Some of you may have already met Steve Hayles, but if you’re not familiar with Steve you’ll certainly be familiar with Upfest!
Steve, along with his wife Emma, are the duo behind Upfest, Europe’s largest Street Art Festival who’s home is right here on North Street.
The Upfest gallery can be found bang in the middle of North Street and has been a haven for independence and creativity south of the river since 2010. Step into the gallery and your taken into a world of creativity, colour, prints, paints and so much more.
Steve first came to Bristol more than 20 years ago and in that time a lot has changed, particularly here in BS3. Upfest has played a huge part in the growth of the area, bringing in visitors not only from other parts of the city but other parts of the country and indeed the world.
The event showcases hundreds of local, national and international artists, as does the gallery and with the exciting recent announcement of Upfest’s return in 2020, the New Year already looks set to a brighter and more colourful.
An interesting little fact which you may not know, Upfest has not always been a BS3 mainstay. Steve and Emma’s first gallery was over in St Pauls, but as the festival grew, so did the need for a constant presence on North Street.
From humble beginnings as a ‘paint jam’ in the car park of the Tobacco Factory with a group of no more than 10 people, Upfest has grown to become something of a cultural benchmark in the arts world… and we’re proud to have it on our doorstep.
You can head on down to the Upfest gallery, which is at 198 North Street or check them out on social media at @Upfest & the festival returns to our streets from 30 May - 1 June 2020