quite simply breath-taking and I have no doubt it will continue to draw thousands of people to the city centre to enjoy it all year round.”
Adrian said the Nuart festival weekend – in tandem with the Inspired Nights street food market on Broad Street – had created a special atmosphere in the city centre.
“Despite the mixed weather, thousands of people joined us on Broad Street this weekend for Inspired Nights and have enjoyed local entertainment, food, drink, market stalls and have taken part in the family fun activities, all of which were part of the festival,” he said.
Nuart will help drive recovery of Aberdeen’s city centre
“Our free walking tours were as successful as ever and it was quite a sight to see the tour guides head off from Broad Street with hundreds of folk hot on their heels.“
Adrian said bringing world-class events such as Nuart to Aberdeen was a vital part of revitalising and driving the recovery of the city centre, with many local businesses involved in the street food market and others extending their opening hours to welcome people back during the festival weekend.
Though the date for the 2023 festival has not been announced, Aberdeen Inspired confirmed that with funding secured until 2023 Nuart Aberdeen will return to make its unique mark on the city for at least one more year.
Adrian Watson ended by saying “The current challenge to towns and city centres the world over is well documented and Aberdeen is certainly not immune.
Artists sing the praises of Nuart to Aberdeen Inspired organisers
“However, our city’s cultural offering has an important role to play in our transformation and Nuart Aberdeen is and will continue to be a great illustration of this.”
Nuart organisers said Slim Salfont had sung the festival’s praises to them, including the warm welcome he was given by local people as he worked on his wall, going on to describe Nuart as “the best street art festival in the world”.
Conversation