Here we have another classic combination collaboration from Dibz and Fade. Both artists will have been involved in the whole piece, but Dibz leading on the writing and Fade on the alligator characters.
Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026
The alligators are called Brutus and Nero and are taken from the Disney cartoon film, The Rescuers. This piece reflects the technical skill of the two artists in every aspect of its presentation, and it all feels so easy when these two get together, but it takes years of practice and abundant raw talent to be this good.
Florist, Upfest 2026, Merrywood Road, Bristol, May 2026
This particular spot, a bricked up window recess, has hosted some wonderful Upfest pieces over the years, and this time it is the turn of a mosaic artist from London called Florist.
Florist, Upfest 2026, Merrywood Road, Bristol, May 2026
The mosaic was installed in about five or six prepared sections and the shoes, part of the installation, were attached with adhesive to the window sill. The outcome is a beautiful scene, with a man sitting on a bench with some flowers. What is the story behind the piece? Perhaps only Florist knows. Something a little different for the festival.
Over the years the format of Upfest has evolved, in part to accommodate so many artists descending on the city, and to manage the spike in crowds that visit. The new format has spread the festival over three weekends, and a focus on new large feature walls. Each weekend, there is an opportunity for artists, many of whom are new to Upfest, to showcase their work on small 1m x 1m boards at the Tobacco Factory. I will try to include some of these in my Upfest posts, starting with these three.
Unknown artist, Upfest 2026, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2026
First up is a piece by an artist whose signature I can’t read and have tried lots of variants on Instagram and Google searches, but with no positive result. This is a fabulous illustration piece with a cartoon-style girl drawing and colouring animals, examples of which are distributed about the piece. A wonderful and fun creative idea.
Ryan Gajda, Upfest 2026, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2026
Next up is a vibrant portrait by Ryan Gajda, of a woman sitting in a cross-legged position, and the sun at her back. An interesting style, with a combination of presence and absence of detail.
Andy Downes, Upfest 2026, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2026
Finally, a busy portrait piece by Andy Downes, celebrating Upfest and Bristol, incorporated in the glasses. The artwork is superb, with the portrait composed of flashes of light and dark colour creating light and shade and consequently depth. Some pink and black lines frame the piece nicely.
on my beloved Arsenal Football Club at last becoming English Premier League champions again, and on the back of finishing second for the last three years.
Sepr, Upfest 2026, Stillhouse Lane, Bristol, May 2026
The organisers of Upfest have been keeping busy since the last Upfest in 2024, and incorporated a host of new walls to show off local, national and international talent for this year’s festival. This wall is tucked away just south of the east end of East Street, and is in an area I’m not sure that I have ever been to before. The wall is on the side of a light industrial unit called Willway Yard, with plenty of space for multiple artists. One of the first to complete his allocated space is Bristol artist Sean Sepr.
Sepr, Upfest 2026, Stillhouse Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Sepr has an extraordinary talent for telling elaborate stories in his cartoon-style pieces. Everything is laid out with clarity and humour, and then it is up to the viewer to piece it all together into some kind of narrative. My reading of the situation is that a cyclist has had a bit of an accident, running into some wet concrete perhaps and rather than helping him, a collection of animals are taking advantage of the unfortunate protagonist and generally being unhelpful. I love the way the fox is stealing his shoes and socks. Creative and imaginative.
Bex Glover, Upfest 2026, Ashman Road, Bristol, May 2026
This piece by Bex Glover is a beauty and a treat, and one of two pieces she has painted for Upfest 2026. Her work is right up my street, nearly always featuring a natural history narrative, painted in her unique style, usually steeped in her light blues, but in this instance augmented with a stunning deep red archway.
Bex Glover, Upfest 2026, Ashman Road, Bristol, May 2026
The piece has at its centre a stunning fox, beautifully presented, standing on a patch of grass and peering through the archway to a watery scene with a town in the distance, perhaps a depiction of old Bristol itself. A stunning piece for Upfest from one of our own artists.
Well, this year’s Upfest has crept up on me a little. I have been very busy and not had much headspace to recognise Europe’s largest street art festival which began last weekend, and will continue until the end of May 2026. This time the festival has been spread over three weekends and is rather fragmented, with no single festival focal point, which is a pity. This approach has been implemented to spread the crowds over a longer period and avoid some of the festival shenanigans that have caused a few problems for the council in the past. It is funny how they continue to allow the Harbourside Festival to operate, and which has a terrible reputation for antisocial behaviour, but curtail the much friendlier Upfest. Some unconscious bias at work methinks.
#DFTE, Upfest 2026, Lime Road, Bristol, May 2026
My opener for this year’s festival is this wonderful musing by #DFTE, the master of the thoughtful slogan and repairer of souls. His message this year is short and sweet “Today will be a good day” and for most festival visitors that is probably about right. It is worth having a little look at this charming gallery of his thoughtful work.
Although Mr Riks doesn’t paint all that often, it is always good to see his characteristic letter shapes appearing unannounced from spot to spot. This modest grey piece at the end of the tunnel almost passed me by, because I was chatting with Corupt on the opposite side of the tunnel.
Mr Riks, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2026
It is quite difficult to make out from these pictures whether the piece is painted in chrome or grey or a combination of the two. It looks like two grey tones to me. The letters are nicely presented, and given a little bit of a lift with the application of some yellow edging with red spots.
Bloem is one of those artists who not only works hard at her craft, but is also naturally gifted. Her work has come on so quickly over the last couple of years, and although she doesn’t paint walls all that often, each piece feels like it is a step up from the previous one.
Bloem, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2026
This wonderful piece depicts a hand with long finger nails gripping a train carriage formed of the letters BLOEM. A clever concept perfectly executed. That it is in greyscale makes it even more impressive as there is no colour to hide behind. An excellent and mature piece of work.
Natural adventures 