Banksy, arguably the world’s most famous street artist, will be featured as part of the Oi You Urban Art Festival taking place this April – an event boasting internationally acclaimed graffiti masters, live music, bars, documentary screenings, street art walking tours and up to $5000 of free art giveaways.

The new festival is an Adelaide City Council project in partnership with the State Government, Splash Adelaide and the Adelaide Festival Centre. Minister Chloe Fox, who is assisting the Minister for Arts, commented: “This is a rare opportunity for an Australian audience to see works by Banksy, a mysterious and global urban phenomenon. Banksy is a pioneer of the urban art movement.”

A total of 22 of Banksy’s famously satirical stencil artworks, which have fetched up to US $500,000 a piece, will be displayed alongside some of the world’s leading urban art megastars including Faile (USA), Swoon (USA), Antony Micallef (UK), David Choe (USA), Paul Insect (UK) and the Milton Springstreen (NZ).

Read on to find out more about the festival.

Opening Night Party
In addition to the artwork there will be an opening night party on Fri Apr 19. Taking place from 6pm onwards, the event will feature artist talks, local electronic act Oisima and glasses of plonk from Longview Estate.

Big Walls Tours
Big Walls tours will take punters around to the best urban art spots in Adelaide. The free tours will leave from the Festival Centre Plaza on Fri May 3 at 6pm and Sat May 4 at 11.30am and 4pm.

The Scrawl Wall
During the festival The Artspace Gallery will feature a special, purpose-built annex that will house the ‘Scrawl Wall’ – a place for budding local street artists to freely show off their talents.

$5000 Art Giveaway
The Great $5000 Art Giveaway will take place on Sat Apr 27 – Sun Apr 28 from 10am until 4pm. There will be 38 works of art and 38 corresponding tokens. Over the two days, the tokens will be hidden across the Adelaide Festival Centre Plaza – find a token and walk away with a free piece of art!

Street Art Film Screenings
A Street Art Film Night will be held in the Space Theatre Foyer on 10 May, and will feature screenings of locally produced documentary Who Owns The Street, as well as the Academy Award-nominated Banksy film Exit Through The Gift Shop. The bar opens at 5pm and the screening kicks off at 5.45pm.

WHAT: Oi You! Adelaide Urban Art Festival
WHERE: Artspace Gallery & Plaza, Adelaide Festival Centre, King William Rd
WHEN: Sat Apr 20 – Sun Jun 2, opening on Fri Apr 19 from 6pm
HOURS: Wed, Fri, Sat & Sun from 12pm – 4pm and Thu 12pm – 8pm
COST: Free, with donations optional