Inside Yardworks 2026: A guide to the 10th anniversary weekend at SWG3

Download the press release + high res images here
Yardworks Festival returns to SWG3 on Saturday 2 May and Sunday 3 May 2026, marking its 10th anniversary with its most ambitious edition to date. Across two full days, the venue will once again be transformed into a working canvas, bringing together international muralists, local pioneers and emerging talent for a packed programme of live painting, installations, workshops, music and street culture.

Since launching in 2016, Yardworks has grown from a grassroots gathering into Scotland’s leading festival of graffiti and urban art, now firmly established on the European circuit. For its anniversary year, the programme expands beyond the walls, with a broader focus on participation, education and the role of street art within the city.

Across the weekend, visitors can watch large-scale murals unfold in real time, with artists working across SWG3’s indoor and outdoor spaces. This year’s line-up features more than 120 artists, spanning internationally recognised names alongside the next generation shaping the scene.

New additions to the 2026 edition include PEACHZZ, recently ranked among the world’s leading street artists, alongside .EPOD, whose work blends graffiti with fine art and futurist influences. Also joining the programme are ZURIK, known for bold WildStyle lettering, and WILLIAN, whose detailed character work draws on vintage illustration and themes of identity.

Representing Scotland are KMG & Pizzaboy, with further UK names including Katie Scott, Aroe, Tech Moon and Tizer. The international line-up is further strengthened by ESKAE and HOACS from the USA, alongside Nexus and Strapper from Australia, reflecting the depth and global reach of the scene.
Beyond the murals, Yardworks continues to expand its interactive offer, with an enhanced programme of drop-in activities, workshops and participatory installations across the weekend.

The Family Zone will run across both days from the SWG3 Warehouse, included within the ticket price, offering a wide range of hands-on activities. These include Spray Can Upcycling, transforming empty festival cans into colourful ornaments, and T-shirt Design, where visitors can rework previous Yardworks garments into new pieces using fabric pens, patches and heat press vinyl. Building Blocks, supported by Quickblocks, invites children to construct large-scale structures, while returning favourites such as The Cube and Posca Walls encourage collaborative, open-access creativity for all ages.

The Doodle-a-thon also returns, with Yardworks once again aiming to create the longest collaborative doodle at a public event, building on last year’s unofficial record attempt.

A new and expanded workshops programme will run across the weekend. For younger visitors, 30-minute spray painting sessions offer the chance to design and create a canvas piece to take home (£20). Adult workshops introduce more specialist techniques, including Design Your Deck, where participants create a bespoke artwork on a skateboard deck (£45), alongside sessions in traditional signwriting and Japanese calligraphy.

New for 2026, Yardworks introduces a series of additional events and satellite activity. Beyond SWG3, the Kingston Bridge Satellite Site will see 16 pillars transformed as part of the ongoing Yardworks GRID placemaking programme, while the Clyde Walkway will host a refreshed programme of live painting across its established legal wall.

An expanded talks and industry programme will run across the weekend, including a book launch, film screening and roundtable discussions exploring the role of graffiti and street art in culture, identity and regeneration.
Alongside the art, street food traders and SWG3 bars will run throughout the weekend, with indoor and outdoor seating across the site. The event remains fully accessible and family-friendly, with activities designed to be explored at your own pace.
 
As always, there will be plenty on offer for you to eat throughout the weekend. Some of the city’s best street vendors, including Wow Burger, Streat Scullery, The Wee Taqueria and more will head down to serve up fried chicken, bao buns, tacos, pizza, loaded fries and award-winning churros from Loop and Scoop, as well as ice cream from Tony’s Ice Cream Van. 
 
SWG3’s bars will be stocked with all your favourite drinks, making it the perfect event for a get-together with friends and family, with plenty of outdoor seating areas that are ideal for sitting down and taking in all the action. 
 
Artist Line-Up (2026)
120 artists including collectives 
will take part in this year’s festival:

5STAR
7TH PENCIL
.AGES
.EPOD
AGNES
AKME
ALKO
ANSLEY RANDALL
ANTONE
AROE
ASER
B-SIDE
BATZ
BIRDIE
BMORE SKETCHY
BONZAI
BOOTY
CHRISTIAN KERR
CLAIRE KOSTRIC
CONZO
DAVID ALVES
ED HICKS
EKTO
ELNO
EMSKY
ESKAE
EVADE
FRODRIK
FUNKY
GENT
GILLIAN LAW
HANS
HOACS
IKUL
INUK
IZMO
JAPHER
KATIE FORBES
KATIE SCOTT
KITSA
KMG YEAH
KONE
LIGHTBODY
LOURS
MAGS
MARIANNA DE SANTOS
MIKHAELA MARTIN
MOLD
MOLLY HANKINSON
MR OREO
NEXUS
NITRAM JOKE
NIZMO
ODDHOUSE
OUTR
PEACHZZ
PELIKAN BABA
PHYSIKS
PIZZA BOY
PLED
POSEA
POUT
PROTEST & SUFFERAGETTES
PSA
RABB
RASK
RBF CREW
RECKLESS
REVES
ROLEK
SECK
SHAUNA BLANCHFIELD
SHONA HARDIE
SIDOK
SLIDERBANDITS
SMT CREW
SNUB
SODA
SOUPY
SPRITE
STOCKE
STRAPER
TAP END TEF
TECH MOON
THE LAST ONE
THEME
THIS ONE
TIWS
TOCS
TOOTS
TIZER
TRENCH
USTO
VERNIS TORINO
VISUALANTI
VUES
WEE THISTLES
WILLIAN
WOM COLLECTIVE
YARD WARRIORZ
ZURIK

Tickets for Yardworks Festival 2026 are on sale now here
 
The finished artwork will be available for public viewing from 10am-4pm, Monday to Thursday. 
 
To book a tour or workshop for a school or community group, email: [email protected]

Yardworks Festival announces landmark 10th anniversary edition

Yardworks Festival will return to SWG3 on Saturday 2 May and Sunday 3 May 2026, marking its 10th anniversary with its most ambitious edition to date. Across two full days, live painting, large-scale murals, workshops, music and street culture will once again transform Glasgow’s riverside venue into a working canvas.

Now firmly established as Scotland’s leading festival of graffiti and urban art, Yardworks continues to spotlight internationally respected muralists alongside emerging talent and local pioneers. For its anniversary year, the festival expands its programme of participatory activity, industry conversations and city-wide engagement, reflecting its growth from grassroots gathering to a key date in the European street art calendar.

Among the first artists confirmed for 2026 is UK-based street artist .EPOD, whose work fuses graffiti, futurism and fine art, drawing on influences from hip-hop culture and classical painters to create cinematic, ethereal murals. Brighton veteran AROE, co-founder of the Heavy Artillery collective, brings decades of experience at the forefront of UK graffiti, known for translating the layered energy of city walls onto canvas through spray paint, hand-finishing and textural experimentation.

Also joining the anniversary line-up is French muralist Williann, whose bold female characters and intricate compositions draw on influences from 1950s pin-ups, early cartoons and decorative traditions, often carrying subtle messages around resilience and feminism. Glasgow-based painter David ‘PizzaBoy’ Breen presents atmospheric works shaped by his roots in street art, evoking late-night landscapes and in-between moments. Completing the first announcement is Scottish artist KMG, whose public artworks are grounded in Celtic folklore and oral storytelling traditions, using muralism and community engagement to explore cultural identity and marginalised histories.

This anniversary edition also significantly expands Yardworks’ educational offer. The Family Zone will be fully programmed in-house from the SWG3 Warehouse and included within the ticket price, providing accessible creative activity for children and families. A new paid workshop strand for adults will run across both days, covering specialist techniques including signwriting, Japanese calligraphy and paste-ups, alongside a dedicated screen-printing station where visitors can produce a limited-edition Yardworks tote bag.

An enhanced talks and industry programme will explore the role of graffiti and street art in culture, identity and regeneration. A book launch, film screening and roundtable discussions will bring together artists and sector voices to examine how urban art continues to shape cities and communities.

New for 2026, Street Art Cycling Tours will depart directly from SWG3, guiding audiences through the Yardworks-led Street Art District within the Glasgow Riverside Innovation District. The tours offer insight into the wider public artworks developed through the organisation’s year-round activity.

Gary Mackay (Gaz Mac), Yardworks Creative Director, said: “Yardworks has always been about more than just watching artists paint walls. It’s about creating space for exchange between artists, audiences and the city itself.

In 2026 we’re expanding that even further, with new workshops, industry conversations and the chance to explore the wider Street Art District that’s grown around us. Every year the ambition gets bigger, and we can’t wait to see what this edition becomes.”


Tickets for Yardworks Festival 2026 are on sale now here.