Bristol has had a monopoly on British street art for too long. Sure, it’s the home of Banksy, but he’s had plenty of time in the spotlight. It’s time for a new street art capital, somewhere different, innovative, perhaps somewhere where a sea breeze flows through the bright, painted streets, where culture bounces off every wall and creativity finds a home.
That’s right, we are of course referring to the city of Portsmouth. Alright, this southern port isn’t typically known for its abundance of colour, but stereotypes aren’t always reliable. A study by Bromley Art Supplies has crowned it the new home of UK street art, after they found that the town has nearly eight murals per square mile.
The researchers said that while ‘Portsmouth’s street art scene may come as a shock to some… it is rapidly growing in popularity, bringing a fresh creative wave to the city’s historic streets.’ They picked out the 'Phone Your Mum’ artwork outside of the Southsea Cycles shop as a particular standout, describing it as ‘combin[ing] emotion and a simple yet poignant message.’
In second was Belfast, which had nearly seven works per square mile, while Nottingham took the bronze, followed by Bristol and Plymouth. There must be something about being a port city that really gets people’s creative juices flowing.
Congratulations, Portsmouth. We’re glad to see you stepping out of your navy-shipbuilding box. Keep the surprises, and the cool art, coming.
You can read the full report by Bromley Art Supplies here.
Arts in the UK
You don't need to go to Portsmouth to find great art in the UK. Try out one of our favourite destinations for art in the country, or head to one of these cool sculpture parks for something different. We’ve also got rundowns of the UK’s best museums and modernist architectural wonders, if that’s more your sort of thing.
Did you see that this is the friendliest city in the UK?
Plus: Manchester airport is getting its first ever Wetherspoons
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.