Vancouver Mural Festival

The Vancouver Mural Festival is set to return to the streets of Vancouver this August, so we’ve decided to look through the archives and share some of our favourites from previous years. This has become an annual celebration of public art, a showcase of local and international artists who have transformed empty space into beautiful pieces of art. The area between Cambie and Main Street – known as the False Creek Flats – is made up of mostly small warehouses and light industrial structures, which means there is a lot of empty wall space that is screaming to be covered in art.

The first Mural Festival was held in 2015, and has become a can’t miss event along Main Street, with street closures, live music and a chance to meet some of the artists working on their craft. The Vancouver Mural Festival has become one of the city’s most popular street parties, and over the last few years some incredible murals have been added to the empty walls of Vancouver, transforming blank space into a collection of beautiful murals and artwork.

In anticipation of this year’s event, we have decided to take a look back at some of our favourite murals that we’ve seen over the last few years. Many artists have already got a head start on the 2019 event, making incredible changes to some bare walls along this popular artery. This year, the Mural Festival will be held from August 1st until the 10th, with the Mount Pleasant Street Festival taking place on the 10th (12pm-7pm). This year’s celebration includes beer gardens, live music, food trucks and more than 25 new murals.

The event was originally created to promote the local art scene and leave a lasting legacy on the streets of the city. The Vancouver Mural Festival is organized by the local Create Vancouver Society, a Registered Non-Profit, who’s aim is to promote artistic and cultural development in the Lower Mainland. Have a look at the Vancouver Mural Festival website for more information about some of the events taking place, as well as an interactive map to plan a self-guided tour.

Our events and public art installations serve as catalysts for addressing many of the socio-cultural issues facing our city and artistic communities. These include, but are not limited to: public art policy, community building, environmental policy, reconciliation with First Nations, artistic censorship, diversity, cost of living, and the need for culturally sustainable development practices.

– Vancouver Mural Festival (www.vanmuralfest.ca)

We have already seen some of the new murals up on the streets during our journeys throughout the city, and were really looking forward to exploring some of the new artwork over the next few weeks. We will most certainly be attending this year’s street party on the 10th, so stay tuned for more pictures from the colourful streets of Vancouver.

Vancouver Mural Festival

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