Hit the North celebrates 10 years of Street Art in Belfast

Hit the North, Belfast’s spectacular street art event this year celebrated it’s 10th birthday. It was marked by a massive ‘paint jam in the cities Cathedral Quarter. An event which resulted in a complete re-painting of the area around the Sunflower Pub on Kent and Union Streets.

The Hit the North paint jam took place on 30 April 2023

International Artists

In the week prior other larger murals were created across the city. Many only finished off on the day of the festival itself. Massive works from major street artists such as Annatomix, KMG, Friz, Studio Giftig, Elena Lourens, Ed Hicks, ROA, Nol and Danny Rumbl being amongst some of the stand outs.

Annatomix was one of the big names to paint at the festival. Her giant sitting fox overlooks Kent Street

Humble Beginnings

Organised by Seedhead Arts and supported by key partner Hennessy. Hit The North is an event which has grown from humble beginnings. This year becoming the biggest street art festival across the whole of the UK and Ireland. It’s a platform whose growth has also given voice and opportunities to local artists many of whom painted at the festival.

Studio Giftig created a large wall inspired by the linen industry on James Street South. The duo are artists from the Netherlands. A mural they painted last year was recently voted the best in the world by Street Art Cities.

Contemporary Muralism

Belfast as a city is no stranger to murals. Many of the works created in the period of the Hit the North festival however have added a new dimension to muralism in the city. Street art created as part of the festival has a more contemporary feel. The work opening up conversations on a whole host of topics of importance to the artists and sometimes none at all.

Dutch artists Danny Rumbl and Nol high on cherry pickers and painting different sides of the same building

Rich Culture

Adam Turkington, Director of Seedhead Arts said Northern Ireland is fast becoming a hub for urban culture and the arts. “This year we’ve had artists travel from as far away as South Africa and Ukraine to take part in the festival. Northern Ireland has a rich cultural heritage for mural art and this really appeals to creatives who want to develop their skills while gaining inspiration from like-minded artists in a supportive space”.

The Hit the North festival in Belfast took place over the period of 27-30 April 2023. The main event and festival ‘paint jam’ took place in the area around Kent and Union Streets.