Street art: Rochdale welcomes global artists for vibrant mural festival

Posted by on 5 Sep 2025

Some of the world’s best mural artists are in Rochdale this month for the ‘Common Walls’ International Mural Festival taking place from 7–14 September, as the town becomes a canvas for creativity.                                   

They will be painting stunning artwork on ten buildings and turning Rochdale town centre into a huge urban art gallery.

The festival provides a chance to see artwork being created up close by the world-renowned artists as they created designs that that tell the story of Rochdale, its history, people and culture. Artists taking part include Insane51, Onur, Smug1, SecaOne, AYLO, Epod, Lei Mai and Cabasa Carnival Arts.

The murals are all located within a 30-minute walk around Rochdale town centre, with sites on Drake Street, Smith Street, Baillie Street and Bell Street. A map can be downloaded at rochdale.gov.uk/TownOfCulture and printed copies will be available at the festival. Guided tours with street art blogger Stuart Holdsworth, editor of www.inspiringcity.com will run at 12pm and 2pm on Saturday 13 September.

The artworks will be completed by the weekend (Saturday 13 September) when visitors are invited to see the finished masterpieces as well as enjoy free family friendly extreme sports displays from 10am to 4pm featuring BMX freestyle stunt shows with world class professional riders and mountain bike shows with the UK’s best trail riders jumping across huge distances and obstacles.  There will also be Parkour and Freerunning shows with athletes flipping and leaping across any obstacles in their path. Some of the UK’s best skateboarders will be performing spectacular tricks and flips together with mind blowing skills and unique entertainment in a basketball freestyle tricks show, with athletes showcasing their artistic flare with basketballs. Finally, there will be breakdancing displays, bringing explosive energetic street dance from the United States to the streets of Rochdale town centre.

On Saturday and Sunday there’ll also be a graffiti jam with nine mural artists competing live.

On Thursday (11 September) from 7pm to 9pm The Baum on Toad Lane hosts a ‘Mural artists in conversation’ event, providing a chance for you to meet and hear from the artists taking part in transforming the town with their amazing artworks as they talk about the creative process and their inspiration. Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

On Friday 12 September, popular town centre venue Hoochi Koochi on South Parade hosts a hip hop night with one of the UK’s most respected hip-hop DJ’s - multi-award winning former DMC turntable champion DJ Woody, from 8pm.

Lead artist and curator of ‘Common Walls’, Hayley Garner aka AYLO, who grew up in Rochdale said visitors will be amazed:  “Anticipation is building as we’ve been preparing the walls over the past few days and I’m so excited to see these spaces transformed into landmarks of creativity as our artists turn grey into great! On top of the amazing live mural painting taking place we’ve a superb line-up of urban arts entertainment on the Saturday which really will be a spectacular sight.”

Councillor Sue Smith, cabinet member for communities and co-operation at Rochdale Borough Council said: “Saturday’s thrilling line-up will be a real feast for the senses with incredible stunts and tricks being delivered by some of the world’s best athletes and artists, in the town centre. And with ten new stunning murals building on the eye-catching artwork we already have here, this event will leave a permanent legacy in prominent locations, creating an attraction that I hope visitors and residents will enjoy for years to come.”

Common Walls International Mural Festival is part of a spectacular line up of festivals, live performances, exhibitions and art during Rochdale’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture 2025-26. The title, awarded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, celebrates the town’s rich history, creativity, talent and diverse arts scene. Find out more at www.rochdale.gov.uk/TownOfCulture

The Common Walls International Mural Festival is curated by The Big Heart Projects, run by The Butterfly Effected, a community interest company that helps create inspiring art.