Thanks to annual street art festival Nuart, the Granite City has become one of the world’s top destinations for street art.
Alongside cities such as San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney, the Financial Times ranked Aberdeen among the world’s top six locations for street art.
It’s thanks to Nuart Aberdeen, the city’s annual street art festival which first launched in 2017.
Organised by Aberdeen Inspired, in partnership with Aberdeen City Council, Nuart has attracted tens of thousands of visitors to the region, as well as dozens of internationally-acclaimed artists.
Bahia Shehab and Niels Shoe Meulman were among those taking part in the 2024 event, alongside returning talents such as Hera and KMG.
With more than 60 works now located around Aberdeen, from huge murals to playful figures hidden around the city, here are 27 of the best Nuart Aberdeen murals from across the years.
9. Nuart Aberdeen 2022: Mohamed L'Ghacham
Painter and muralist Mohamed L'Ghacham created art around the world before landing in Aberdeen for Nuart. With his family portrait which shows a family sitting down for dinner, the Morocco-born artist painted a universal family scene. Despite the domestic scene, the mural sits in a mostly industrial area, hidden on Lime Street which sits on Waterloo Quay along the harbour. | Brian Tallman
10. Nuart Aberdeen 2023: Nuart Aberdeen 2023
French duo Paul Ressencourt and Simon Roché met while studying Fine Art, with their partnership developing as they found a common passion for drawing and street art. Exploring topics such as childhood, the environment and consumer society, their Aberdeen mural arguably demonstrates all of that – plus Nuart’s 2023 theme of rewilding. Nestled on Queen Street, and just visible from West North Street and King Street, this project boldly showcases a goldfish swimming in a plastic bag marked with the anarchy symbol. | Conor Gault
11. Nuart Aberdeen 2019: Hush
Geordie Hush’s 2019 artwork was a labour of love, taking more than seven days to complete. With pride of place in the city centre, this mural can be found on the side of the former Aberdeen John Lewis building on St Andrew Street. Hush’s unique and eclectic style layers complex textures and colours, and this particular mural also includes a tribute to the lift operator, the Vlad, who helped bring this work to life. | Lauren Jack/The Scotsman
12. Nuart Aberdeen 2018: Nimi & RH74
Norwegian duo Nimi and RH74 have worked together for multiple projects as part of the Stavanger festival, and in 2018 they brought their talents to Aberdeen. Their mural depicts the Green Lady of Crathes Castle, which she holds in her arms, and they were assisted by local artists Katie Guthrie and Mary Butterworth alongside graffiti artist Charlie Kelman. This is another of Nuart’s murals which call Union Plaza home. | Lauren Jack/The Scotsman