MORE than 100 graffiti and street artists from across the globe will descend on Cardiff this summer as Wales hosts its first-ever Meeting of Styles festival.
THE INTERNATIONAL “paint jam” will take place between Thursday July 2 and Sunday July 5, 2026, with artists creating new large-scale artwork across Grangetown, Butetown and central Cardiff as part of the inaugural Meeting of Styles Cymru.
The festival is being led by Welsh artist Amelia Thomas, better known by her graffiti name ‘Unity’, working alongside the Cathays Central Youth and Community Project.
Speaking ahead of the event, Ms Thomas said the aim was to celebrate graffiti as a legitimate art form and highlight the positive role it can play in communities.
“We want this festival to raise awareness of graffiti as an art form, changing the often negative narrative behind it and really show how HipHop culture can bring communities together,” she said.
Meeting of Styles is an internationally recognised street art and graffiti festival which began in 1997, and has since been held in countries including Germany, Finland, Sweden, Indonesia and the Philippines. Wales will now join that list for the first time.
The event is free to attend, with the festival hub based at Canopi. Visitors will also have the option of buying tickets for a guided graffiti walking tour organised by homelessness charity The Wallich, with tours led by people who have experienced homelessness and who will share stories behind the artwork in the area.
In the lead-up to the festival, a series of workshops will also take place with local groups including The Wallich and She Paints Our Streets, offering people the chance to learn painting skills and take part in the creative build-up.
Sean, who has been involved in the graffiti workshops through The Wallich, said the experience has been beneficial.
“I found it quite therapeutic when listening to music and just losing myself in the art,” they said.
Throughout the weekend, artists will be painting live across multiple sites in Cardiff, including Sevenoaks Park and the Millennium Walkway by the Principality Stadium, as well as Wood Street, Schooner Way and Callaghan Square. The programme will also feature live music, an afterparty at Canopi, and a number of performances linked to HipHop culture, including beatboxing, breaking and the Wales v The World BBOY battle.
The festival will also host an exhibition by Welsh wild-style graffiti artist Sadsak and collaborators, along with a screening of the German graffiti feature film WHOLETRAIN, directed by Florian Gaag.
Organisers have also highlighted the importance of Sevenoaks Park, home to Cardiff’s first and largest open graffiti wall, established by Lou Lockwood in memory of her son Roxe, also known as Bill Lockwood. Lou continued painting until she lost her sight, and still visits the wall, which continues to be maintained by the community.
The festival has been made possible through partnerships including paint sponsor Loop, with funding support from Arts Council Wales, Community Foundation Wales and FOR Cardiff.
Carolyn Brownell, Executive Director of FOR Cardiff, said the organisation was proud to support the event.
“We are thrilled to support the Meeting of Styles event coming to Cardiff. Public art is a vital ingredient in making places that people want to spend time in and this event’s combination of bringing world class talent to the city and developing local artists. We can’t wait to see what new artwork is produced throughout the event,” she said.
Organisers say the festival is designed to inspire up-and-coming artists while encouraging local people to see graffiti through a new lens.
This year’s theme is “Togetherness”, reflecting the Welsh concepts of “Cymuno”, meaning people coming together, and “Unoliaeth”, meaning unity and unification.
