Yardworks Festival 2024
Yardworks Festival returned for 2024, and took place on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 May. With the usual assortment of scran, dugs, and happy wains, mixed in with more artists, from more countries than ever before, and more punters attending than ever before, it was certainly one to remember.
Since launching in 2017, Yardworks Festival has become a leading showcase of contemporary urban art, and has made itself a firm fixture on the urban art and graffiti scene, attracting artists from around the globe – and 2024 was our biggest year yet, with a broader range of artists, and more punters attending than ever before.
For the first time ever, online sales for the entire weekend sold out in advance, as artists from across the globe descended upon the Galvanizers Yard for a weekend of colour and creativity. The stellar line-up included North Carolina-based artist JEKS, known for his dynamic and meticulous murals, German graffiti artist and illustrator Jeroo, who has recently designed a can for Montana Cans, fellow German artist Aura, and Manchester-based mural and street artist Katie Scott, who is well known for using large-scale Barbie doll paintings within her work. Brazilian 3D graffiti writer Ed-Mun also made the trip, and helped design this year's festival merchandise.
Not only was there more artists than ever before, but there was also much more for the full family to do this year too. The DIY graffiti canvas sessions went down a treat, and allowed every budding artist the chance to make their very own graffiti masterpiece. Festival sponsors Heverlee, helped introduce plenty of punters to the world of screen printing, and there was a whole host of incredible artist-led workshops and talks held across the weekend, with a focus on female creatives.
Soundplay Projects took residence in the TV Studio with their cutting-edge technology, sensory materials and sound, creating a fun, interactive and fully accessible play area for primary school-aged children.
And of course, it wouldn't be Yardworks without a mention of the OG, and best, disco for kids and parents, Mini Manoeuvres. Spanning the Warehouse and Garden Terrace, Mini Manoeuvres once again helped keep parents and toddlers occupied throughout the entire weekend.
About Yardworks Festival
Since launching in 2017, it’s safe to say the word is now very much out, with the annual Yardworks festival now attracting the global elite of the street arts and graffiti scene. Highlights so far have included the graffiti maze (200 metres of super smooth concrete and steel, painted live in front of the audience), Mia McGregor’s global-participation art project Cubes, a talk from author, photographer and subway artist Martha Cooper, the commissioning of the huge, Classical-art-inspired mural by PichiAvo that you see today in our Galvanizers, and the launch of Yardworks Studio.
For local artists, it’s a chance to learn from the best, meet their heroes, and get inspired by what people are doing elsewhere. For the audience, it’s a weekend of witnessing murals being created live, from scratch, in front of you, child-friendly art workshops and activities, or just drinking it all in with a pint and street food in hand. For Glasgow, it’s a visual celebration of the city’s artistic ambition, its style, and the importance it places on nurturing — and sharing — the joy of creativity.
Outside of the festival, it puts the city on the map as a stomping ground for international artists, who drop in to SWG3 year-round to mark a piece of our territory in their own inimitable style. For local artists, it represents something absolutely essential to the community: a place to express themselves in a safe and legal space.