Robert Montgomery's stunning word-based mural was installed at Jopps Lane during the first Nuart Aberdeen in 2017. Image- Courtesty of Brian Tallman
Nuart Aberdeen has announced it will return with a world’s first for a street art festival by exploring text and poetry-based art on the theme of “Poetry Is In The Streets”.
Globally-renowned street artists will have the cityscape as a blank canvas for this innovative and visionary take on Nuart, running from Thursday, April 23, to Sunday, April 26, staged by Aberdeen Inspired in partnership with Aberdeen City Council.
At the same time as announcing the Nuart Aberdeen theme, Aberdeen Inspired is inviting companies and organisations to sponsor the acclaimed event, which has been named as one of the top six street art festivals in the world.
The return of the hugely-popular festival in the spring will still see a mix of large-scale murals and more intimate works appearing on walls and spaces across the city all with text or poetry at their heart.
Martyn Reed, of Reed Productions, Nuart Aberdeen’s curator, said: “Text lends itself very well to scaling up, the message can be as large and colourful as any other mural, so the ‘splash of colour’ to lift areas of the city will stay in place.”
Niels 'Shoe' Meulman’s creation on the former Atholl House at Wapping Street. Image - Courtesy of Brian Tallman
There are already several striking text-based Nuart Aberdeen works from previous festivals, including Robert Montgomery’s stunning mural at Jopps Lane and the legendary Niels 'Shoe' Meulman’s creation on the former Atholl House at Wapping Street.
Martyn said Poetry Is In The Streets is a translation of the French slogan "la poésie est dans la rue" and is often used to suggest poetry can be found in everyday life and culture, something Nuart has been committed to since its inception.
He said: “There are two main facets to the theme, one is the idea that ‘poetry’ is for books and academia, and that art is for galleries and museums. Poetry Is In The Streets, highlights that it’s in the ‘streets’ where the content for poetry and art lives. That you can see and experience and reflect on it as you go about your day to day.
“I’ve also noticed a shift on social media and digital culture, where text is very much processed as ‘image’ these days. Rarely does as image appear without a text overlay and often, text alone is posted as image, as a jpeg. It’s an interesting shift that we thought worth exploring.”
Ben Eine's thought-provoking work on the now-demolished Aberdeen Market. Image - Couresty of Brian Tallman
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said the prospect of a text and poetry-based Nuart Aberdeen is “hugely exciting”.
“There are so many different ways Poetry Is In The Streets could be interpreted and depicted across the heart of the city centre by the world-class street artists who will be flocking to the Granite City in April,” he said.
“This, once again, underlines how visionary and cutting-edge Nuart Aberdeen truly is, which is why it has been recognised as one of the top six street art festivals in the world.
“Not only will the festival attract global talent and attention, but it will also attract thousands of people into the city centre during the festival weekend. These visitors won’t just enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of Nuart, they will also enjoy all the shops, businesses and many other attractions the city centre has to offer.”
Adrian also urged potential sponsors to step forward to support the festival, with a range of packages available.
Addam Yekutieli - aka Know Hope - used words provided by the people of Aberdeen to transform the former Woolmanhill Hospital. Image - Courtesy of BrianTallman
“It is an ideal opportunity for city businesses and organisations to play a vital role in Nuart Aberdeen 2026 and be part of the stunning legacy it will leave for the Granite City,” he said.
Councillor Martin Greig, Culture Spokesperson for Aberdeen City Council, said: “I am delighted to see the return of Nuart Aberdeen to bring new colour from talented artists into our city centre.
“This year’s theme of poetry and text-based artwork will invite everyone to pause, reflect, and find inspiration in the everyday—adding a touch of wonder and meaning to our shared spaces.”
Interested in sponsoring Nuart Aberdeen? Explore the packages on the Aberdeen Inspired’s website.
Want to know what’s coming in Nuart Aberdeen 2026? Find out more here.