International street art festival transforming town

Swindon town centre is now home to 127 murals

A street art festival is set to bring "joy and positivity" to a town centre through transforming building's walls into eye-catching murals.

About 50 local and international artists will attend Swindon Paint Fest between 31 August to 1 September.

Since its launch in 2022, more than 100 murals have been painted across the town. During the weekend, free art events, including music and exhibitions, will be hosted.

Organisers said their aim is to “bring people together and spark creativity within the town”.

The programme will include activities such as live painting and family-friendly workshops in several locations.

Swindon Paint Fest was set up with the idea of re-establishing Swindon as a street art hub.

The town was known as the UK’s murals capital back in the 1980s but only two of about 40 historic murals survived.

The weekend festival will include free activities and events

After a successful first edition in 2022, the festival gained international recognition last year, with hundreds of visitors throughout the weekend.

In 2024, the festival received more than 300 applications from artists across the globe, demonstrating its significance to the street art community, organisers said.

Selected artists will create more murals for the town's art trail that currently boasts 127 pieces - a large number of which were created during the festival's first two years.

Swindon Paint Fest will return for its third consecutive year this summer

A festival spokesperson said: “The murals around town have brought so much joy and positivity to our lives.

“So we can’t wait to add to this and see what our chosen artists are going to create for us."

The official event programme is set to be released over the next weeks in the run-up to the event.