News / Upfest
Upfest to take a year off in 2019
Europe’s largest street art festival will be taking a break next year.
Following its tenth anniversary in 2018, Upfest organisers have announced that the festival will have its second fallow year.
Upfest has previously taken a year out from painting the streets of Bedminster and Southville in 2014, with founder Stephen Hayles appreciating the good that it can bring.
is needed now More than ever
Hayles said: “We know the benefits that taking a break brings to refreshing the festival but also giving our incredible team of volunteers a rest.
“Planning, fundraising and production of the free festival which now caters for 400 artists and over 50,000 visitors from across the globe takes almost a year to do.
“We are appealing to Bristol audiences to join us for the 2020 festival to help us establish it for the next ten years.”
By the end of 2019, Upfest is looking to recruit 100 volunteers with a variety of skills to ensure the festival can look after the huge numbers of artists and visitors in attendance.
With the festival costing £120,000 to stage annually, Hayles is also appealing to Bristol businesses to support financially and invest in the future of the festival.
The Upfest shop on North Street will continue to host exhibitions throughout 2019, with Hayles promising to continue to work with festivals, businesses and councils “to stage street art interventions and creative stunts”.
Read more: In photos: Upfest 2018
Main photo courtesy of Upfest
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
