7692. West Street – Upfest 2026 (15)

Liam Bononi, Upfest 2026, West Street, Bristol, May 2026
Liam Bononi, Upfest 2026, West Street, Bristol, May 2026

Where to begin? Liam Bononi is one of my favourite artists painting in the UK at the moment, and I have been lucky enough to find several of his outstanding portrait pieces during my travels around the country over the last couple of years. This piece, on one of the established Upfest walls is a real beauty.

Liam Bononi, Upfest 2026, West Street, Bristol, May 2026
Liam Bononi, Upfest 2026, West Street, Bristol, May 2026

Liam Bononi’s photorealistic portraits are so beautifully detailed, and he has a particularly refined talent for painting hands and faces, which are full of lines, wrinkles, blemishes and the like, presenting us with identifiable characters that look like they have lived a life.

Liam Bononi, Upfest 2026, West Street, Bristol, May 2026
Liam Bononi, Upfest 2026, West Street, Bristol, May 2026

In this piece, a mushroom collector is inspecting some mushrooms before I imagine he drops them into his plastic bag. An ordinary scene transformed into something spectacular. The artwork on the plastic bag is incredible, with every fold and shadow so detailed and a clever translucence about it. This is an incredible Upfest piece by Liam Bononi.

7691. Greenway Bush Lane – Upfest 2026 (14)

Octofly Art, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Octofly Art, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

Octofly Art has visited Bristol a few times for Upfest over the years and her work has improved significantly over that time. She comes from Italy, from Valle Camonica in the North of the country, and graduated from the “Santa Giulia” Academy of Fine Arts in Brescia in 2014.

Octofly Art, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Octofly Art, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

Her cartoon style is endearing and witty with a positive vibe and uplifting outlook. This caricature piece on the new wall at the back of Aldi, shows a sardine tucked up in its tin, with a pillow. The tin is tagged with Bristol to recognise the host city of Upfest. A fun piece, perfectly presented for this space. Below are a couple of her previous appearances at upfest:

Octofly Art, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Octofly Art, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Octofly Art, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Octofly Art, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

7690. North Street – Upfest 2026 (13)

Mr Cenz, Upfest 2026, North Street, Bristol, May 2026
Mr Cenz, Upfest 2026, North Street, Bristol, May 2026

Mr Cenz is a well known British street artist based in London, whose work features portraits of women augmented with multiple layers of colour and design that are so distinctive that no signature is required on his pieces.

Mr Cenz, Upfest 2026, North Street, Bristol, May 2026
Mr Cenz, Upfest 2026, North Street, Bristol, May 2026

I love this elevated Upfest wall. Because of its aspect it can be viewed from some distance and has a great impact when walking towards it. When a spectacular piece like this one from Mr Cenz is painted there, it has a real wow-factor. Such a great artist balancing photorealism and abstract colour fusion in an outstanding way. A great Upfest piece.

7689. Greenway Bush Lane – Upfest 2026 (12)

Ments Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Ments Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

At Upfest this year, there was a strong contingent of local artists, and some wall space made available to showcase everyday talent that I am privileged to see every time I walk out to take pictures, but that visitors to the festival might not be so exposed to. This balances out the presence of high-end murals in harmony with authentic street and graffiti art.

Ments Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Ments Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

Ments is a Bristol artist who spans the gap between graffiti art and something more sophisticated. I spent a while chatting with Ments as he was finishing off this piece, and he explained that it was loosely based on the letters MENTS, although the ‘T’ kind of melted away. He was interested in the soft shapes and colours, presenting as an abstract form, being simultaneously both familiar and alien. A brilliant artist, and a fine Upfest piece.

7688. Willway Street – Upfest 2026 (11)

Sophie Long, Upfest 2026, Willway Street, Bristol, May 2026
Sophie Long, Upfest 2026, Willway Street, Bristol, May 2026

I haven’t seen anything by Bristol-based artist Sophie Long for an age, but if anything can get her out painting walls, it is Upfest. Renowned for her animal portraits, Sophie Long has surpassed expectations with this outstanding piece of a mother and baby gorilla.

Sophie Long, Upfest 2026, Willway Street, Bristol, May 2026
Sophie Long, Upfest 2026, Willway Street, Bristol, May 2026

Colour and drips are key elements that Sophie Long likes to incorporate into her work, and there is plenty of both in this piece. Her gorillas have the expression of love and compassion, but there is also a vulnerability here that speaks of the fragility of their existence in a human dominated word. Outstanding work from Sophie Long – you can see more of her work in this updated gallery.

7675. Greenway Bush Lane – Upfest 2026 (10)

Jeroo, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Jeroo, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

When it comes to stylised pieces, this one from Jeroo is right up there with the very best. There are lots of things going on here, with a peacock being at the centre of it all.

Jeroo, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Jeroo, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

Stairs and crystals and some other shapes make up the body parts of the peacock in this high-definition adventure. While the content of the piece is a little surreal, the execution and photorealism are on point. A superb piece from Jeroo.

7674. Tobacco Factory – Upfest 2026 (9)

Alex Dimond, Upfest 2026, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2026
Alex Dimond, Upfest 2026, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2026

Three more small boards painted during the first weekend of Upfest. Unfortunately I missed the second week of boards, because they disappear after the Saturday, and I visited on Sunday. The first is an eye catching piece by Alex Dimond. Unusual, contemporary and most compelling.

Adam Beachey, Upfest 2026, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2026
Adam Beachey, Upfest 2026, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2026

Next up is a fine piece by Adam Beachy. Some rich colours in this piece that appears to have a lot of symbolism – locks, chains and an ancient stairway. Not too sure what it all means, but it is a visual feast.

Michelle Urban, Upfest 2026, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2026
Michelle Urban, Upfest 2026, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2026

Finally, a most attractive stylised piece of art by Michelle Urban has two women in red bathing costumes, paddling in the sea. The caption reads “Have you ever eaten an orange in the sea”. Your guess is as good as mine.

Three great examples of beautiful art in three very different styles.

7673. Stillhouse Lane – Upfest 2026 (8)

Cheo, Upfest 2026, Stillhouse Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Cheo, Upfest 2026, Stillhouse Lane, Bristol, May 2026

A quick one today. I am in Cornwall with work, and have an early start. I wrote this one last night. Cheo is a firm favourite at Upfest, where he gets to showcase his extraordinary talent in front of a much wider audience than usual.

Cheo, Upfest 2026, Stillhouse Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Cheo, Upfest 2026, Stillhouse Lane, Bristol, May 2026

This is a marvellous and imaginative creation set in an ancient Egyptian scene with mummies and aliens having a bit of a brawl. This is a wonderfully detailed piece, and there is so much going on, but it is the scarab beetle that wins the day for me.

7672. Greenway Bush Lane – Upfest 2026 (7)

The Art of Sok, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
The Art of Sok, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

What a wonderful bonus for Upfest 202 to have The Art of Sok come over from Wales to paint this absolute gem on Greenway Bush Lane. His comic-book cartoon style is utterly captivating and feels very contemporary in a kind of retro way.

The Art of Sok, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
The Art of Sok, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

The BS3 referred to on the cap is the postal district where Upfest is held, encompassing Bedminster, Southville, Bower Ashton and Windmill Hill. The two characters, captured in shades of pink are pictured standing in front of silhouetted buildings and a nighttime sky. It feels like there is a story here, leaving the viewer wanting to know more. A wonderful Upfest piece.

7671. Greenway Bush Lane – Upfest 2026 (6)

Nol, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Nol, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

Nol is a favourite artist at Upfest and is well known for his friendly characters that have been gracing the streets of South Bristol for several years. The Dutch artist usually leaves behind a few ‘extras’ as well when he visits for the festival, and he has not disappointed on this occasion.

Nol, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Nol, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

This piece is on a new wall, painted for the first time at Upfest 2026, which is on the rear side of the Aldi supermarket. It is brilliant when the local businesses embrace the festival and make walls available.

Nol, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Nol, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

Nol’s cheeky characters are always superbly presented, crisp and clean, with great solid fills and bold black outlines. These three appear as if they are giant stickers slapped one on top of the other. I love the way he has incorporated the air vent and made it look like the metal ‘cover’ is peeling off the wall. Wonderful stuff from Nol.