Nuart Street Art Festival
Over 100 murals turning Stavanger into an open-air gallery since 2001
Overview
Nuart started in 2001 as a small street art project in Stavanger. It has grown into one of Europe’s most respected street art festivals, inviting internationally recognised artists — Banksy-adjacent names like ROA, Phlegm, Ernest Zacharevic, and Martin Whatson — to create large-scale works across the city.
Each September, new murals appear on building facades, gable ends, underpasses, and walls throughout the city centre. The works are diverse: political commentary, surrealist imagery, photorealistic portraits, and abstract compositions. The festival includes public talks, workshops, and guided mural walks with the artists.
Outside the festival, the murals remain. Over 100 works are distributed across central Stavanger, concentrated around the areas between the cathedral and the harbour. The tourist office provides free self-guided mural walk maps. The walk covers 3–4 km and takes 1.5–2 hours at a comfortable pace.
Nuart also runs Nuart Aberdeen — a sister festival in Scotland — and the Nuart Journal, an online publication on street art and urban culture. The Stavanger festival remains the flagship, and the September programme draws street art enthusiasts from across Europe.
Highlights
Festival Week
September annually. New murals go up during the week. Public talks, artist workshops, and guided walks. The festival opening night is free and public.
Self-Guided Walk
100+ permanent murals across the city centre. Free map from the tourist office or download from nuartfestival.no. The walk covers 3–4 km — allow 1.5–2 hours.
Notable Artists
ROA (animal murals), Phlegm (surrealist ink-style), Martin Whatson (stencil art), Ernest Zacharevic (interactive murals). Each year’s lineup is announced in June.
Year-Round Access
The murals do not disappear after the festival. Walk the streets any time of year. New works layer over old ones — each visit reveals a different city.
Practical information
Getting there
The murals are distributed across central Stavanger, concentrated between the cathedral and the harbour. Start at the tourist office (Strandkaien) for the map.
Festival dates
September annually. Exact dates announced on nuartfestival.no in spring. The main week runs Thursday–Sunday with murals created live during the day.
Self-guided walk
Free map from the tourist office or nuartfestival.no. 3–4 km route through the city centre. Allow 1.5–2 hours. Best in daylight for photography.
Tips
Start early — the light on west-facing walls is best in the morning. Some of the best works are on side streets and in underpasses, not on main roads. Look up — many murals are on upper floors and gable ends.
More in Stavanger
Plan your Stavanger trip
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