There’s something pretty cool about having one of Europe’s biggest street art festivals happen in your neighbourhood. 

If you didn’t know, our office is in Bedminster, so every time Upfest rolls around we are lucky enough to experience the creativity as it unfolds right outside our front door. Streets you walk every day start to change. Walls don’t stay the same for long and the commute feels almost new again. 

That’s always been part of the magic of Bristol - the landscape is never static. 

Upfest has played a huge role in that. What started back in 2008 as a one-day event with around 30 artists has grown into a full 17 day programme, now bringing over 250 artists into Bedminster and Southville. Murals, workshops, live events, community projects . It’s not just about painting walls, it’s about opening up creativity across the city.

For something so big, it feels surprisingly organic. The work blends into the fabric of the area, as if it’s always been there. You don’t experience it all at once, it reveals itself gradually, wall by wall, as you wander. 

The Upfest Gallery is only a few minutes from our office and keeps that energy going year round. It’s a reminder that this isn’t just a one off moment, it’s part of an ongoing creative culture that Bristol does so well and it’s something to be incredibly proud of.