©City of Calais Street Art in Calais
In Calais, a city with a rich maritime and historical past, the streets are transformed into a vast living tableau thanks to street art and its annual festival. This event attracts artists from all over the world, expressing their creativity and artistic vision on urban walls.
Urban inspirations
Is Street Art part of Contemporary Art or is it a separate phenomenon? Difficult to classify since its origin, it has acquired a major place in the recent history of creation and has definitely left its mark on the Calais region! After the success of the “Conquête Urbaine” exhibition at the city’s Museum of Fine Arts in 2019, this art is now expressed every year in a unifying festival where around fifteen artists are invited to share their style. Organized by the Ateliers du Graff, it also gives pride of place to internationally renowned artists.
Formerly confined to less glamorous terms, this discipline of 'graffiti' gives a glimpse of an 'urban art' that has been democratized since 1990. Today, Calais proudly displays its culture of open-air canvases, urban theater performed by the Compagnie du Dragon and promotes the heritage of its lace-making tradition. An ideal blend of history and modernity that inspires artists and visitors alike!
The Street Art Trail
©Nohcab 
©City of Calais An open-air museum
Street art has acquired an important place in the Calais region. Artists now express themselves every year in a dedicated festival. The streets of Calais become the playground of urban artists who transform the walls into colorful works of art, inspired by the history of the city. This has given rise to works such as the Dentelle fresco by Nespoon, the inhabitant of the Minck district represented by Swed Oner or the seagull by K.Yoô.
In just a few years, the Calais region has been adorned with around fifty frescoes, some in the city centre and others in slightly more remote locations.
©City of Calais Setting out to conquer the city
©Elise Bue 
©Flo Rando Photo Street Art, a multifaceted artistic movement, is omnipresent in Calais. In 1975, Ernest Pignon Ernest, a pioneer of the genre, proposed a collage in Calais. He said “Disembark in a city and simply take a look at it.” Later, in 1990, François Morellet inaugurated his Blériot Lace Plane in the Fort Nieulay district. Since then, the street has continued to inspire artists from all over the world.
Street Art Festival 2025
The 2025 street art festival once again welcomes major figures from the international scene as well as emerging artists who have come to transform the city's facades. Overview of the frescoes currently being created!
JDL: a monumental face facing the Mi-Voix district
Dutch artist Judith de Leeuw, famous for her monumental frescoes with a strong emotional charge, is taking over a building in the 228 rue Auguste Rodin from August 3 to 10. Her hyperrealist style, blending poetry and social protest, gives new depth to urban spaces. After her work in Calais in 2023, as well as in Berlin, Paris, and Dubai, her return to Calais promises a sensitive and striking body of work, like her portraits of powerful, committed women. She recently created the Statue of Liberty holding her face, which caused such a stir around the world.
©Julie Parenty BKFoxx: American realism comes to Lafayette Boulevard
Coming straight from New York, BKFoxx is recognized worldwide for her ultra-realistic works created exclusively with spray paint. From July 26 to August 3, it will occupy the gable of 240 boulevard Lafayette with a fresco of photographic precision. Known for her powerful portraits and narrative compositions, she questions our relationship with truth and image. His arrival in Calais is an event in itself since he had already officiated on the facade of the Salle Delphine Ledoux, a stone's throw from the beach.
©City of Calais ACHES: Colour in Motion, Irish Version
From August 6 to 13, the rear facade of the Coubertin Hall comes to life with the vibrant colors of ACCHES. The Irish artist is one of the most innovative talents on the European scene: his frescoes, influenced by glitch aesthetics and pop art, blur the boundaries and reinvent the classic portrait. Visible from Avenue Coubertin, his work promises to be a spectacular work, echoing his work in Milan, Lisbon, Montreal, and London, as presented here.
©@achesdub 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 Guided tours
With the Calais XXL tour guides
Every summer, the Tourist Office's tour guides offer guided tours of a selection of works from the latest edition of the festival, as well as major works such as Banksy, which can be seen on the seafront.
The entire collection of works can be explored on foot or by bike and will guide you through the different neighborhoods where the major works are located. Don't hesitate to ask for the XXL tourist map at the Tourist Office, or to consult the complete set of works with commentary in the free Wivisites app.
See all tours
And also …
This year, the 2025 festival brings together more than ten artists in residence across Calais. Among them: COUNCIL (July 14–30) created on the building at the corner of Greuze / Guynemer, a few meters from a previous work by Curtys Hilton. SATR (July 26–August 2), in the Barye / Marinot sector, explores line and abstraction. YOLDIE (July 28–August 1) leaves its mark at 115 avenue Saint-Exupéry, while FLOW (August 1–6) signs a new fresco at 57 rue du Pont Lottin. WEDO GOAS (August 8–15), NYOTA (August 10–15), BRAGA LAST ONE (July 17–25) and CASE MC CLAIM (July 24–31) complete this artistic constellation. Each neighborhood becomes the scene of a creation, of a dialogue between the artist, the wall and the inhabitants.
©Marie's pictures