Street artists to take part in Yardworks Festival

Scotland’s leading multi-discipline arts venue is preparing to welcome street artists from around the world to its third annual Yardworks Festival.

This is a two-day, site-wide celebration of live and curated graffiti art at SWG3 in Glasgow.

Using SWG3’s buildings, surrounding streets, walls and railway arches as their canvas, 120 world-class artists will take part, including leading Scottish artists Smug, Rogue One and Mark Worst.

SWG3’s internationally recognised event will take place in the venue’s sprawling outdoor Galvanizers Yard – the city’s largest legal graffiti site, on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May, and will see more than 700 metres of wall space transformed with displays of vibrant artwork.

Running alongside Yardworks live graffiti will be a number of workshops and music performances, as well as a custom-built Montana Cans pop-up shop and 13ft-high skate ramp.

For the kids, visitors can look forward to a ‘creation station’, skateboarding lessons and graffiti workshops. A host of street food vendors and cocktail bars will also be put in place to cater for the crowds.

Gaz Mac, SWG3 studio director and Yardworks Festival organiser, said: ‘Since our humble beginnings a few years ago, Yardworks Festival has grown into a respected international platform for many of the world’s most creative street artists. This year’s Yardworks is our most ambitious yet and we are hugely excited to return bigger and better, with an incredible programme of art and events for all to enjoy.’

Mutley, founder and director of SWG3, said: ‘SWG3’s Yard and Eastvale Place leading down to the venue, is increasingly being recognised as Glasgow’s Graffiti Quarter – and we hope that this year’s Yardworks will help to further cement that reputation, while also building relationships between artists and the community through the creation of high-quality public art.’

Last year’s Yardworks Festival attracted more than 5000 people from across Scotland and beyond. This year’s event is supported by Forty Clothing, Montana Cans, Moritz UK, Slaters, Global Art Supplies & Clan Skates.

Yardworks Festival tickets event go on sale today priced from £5 for daily entry (under 16s go free). Tickets are available from SWG3’s website: https://swg3.tv.