Gosport Urban Arts Festival 9th May 2026 10:00 -16:00 Leesland Skate Park
Gosports Urban Arts Festival
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Gosport Urban Arts Festival
The Gosport Urban Arts Festival is a vibrant celebration of street culture, creativity and community. Taking place at Leesland Skatepark, the festival brings together live mural painting, skateboarding, BMX riding, hip hop music and hands-on street art workshops.
This exciting Gosport street art festival showcases the creativity of local artists while inviting the community to get involved in urban art, graffiti and creative expression. From large-scale murals to drop-in workshops and an urban art market, the festival will transform the skatepark into a colourful hub of creativity for the day.
Running alongside the Gosport Now: Young Voices, Future Heritage project, the event celebrates the voices and creativity of young people while highlighting the role street art plays in shaping modern culture.
One of the highlights of the Gosport Urban Arts Festival will be the live creation of large-scale murals. Local artists will be transforming sections of the skatepark into vibrant pieces of street art using spray paint and urban techniques.
Visitors will be able to watch the creative process unfold throughout the day, seeing how murals evolve from sketch to finished artwork. This live painting element is a key part of what makes the event feel like a true Gosport street art festival, celebrating creativity in a raw and authentic environment.
Throughout the day, visitors will have the opportunity to take part in hands-on street art sessions. These drop-in workshops will introduce people to spray paint techniques, stencil art and creative experimentation.
Whether you are completely new to street art or already enjoy graffiti-style artwork, the workshops offer a welcoming and accessible way to explore urban art. Led by artists from The Studio @ThirteenEight, these sessions are designed to encourage creativity and give people the chance to create their own artwork.
Alongside the live art and workshops, the festival will also host an urban art market featuring independent artists and creative makers.
Visitors will be able to browse a range of artwork, prints, clothing and handmade creative products inspired by street culture. This market element helps support local creatives and adds another dimension to the Gosport art festival, creating a space where artists and the community can connect.
Urban art has always been closely connected with music and action sports, and the festival celebrates that culture. Throughout the day there will be hip hop DJs providing a soundtrack for the event, creating an energetic festival atmosphere.
With the event taking place at Leesland Skatepark, visitors will also be able to enjoy the natural backdrop of skateboarding and BMX riding, reinforcing the authentic feel of a true Gosport graffiti festival.
The Gosport Now Project – Young Voices, Future Heritage
The Gosport Urban Arts Festival forms part of a wider creative project called Gosport Now: Young Voices, Future Heritage, a National Lottery funded initiative that encourages young people to explore their town, their identity and their creativity through art.
The project works directly with local young people through a series of workshops, discussions and creative sessions where they can experiment with different forms of artistic expression. While many people traditionally think of art as painting or drawing, the project aims to show that creativity exists in many different forms, particularly within urban art and street culture.
Urban art is a broad and evolving movement that includes graffiti, street art, mural painting, illustration, stencil work, typography, hip hop culture, music, dance and more. Through the Gosport Now project, young people are introduced to these creative forms and encouraged to explore how art can be used to tell stories, express identity and shape the spaces around them.
Workshops leading up to the festival give participants the chance to experiment with design ideas, learn about spray paint techniques and collaborate with others. These sessions focus on building confidence, encouraging creativity and helping young people realise that artistic expression does not have to fit within traditional boundaries.
The Gosport Urban Arts Festival has been created as a public celebration of this work. It brings the ideas, energy and creativity of the workshops into a shared community space where artists, young people and residents can come together. The festival showcases the many different forms that urban art can take — from live mural painting and graffiti-style artwork to hip hop music, skate culture and street-inspired creativity.
By hosting the festival at a skatepark, the event reflects the authentic environments where urban culture often develops. It creates a space where young people can see artists working in real time, experience the atmosphere of a Gosport street art festival, and understand that creativity exists far beyond traditional galleries.
Ultimately, the project aims to inspire the next generation of artists, creatives and makers by showing that art is not limited to one style, one medium or one pathway. Whether through graffiti, design, music, dance or visual art, the Gosport Now project celebrates creativity as something that belongs to everyone.
Gosport Urban Arts Festival When and Where
The Gosport Urban Arts Festival will take place at:
9th May 2026
Urban Art Market - 10:00 -16:00
Events throughout the day - a full time table will be announced closer to the event.
Leesland Skatepark
Gosport, Hampshire
The event is designed to be open and welcoming to everyone, offering a day of creativity, music and community celebration.
Gosport Grafitti Artist About the Organiser
The Gosport Urban Arts Festival is organised by Tom Roberts, a Gosport-based mixed media artist and the founder of The Studio @ThirteenEight, an independent art studio and creative space based on Stoke Road.
Working under the artist name ThirteenEight, Tom specialises in spray paint, street art and printmaking. His work combines traditional techniques with urban art influences, often exploring themes of music, pop culture and community. Alongside his own artistic practice, he runs regular workshops and creative sessions designed to make art accessible and welcoming to people of all ages and abilities.
The Studio @ThirteenEight was established to provide Gosport with a dedicated creative hub where people can learn new skills, experiment with different art forms and connect with other creatives. The studio hosts workshops, community art projects and youth programmes, with a strong focus on encouraging creativity outside of traditional art spaces.
Through projects like Gosport Now: Young Voices, Future Heritage, Tom works directly with young people to explore how urban art can be used to express identity, creativity and local pride. The Gosport Urban Arts Festival has grown out of this work as a way to celebrate street culture, showcase local artists and create opportunities for the community to experience urban art in a public space.
By bringing together live mural painting, music, skate culture and creative workshops, the festival reflects the energy and diversity of modern urban art while highlighting the creativity that exists within the Gosport community.
Get Involved
The Gosport Urban Arts Festival is an opportunity for artists, performers and creative businesses to be part of something exciting in the town.
We are currently inviting:
Street artists and mural painters
Urban artists and illustrators
Creative market stalls
Performers and DJs
Community groups interested in urban culture
If you would like to get involved in the festival, follow ThirteenEight on social media for updates and announcements.
Artist Registration
Artist spaces at the Gosport Urban Arts Festival are limited. Once you’ve submitted your application, I’ll review all entries and be in touch soon to confirm participation. Please note that artist slots are currently unpaid; however, where possible a small contribution towards materials may be offered. We are currently working to secure permission for permanent walls to be painted as part of the event. If permission cannot be granted, all artwork will instead be created on temporary painting walls measuring approximately 2.4m x 1.2m.
As this is a public, community-focused event, all artwork must be suitable for a family audience. Political, religious, offensive or discriminatory themes will not be permitted. The festival organiser reserves the right to review and approve proposed artwork or designs before painting takes place.
The festival is all about celebrating creativity, community and urban culture, and we’re excited to bring together artists who want to be part of something special in Gosport.
Market Registration
Market stall spaces at the Gosport Urban Arts Festival are limited, so once you’ve submitted your application I’ll review all entries and be in touch soon to confirm your place. Stall pitches are £15 for the day and measure approximately 3m x 3m. Stallholders must provide their own gazebo and equipment, and please note there is no power available on site. We’re looking forward to creating a vibrant urban art market as part of the festival.