Nuart Aberdeen transforms public spaces with 14 new works, an indoor illuminated poem, and a series of free tours designed to reconnect residents and visitors with the city's streets and stories
The granite facades of Aberdeen have been given a new voice as Nuart Aberdeen unfolds around the city. This year’s edition gathers 13 artists to interpret the festival theme “Poetry Is In The Streets”, creating a mix of large-scale murals, ephemeral installations and discreet site-specific pieces.
After a break caused by last year’s Tall Ships Races, the festival is back in full force, staging work in both familiar and unexpected places and inviting passersby to treat the city as a living page where visual art and text converse.
Organisers say this is a milestone year because, for the first time in Nuart Aberdeen’s run, a major indoor installation has been included alongside outdoor murals. The programme includes a standout illuminated poem by Robert Montgomery at Bon Accord Baths, public commissions on shopping centre façades and botanical garden walls, and a series of small works hidden around the centre as part of a City Wide Treasure Hunt.
The festival runs until the weekend, culminating on Sunday, April 26, with many of the launch activities taking place on Wednesday, April 22.
Signature works and noteworthy sites
One of the festival’s headline pieces is an 11-metre illuminated poem by Scottish artist Robert Montgomery, unveiled at Bon Accord Baths during an atmospheric launch event at 8pm on Wednesday, April 22. Montgomery also painted a companion mural at Alford Place, visible from Thistle Street, ensuring there is a more permanent piece for those who cannot access the indoor project. Elsewhere, KMG’s striking blackbird on the wall of the Cruickshank Botanic Garden is already complete, while Remi Rough has transformed the George Street entrance to the Bon Accord Centre with his distinctive abstract geometry.
Text, texture and the returning names
The festival foregrounds text-based work as much as pictorial murals. Aberdeen artist V2K contributes a large-scale poem on Skene Street opposite Gilmcomstoun School, while The Writing Is On The Wall collective will erect a temporary “Poetry House” on Little Belmont Street. Glasgow-based Molly Hankinson has produced a mural on Crooked Lane reading Dream Of Common Language, and dr.d AKA Subvertiser offers a witty take on online verification at the North East Scotland College (NESCOL) site. These pieces underline Nuart’s emphasis on language as both visual device and public prompt.
Events, tours and public programming
Nuart Aberdeen’s schedule goes beyond permanent paint to include a busy roster of public activities. Free guided walking tours—popular for attracting hundreds—will be available but require advance booking via Aberdeen Box Office. Festival strand Nuart Plus brings an internationally recognised street art conference to the city, with panels, artist talks, workshops and film screenings. Artist Alisa Oleva will lead a set of immersive walking experiences described as non-traditional tours, inviting participants to read and respond to the urban environment rather than simply follow a map of murals.
Community moments and family events
Local events tie the festival into weekend celebrations such as the Big Belmont Bash, where the temporary Poetry House and family activities will sit alongside performances and games. Organisers encourage visitors to explore eateries, shops and nightlife while discovering the art, highlighting the festival’s role in drawing year-round interest to the city. Nuart also schedules informal pub debates and DJ sessions to create accessible, social ways to engage with the ideas behind the artworks and the artists themselves.
Ambition, legacy and local impact
Curator Martyn Reed and partners stress that Nuart Aberdeen is built to leave a lasting impression. The inclusion of an indoor piece at Bon Accord Baths is intended to be a powerful, if partly temporary, complement to longer-lasting exterior murals. Adrian Watson of Aberdeen Inspired and Councillor Martin Greig both note the festival’s ability to foster civic pride and to alter perceptions of the city by filling its walls with ambitious public art. Festival supporters add that these projects help attract visitors all year and contribute to Aberdeen’s growing reputation as a centre for mural art.
Supporters also point to the festival’s educational remit: Nuart Plus convenes academics, curators and practitioners to discuss street art’s cultural trajectory, while workshops and school-linked projects extend learning opportunities for younger residents. As organisers gear up for a tenth-anniversary milestone next year, they invite locals and visitors to photograph the work, talk about poetry and art, and treat Aberdeen’s streets as a shared canvas rich with new stories.
