by Hannah-Rose Lloyd.
The award-winning Nuart Street Art Festival returns to Aberdeen from April 22nd to 26th, bringing a programme of murals and installations to locations across the city that are free to explore.
The first piece of the 2026 programme was unveiled at the University of Aberdeen campus. It is the first time a Nuart mural has appeared at the university.
Aberdeen-born artist KMG, now based in Edinburgh, created the mural depicting a blackbird set against a green background with red and yellow elements. It is located on the back wall of the Zoology building, facing into the Cruickshank Botanical Garden.
KMG first got involved with Nuart as a volunteer and went on to become both an internationally renowned artist and one of the festival’s producers.
The piece was inspired by Aberdonian poet and writer Nan Shepherd. KMG said in an article published by the University of Aberdeen that Shepherd was “one of the first women to graduate at Aberdeen uni.”
Shepherd was connected to the university throughout her life, making the location a “nice fit” for the piece, said KMG.
First launched in 2017, Nuart has since established itself as one of the leading street art festivals in the world. The works produced during the festival are permanent, remaining free to explore all year round. The festival also includes the Nuart Plus conference which will see various talks, film screenings, and workshops.
This year, the theme is ‘Poetry is in the Streets’, which comes from the French expression, ‘la poésie est dans le rue’. According to Nuart founder and director Martyn Reed, the phrase was “sprayed on the walls of Paris during the 1968 student uprising, an event which saw waves of creative energy explode onto the streets.”
Students have responded positively to the festival.
Jasmin, a student at the University of Aberdeen, told The Gaudie, “Nuart definitely changes the way people see the city,” adding that street art can “enrich a city for those who are willing to see it as art and see the meaning behind it.”
Another student shared her excitement for the campus installation. She said: “The new attraction within the university’s campus will definitely enhance it. I think it will spark curiosity and lots of conversation which is always great.”
She continued, saying: “By bringing a unique form of art to our own campus, I think there will be a newfound sense of pride, vibrancy, and excitement to the student community.”
Festival director Reed describes it as, to his knowledge, “the first street art festival in the world with a focus primarily on poetry and text-based works.”
He hopes the festival will “inspire and encourage those without the privilege of a fine art degree to have a go themselves.” He says their “lofty” goal is “not just to produce art, but to also inspire and produce the next generation of artists.”
The event is supported by Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen Inspired.
Full programme details can be found online at www.2026.nuartaberdeen.co.uk.