9 street art gems in France

Every June, Grenoble hosts top muralists, graffiti artists, paste-up creators, and stencilists from France and around the world. During the Street Art Fest, they created around thirty works ranging from massive murals to subtle collages.

The city’s streets turn into an open-air gallery, offering a dazzling display of urban art. Don’t miss the poignant mural “Les yeux dans les yeux” by French artist Seth, featuring two faceless children gazing at each other from opposite sides of the street. Cap off your visit at the SpaceJunk Center, a contemporary art space dedicated to street art, Lowbrow, and Pop Surrealism.

In Occitanie, Sète hosts the K-Live street art festival each season. Internationally renowned artists create monumental murals live, while concerts and workshops help visitors immerse themselves in urban art.

Throughout the rest of the year, the Musée à Ciel Ouvert (MaCO) displays its urban artworks across the city, along the quays and around every corner. You might encounter a giant portrait of the iconic George Brassens next to an abstract mural, just steps away from a tranquil café terrace.

Lille has always embraced new cultural movements, and you’ll find numerous discovery tours guiding visitors to the city’s most beautiful murals. But don’t hesitate to step off the beaten path and head towards Roubaix. Since the URBX festival began celebrating urban arts in all their forms, the red brick walls and old factories of this industrial city have become canvases for graffiti and murals, waiting to be discovered on your wanderings.

In Armentières, the RenArt collective leads the way, organising graffiti jams and a biennial Mural Art event, as well as mapping and cataloguing the metropolis’s artworks. They are your best guide to the local street art scene!

Following on from Just Do Paint and Street Art en Baie, the Bay of Saint-Brieuc now hosts Shake Art, a vibrant festival celebrating all things urban. In June, over 20 artists paint live murals, adding to the city’s collection of more than 80 artworks.

Explore Saint-Brieuc, Binic, and Étables-sur-Mer with the help of an interactive map—perfect for a leisurely bike ride between summer dips. with the help of an interactive map—perfect for a leisurely bike ride between summer dips.

In the Cévennes, the local association Miaou has turned the streets of this small Gard town into an open-air urban art museum. With renowned artists like Kashink bringing their bold creations to the town, including striking self-portraits that challenge gender norms, Bessèges now boasts the largest street art circuit in the Cévennes.

Visitors can explore a vibrant mix of figurative art, abstraction, graffiti, and murals. This innovative project not only makes urban art more accessible but also breathes new life into the old industrial sites of this historic mining town, nestled in the heart of the Alès industrial region with its rich heritage.