Nuart Aberdeen 2026: Everything you need to know as street art festival returns to transform the city

Ciaran Glöbel, who helped create the “Super Scurry” mural on Willowbank Road, returns for Nuart Aberdeen 2026. | Lauren Jack/The Scotsman

Walls around Aberdeen will soon be transformed, as Nuart returns to the city for 2026.

After skipping a year due to the Tall Ships Races, the annual street art festival will once again make its mark on the Granite City with a first of its kind theme.

With a majority Scottish line up of artists and nine walls around Aberdeen changed for Nuart 2026, here is everything you need to know.

When is Nuart Aberdeen 2026?

Nuart Aberdeen 2026 will take place from Wednesday, April 22 to Sunday, April 26.

READ MORE: 27 of Nuart Aberdeen's best murals, in pictures

What is the theme of Nuart Aberdeen 2026?

Nuart Aberdeen will make history with its 2026 theme, “Poetry Is In The Streets”.

Curated by Martyn Reed, it will be the world’s first poetry and text-based street art festival.

In an effort to be less predictable, the intention behind this year’s event is for those enjoying it to appreciate the “poetry” and rich history which can already be found around Aberdeen.

Nuart Aberdeen: Every 2026 location and artist

Nuart continues to break tradition this year, with an artwork for the festival to appear indoors for the first time.

There will be an 11-meter long installation inside Aberdeen’s iconic Bon Accord Baths from artist Robert Montgomery, who is well known for his visual poems. He last participated in the festival back in 2017, with a piece based at Jopps Lane in the city centre.

Robert Montgomery’s bold work which was installed as part of Nuart Aberdeen’s first year in 2017. The Scottish artist has been described as a vandal, a street artist, a post-Situationist, a punk artist and the “poet’s Banksy” and his Nuart project was created with former US President Donald Trump in mind. | Lauren Jack/The Scotsman

Montgomery isn’t the only returning artist for this year’s event, with homegrown artist KMG creating a mural at Aberdeen University’s Zoology building, facing the Cruickshank Botanic Garden. Those are just two spots which will be transformed by Nuart Aberdeen this year.

Here is the full list of 2026 artwork locations:

• Bon Accord Baths, Justice Mill Lane
• Chapel Street Car Park, Huntly Street
• Ibis Hotel, 15 Shiprow
• NESCOL, Gallowgate
• Markur Casino, Summer Street
• Denburn Road
• Nickel & Dime, Crooked Lane
• Rennie’s Wynd, the Green
• Aberdeen University’s Zoology building, facing the Cruickshank Botanic Garden
• Alford Place, to be viewed from Thistle Place
• Little Belmont Street
• Skene Street, opposite Gilcomstoun School
• Bon Accord Centre, George Street entrance

In addition to these artworks, there will be a treasure hunt for additional pieces of art across the city.

You can see all of this year’s locations, and where each artist’s installations will appear on our map below.

Nuart 2026: Which artists will be helping transform Aberdeen?

There are 13 artists in total who will participate in Nuart Aberdeen this year, including KMG and Robert Montgomery.

These are:

• Alisa Oleva, a walking artist based in London who explores the politics of public spaces and will host tours as part of this year’s programme.
• Ciarán Glöbel, a sign painter and designer from Glasgow who helped create the seagull mural on Willowbank Road back in 2018.
• dr.d AKA Subvertiser, a veteran street artist based in London whose 1026 Nuart installation will appear at NESCOL.
• HICKS, a mural artist from London who will help transform both Merkur Casino and Denburn Road.
• James Klinge, a Glasgow artist specialising in handcut stencils who will work on the Ibis Hotel.
• KMG, an Aberdeen-based artist inspired by Celtic folklore who will paint a Nan Shepard inspired mural at Cruickshank Botanic Garden.
• Molly Hankinson, an English artist living in Glasgow who will create a playful work behind Nickel & Dime on Crooked Lane.
• Remi Rough, an abstract painter whose Nuart piece will appear at the George Street entrance to the Bon Accord Centre.
• Robert Montgomery, a Scottish-born artist known for his work in public spaces who will provide Nuart’s first indoor installation at Bon Accord Baths, as well as a second work at Alford Place.
• The Rebel Bear, a global street artist whose Nuart project will appear on Chapel Street Car Park.
• The Writing is on the Wall, the self styled “street poet – wall botherer” will create a “poetry house” at the former Little Belmont Hut.
• Trackie McLeod, a Glasgow-based artist who will take over Rennie’s Wynd at the Green.
• V2k, a self-taught Lithuanian/Scottish street artist based in Aberdeen who will create a large scale poem across from Gilmcomstoun School.

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What’s on during Nuart 2026?

If you want to make the most of the street art festival while it is taking place in Aberdeen, there is a full programme of events lined up for 2026.

This includes walking tours of street art around the city, which are free but ticketed, as well as the annual Nuart Plus Street Art Conference, which will feature lectures, critiques and more running throughout the festival. More information on these events can be found on Nuart’s website.

While most of this year’s installations, as usual, will appear on walls around the city, others have specific opening times.

On Wednesday, April 22 - opening night - there will be a special event held at Bon Accord Baths for Robert Montgomery’s installation with both the artist and Nuart curator Martyn Reed present. This will run from 8pm until 10pm, and will also be open from Thursday, April 23 until Sunday, April 26 from 12pm to 6pm.

Finally, Big Belmont Bash will return during Nuart with Belmont Street in the city centre to be full of food, drinks, games, and entertainment.