Aero Street Art Mural ©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!

Le Goeland, a work of street art from the Calais maritime courgain by K.Yoô. ©Nohcab
Aero Street Art Mural ©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.

Theo Haggai Street Art Mural in Calais ©City of Calais

Setting out to conquer the city

Astro Street Art Mural in 2024 ©Elise Bue
Nespoon Street Art Mural at the City of Lace ©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.

Graffiti

An annual meeting

Launched in 2020, the Calais Street Art Festival has taken its place in the summer events. It is a first 100% local edition which was organized by the Calais graffiti artist Vyrüs and in the following years, national and international artists came to leave their signature in Calais.

Wivisits

Follow our complete guide!

Every summer, it's the artistic event not to be missed! Discover these works through the proposed tours while learning a little more about this discipline. Like a treasure hunt, you will be led to observe the frescoes which will provoke your reflection on the meaning of what they inspire in you.

Every summer, the Tourist Office's tour guides offer guided tours a selection of works from the last edition of the festival, but also major works such as Banksy visible on the seafront. 

The entire works can be explored on foot or by bike and will guide you through the different neighborhoods where the major works are located. Do not hesitate to ask the XXL tourist map at the Tourist Office, or to consult all the works commented on in the free Wivisites application.

Discover the route on Wivisites
Street Art Mural Made in Graffiti in Calais LA Plage ©Marie's pictures