©City of Calais Street art in Calais: 70 works to discover
Since 1975, the walls of Calais have been a canvas for artistic creation. What began as a collage by Ernest Pignon-Ernest has become, in fifty years, one of the densest street art routes from northern France: more than seventy monumental frescoes, an annual festival that attracts artists from all over the world, and a city that has made this art a territorial signature in its own right.
An open-air museum
Is Street Art part of contemporary art or is it a separate phenomenon? Difficult to classify since its origins, it has acquired a major place in the recent history of creation and definitively left its imprint on the Calais region. As early as 1975, Ernest Pignon-Ernest installed a collage in Calais inspired by Burghers of CalaisIn 1990, François Morellet unveiled his "Blériot's Lace Plane," made of white and blue-grey marble paving stones, in the Fort Nieulay district. Since then, the streets of Calais have continued to inspire artists from all over the world!
©Nohcab 
©City of Calais Following the success of the “Urban Conquest” exhibition Museum of Fine Arts In 2019, this art form was expressed every summer in a unifying festival organized by Graffiti Workshopswhere around fifteen national and international artists are invited to share their style. In just a few years, the Calais region It is adorned with more than seventy monumental frescoesThe streets become the playground of urban artists who draw inspiration from the city's history, like the mural of Lace by Nespoon, the inhabitant of Minck by Swed Oner, or the Seagull by K.YoôA moving blend of history and modernity that inspires both artists and visitors!
©Flo Rando Photo Big international names
Banksy, smug, Nespoon, JDL (Judith de Leeuw) BKFoxx, Case Maclaim, Hopare et Curtis Hylton have all left their mark on the walls of Calais. The work of Banksy on the Gaston Berthe dike, the only surviving fresco from his Calais interventions, is now protected under plexiglass.
smug He also shared his photorealistic, orange-toned art with his 'just a man who drinks a whisky', Nespoon its lace patterns on the gable facing the City of Lace. JDL I came twice. BKFoxx Also: two artists faithful to the city as much as to their hyperrealistic style. Curtis Hylton delivered a brightly colored parrot seven stories ranked 4th at the Golden Street Art 2024.
©Fred Collier 
©City of Calais 
©Flo Rando Photo The award-winning works of the Calais trail
Since 2021, Calais has featured every year in the national Golden Street Art rankings!
Aéro opens the series with two consecutive works in the top 10: a silver medal in 2021 for “Le Pêcheur pensif” rue des Communes, then “La Grande aigrette” in 2022. Sweo & Nikita take 5th place in 2023 with “Le Poisson combattant”, Curtis Hylton 4th in 2024 with “Le Perroquet”.
In 2025, Flow won the gold medal with “Samurai and Dragon,” voted the most beautiful mural in France by over 4,700 votes. On the international stage, BubbleGum received an award from the Street Art Cities platform, a global leader in cataloging urban artworks.
French artists
Flow, Aero, Hopare, Theo haggai, Marco93, Kaldea, Stom500 et maye make up the recognized French component of a journey that continues to gain national recognition.
Flow picked up the Golden Street Art 2025 with “Samurai and Dragon”, completed in 60 hours on rue de Valenciennes. Aero, originally from Rennes, is the most awarded artist in the program: two works in the national top 10 since 2021. Théo Haggai covered 185 m² in the courtyard of the Cité de la Dentelle. Marko93, for his part, painted the trumpeter Derrick Shezbie on the façade of the Conservatoire. Kaldea placed his lioness of Fo at the entrance to the city facing the Channel. Stom500 and its stylized bees and hornbills occupy the Brampton wasteland. Finally, as a last example, maye and his human totem, expressing Fraternity, on one of the facades of Boulevard Jacquard.
©Fred Collier Local and regional artists
Vyrüs, Koga One, Kalouf, Swed Oner, K.Yoô, Sweo & Nikita et anna conda form the local foundation of a journey rooted in its territory. Vyrüs, a precursor of the Calais scene, has several works scattered throughout the city. Koga One painted his doubled faces on the gable end of the station. Kalouf Climate alert with its flame orangutan at Wilson residence. Swed Oner immortalizes its “remarkable anonymous” figures, haloed in gold. K.Yoô lands his seagull in the heart of the Courgain Maritime. Sweo & Nikita conceal their reference to street art in the octopus-like structure of Rue du Temple. anna conda represents music as a universal language, opposite the work of the Ukrainian artist Palval on the same building.
©Lyzebre 
©Fred Collier 
©Nohcab 
©Fred Collier BUBBLEGUM: the rising star awarded by Street Art Cities
Recently awarded by the international platform Street Art Cities, BUBBLEGUM confirms its meteoric rise. Present in Calais from July 14 to July 26, he took over the gable of 25 rue Voltaire. Her colorful world, a cross between pop art and urban aesthetics, showcases sweet patterns, 90s graphic references, and positive messages. Her distinctive style appeals to enthusiasts, families, and visiting photographers alike.
©@bublegumsr