Aberdeen’s internationally renowned Nuart Festival will not return in 2025.
It is usually held in June, with worldwide artists visiting the city to transform grey walls into colourful works of art.
However, organisers have moved the next instalment of the festival to spring 2026 as they focus instead on preparations for the Tall Ships visit in July.
This postponement follows an earlier proposal by Aberdeen City Council to alternate the festival with Spectra, the city’s Festival of Light, as part of a cost-saving strategy, and comes as Aberdeen City Council faces significant budget pressures. According to a council report, alternating Nuart would save the local authority £125,000 per year, while the same policy for Spectra would save £325,915.
Aberdeen’s Tall Ships event marks the return of the international maritime festival to the city for the first time in nearly 30 years. From July 19 to 22, more than 50 Tall Ships from across the globe, crewed by over 1,500 sailors, will berth at the Port of Aberdeen, following a race leg from Dunkirk, France, before heading on to Kristiansand, Norway.
The four-day celebration is expected to attract up to 400,000 visitors, transforming the city’s quayside into a vibrant market with 60 stalls, live music, parades, cultural activities, and a temporary nautical-themed village.
The event is projected to deliver a significant economic boost and offers opportunities for local businesses.
Nuart Festival, which began in Aberdeen in 2017, has grown into one of the UK’s leading street art events, attracting artists from around the world and transforming the city’s urban landscape with vibrant murals and installations. The 2024 edition, held in June, focused on the theme “Living Heritage” and was widely praised for its contribution to Aberdeen’s cultural life.
Festival founder and director Martyn Reed, reflecting on the 2024 edition, said: “The ephemeral nature of much of the culture we work with and produce at Nuart can be regarded as intangible cultural heritage.”
Despite the 2025 Nuart postponement, Aberdeen Inspired chief executive Adrian Watson said they have already started working on some fresh ideas on how to make the festival even better:
“We are so excited to announce that Nuart Aberdeen will be coming back with fresh dates and a fresh look, springing into glorious life next April.
With the council’s generous support we will once again see the Granite City become a vibrant hub of activity, as walls and spaces are transformed into stunning works of art, large and small. And Nuart isn’t just for one weekend. It leaves a lasting legacy imprinted on the fabric of Aberdeen itself. No wonder it has been hailed as among the top six street art festivals in the world.”
Fans of Nuart needn’t wait until next year to savour and enjoy the massive murals and intimate pieces. Visitors can still enjoy discovering the works with walking tours happening every Sunday until September. There is also an online map to help people create their own walking tour.
You can find out more here.
Nuart 2026 will take place from Thursday April 23 to Sunday April 26 next year.
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