street art tour christchurch

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Art & Heritage

Christchurch street art journey: a half day walking tour.

Canterbury, South Island

A Christchurch visitor highlight for art lovers is a walking tour of the street art that emerged after the devastating earthquake. For tips where to grab a snack check out Christchurch brunch, lunch 7 places to eat .

Transport – Do you need a rental car?

Not necessary. Christchurch is a compact city with an excellent public transport network, a well established taxi service as well as paths and maps to guide walkers around the newly rebuilt Christchurch.

Guided street art tour

Starting in the CDB you can join a 2 hour walking tour.  This will provide context and a commentary on the artists whose works you are viewing. Proceeds from the tour go towards supporting the local artists a great sustainable tourism venture worth all art focued visitors supporting.

Brushing up on your art homework credentials.

Your first stop is the Christchurch Arts Centre visitor information site. The ‘i’ site can provide self- guided maps to street art installations, pop up exhibitions as well as commercial galleries. As well check out the top sights in Christchurch in the Christchurch travel guide for tips.

Christchurch Art Gallery with its contemporary architecture, gift shop and exhibitions should be on the to do list for an art focused exploration.weekend. The gallery has child friendly activities to encourage younger guest experience.

General walking tours

Walking tours.

Christchurch is a city built for walking tours. You are not faced with steep hills and valleys. It is a city of squares, grids and signposts. Your walking tour can be self-guided or with local guides. Self guided walks are recommended to use the Christchurch Tram heritage trail as a base to explore the city. I enjoyed the interaction of Walk Christchurch is managed by volunteers. The walks are not ‘free’ a donation is encouraged.

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Arts & Culture

Celebrating street art in the city, painting the walls with inspiration.

Christchurch is a city enriched in culture with a street art scene that will leave you in awe. A stroll through the inner city reveals colourful artworks from a range of inspiring artists. Be sure to keep track of the ever-evolving murals in the city with  Watch This Space .  

Te Pae Christchurch Convention – Spotlight – Urban Art Projections

A stunning collaboration between Watch This Space and ChristchurchNZ, provides a fresh approach to urban creativity for talented local artists! The project, called Spotlight, focuses on connecting visual artists with digital creatives to explore the potential of projection works, which are showcased on the exterior of Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre . The project routinely showcases different artists and new work, how good!

Hereford Street – Wāhine Toa

A powerful and impressive mural next to Shands Lane Hereford Street , that pays tribute to a group of pioneering wāhine toa sits proudly in the middle of Ōtautahi. This mural was funded by ‘The Hine te Hiringa – Empower Women Utilising FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Fund' and produced by two talented artists – Ōtautahi's Kophie Sua-Hulsbosch and Janine Williams from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. This meaningful addition to our city was supported by various organisations, including Watch This Space , ChristchurchNZ , the Christchurch Foundation , and more.

Colombo Street – Dcypher Goes Cosmic

A stunning new cosmic mural by Dcypher can be seen on Colombo Street . The mural showcases the artist's exceptional work ethic and technical skill in the science fiction and fantasy genre. The mural is adorned with an array of intricate details, glowing stars, flowing hair and gorgeous swirls, it's not one to miss!

Riverside Mural - DTR Crew (Dcypher, Wongi Wilson, Ikarus & Jacob Yikes)

Completed as a partnership between Riverside Ltd, ChristchurchNZ , Oi YOU! and Madeknown, this wall tells a story of central city heritage and the global women’s suffrage movement, which started in Ōtautahi Christchurch. Check out the Riverside 3D Mural .

YMCA Building – Kaitiaki 

Irish artist Fin DAC’s mural Kaitiaki (the Māori word for 'guardian') showcases elements of Māori culture and mythology and is a symbol of protection for the city.  Fin DAC  is well known for his images depicting beautiful women, with eye masks, gorgeous clothes and elegant makeup. His style called ‘Urban Aesthetics’, combines modern urban stencil art and the traditional art of portrait. Check out the artwork Kaitiaki - Fin DAC.

Lichfield Street - Organic Matters 

Wellington-based artist  Chimp's  artwork of tui and titipounamu (rifleman) surrounded by flowers and bees highlights the important activities going on within the Justice Precinct buildings while relating back to the natural New Zealand subject matter. Check out the artwork Organic Matters - Chimp  

Tuam Street - Alice in Wonderland 

On the building of Alice Cinematheque, you’ll find a mural inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Christchurch based artist Jacob Yikes is well known for his murals throughout the city and New Zealand often highlighting bizarre compositions, strange figures and symbolism. Check out the artwork  Alice in Wonderland - Jacob Yikes .

Lichfield Street - David Kidwell

To celebrate the 2017 Rugby League World Cup and Christchurch's role as a host city Mr.G  created a mural dedicated to New Zealand's Rugby League World Cup Head Coach, David Kidwell. Check out the artwork David Kidwell - Mr. G .

Rauora Park - Spray Cans 

The space contains eight giant spray cans with graffiti sprayed over them. The eight cans are physically split in two groups, with three cans intended for long-term works that will be refreshed sporadically, and five serving as ‘free-for-all’ surfaces, as evolving canvasses.  Jacob Yikes ,  Wongi Wilson ,  Nick Tam , from Christchurch’s famed DTR crew, painted the three ‘permanent’ cans. Check out the artwork  Giant Spray Cans .

Innovation Precinct - Kathmandu 

Wongi "Freak" Wilson , a Christchurch born street artist who’s been a great advocate for eliminating the negative stigma associated with graffiti art. Wongi Wilson is well known in post-quake Christchurch for his murals with his art forming a big part of the city's new creative identity. View his Nepal and Kathmandu related mural next to the Kathmandu headquarters in the Innovation Precinct. Check out the artwork Freak  - Wongi .

Ibis Hotel - Rise from the Rubble 

The design by local artist Brandon Warrell was one of three the public were asked to vote on as part of a Council initiative to create a new mural on the wall of the Ibis Hotel in Hereford Street. The mural is inspired by New Zealand natives: a Kowhai tree and a wax-eye bird showcasing the beauty of NZ’s flora and fauna. Rise from the Rubble - Brandon Warrell .

Allen Street - Erika Pearce 

This mural features Harlem-Cruz Atarangi Ihaia, from Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Porou, who is the reigning Miss Universe New Zealand. Artist  Erika Pearce  painted her wearing a traditional moko and a crown of Kawakawa leaves to represent the sadness of the loss of the extinct huia bird. Check out the artwork Mural - Erika Pearce.

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Following The Christchurch Street Art Trail: Amazing Artwork You'll See Along The Way

The street art in Christchurch is bold, powerful, and, at times, mesmerizing - here's how to find its most famous pieces.

In 2011, Christchurch street, New Zealand was hit by a rather catastrophic earthquake. Following this, the wreckage of Christchurch street became a hub for street artists and graffiti artists alike. While some saw this as an act of vandalism, the reason for this sudden art fiesta was to promote joy, optimism as well as filling the streets with beautiful colors. Almost 10 years later, Christchurch street has become one of the street art capitals of the world. The backbone of this street art and graffiti is the group called "Oi YOU!' Below is some of the amazing artwork you will see on your way there.

Paying Homage

This amazing 3-D Mural at Christchurch does an excellent job at tricking the brain. This Mural was dedicated to Christchurch's past, future and present. The mural tells a story about the Garden City. The mural features the likes of Kate Sheppard in references alongside the Christchurch Women's Suffrage Movement. It is an incredible work of art.

• Location: Riverside Market

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While following the Christchurch trail, you will notice an amazing artwork of some rather large yet beautiful spray cans. It is located at the corner of Lichfield and Manchester just next to a basketball court. The number of spray-can paintings is about eight. Three of the eight are works done by professional artists over time. Local artists are at liberty to do whatever kind of artwork they want.

• Location: Cnr Manchester and Lichfield Streets

Women-Centric Work

Jacob Roots, the artist behind the impressive work of art, has a unique art style. In the "Lost Souls" artwork, it features a beautiful lady staring at the area in front of her while looking over her shoulder. This work of art is painted over a background of red and orange as though she were amidst an intense fire. Also, a touch of grey and white can also be seen amidst all the red and orange. The artwork is found in an isolated area thus the name "Lost Soul."

• Location: 29 Yaldhurst Road

Audrey Hepburn

This is a painting of Audrey Hepburn and is located just on the side of the lemon tree cafe. The Audrey Hepburn painting is painted in stencil style and is in grayscale. This work of art sits on a shining yellow background and Jacob's Roots signature style is used for the "Shine So Bright" painting. As you would guess, the title of the painting is stenciled beside the painting, precisely on the left side of the wall. This street art also features Audrey Hepburn with a Cigarette holder of which leaves and bright light come out as flowers that are placed along her right shoulders. A beautiful work of art , this one.

• Location: Side of the Lemon Tree Cafe

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Kophie Hulsbosch (Meep One)

This rather stunning work of art was painted as a tribute to wahine to mark International Women's Day in 2021. The soul behind this painting was directed to all women who labor twice as hard but sadly both for less pay and recognition. This painting carries more weight for women of color. Painted by a female artist, this work speaks volumes and was included in an exhibition set up by The Conscious Club in regards to International Women's Day.

On the trail of the Christchurch street art, you will come across a rather exquisite painting of Teresa Oman, the Australian Model. Rones painting of Terresa is indeed from the Rise Festival which was held in 2013. It appears this work of art was done prior to the 2011 earthquakes at Christchurch.

• Location: Quest Hotel

This painting has a unique style that features old surfaces along with some gorgeous visages. This painting has since become sort of a monument in the city and now serves as a reminder of the uncertainty of the city which is recovering from the quakes. This artwork is maintained so well that it is among the few artworks throughout the city supported by the street art lighting project which illuminates it with solar lighting.

The Cycle of Life and Death

This work of art depicts the cycle of life and death. This work of art features some rare native birds, specifically the Kiwi and moa. This artwork is a bit tricky to find as it is located in between certain buildings. To find more of Roa's artworks, strolling around the museum might do you good as you may just find some behinds curtain or even on the ceiling.

• Location - Canterbury Museum

Christchurch, New Zealand is the perfect spot to visit for art lovers as you simply cannot get enough of the amazing art out there. There are hundreds of street pieces present there that will blow your mind. A visit to Christchurch, New Zealand is worth every second spent there so it's up to you to plan your trip to the street art paradise.

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The Little Street Art Festival Guided Tours

Event description

Join festival director Dr Reuben Woods and explore the series of works created for the first ever Little Street Art Festival!

The Little Street Art Festival is a celebration of the power and possibility of smaller scaled street art - a platform for urban creativity that adds whimsy, wonder, reflection and conversation to our streets! This series of 90 minute tours will reach across the central city and reveal the stories behind the art, artists and festival concept!

Tours will run each Saturday and Sunday of the festival programme - please note times vary each day. Tour numbers are limited so please book to ensure a place!

Tour Information:

Tour 1: Saturday 25th November - 10:30am - 12:00pm

Tour 2: Sunday 26th November - 1:00pm - 2:30pm

Tour 3: Saturday 2nd December - 10:30am - 12:00pm

Tour 4: Sunday 3rd December - 1:00pm - 2:30pm

All tours will meet at the Armagh Street entrance to New Regent Street (look out for the tiny Little Street Art Festival sign!)

Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix donates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity

Refund policy

No refund policy specified.

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See amazing street art and more in New Zealand's oldest city

February 21, 2023 // By Joanne and Tony DiBona

By Joanne and Tony DiBona Travel Photography Experts February 21, 2023

In the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in 2011, the New Zealand city of Christchurch took the opportunity to rebuild its city center with the thought of filling its streets with joy and hope. As a result, it's now a cultural hub with outstanding museums, galleries, lush botanical gardens and, undoubtedly, some of the finest street art that can be found in any city of its size. As you approach its welcoming portal, volunteer guides stand ready to answer any questions and provide information on things to see and do during your stay.

Riverside Market pays homage to the past

Christchurch is a perfect city for walking, and the experience is made even more interesting by the many murals to enjoy along the way. When you come upon the Riverside Market, you might take it for a vintage building, at first glance. Upon closer inspection, you'll see that the outside is actually a masterfully painted mural which pays homage to the historic buildings lost in the earthquake. It's now the home of a variety of retail stores as well as a popular farmers market.

See Christchurch aboard a vintage tram

For a nostalgic tour of Christchurch, climb aboard a heritage tram and see the city's highlights at your own pace with a full-day hop-on and hop-off tram ticket. Note that kids up to 15 ride free. For those who enjoy discovering a city by foot, Christchurch is also a pedestrian paradise, with wide sidewalks and beautiful vistas at every turn.

Christchurch, one of only five gateways to Antarctica

Christchurch's status as one of only five gateways to Antarctica is highlighted in this stunning mural on display in the central city. The emperor penguin, which dominates this mural, is the heaviest and tallest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. 

Go back in time at this Christchurch hotel

The 103-year-old Heritage Christchurch hotel is located in Cathedral Square. Amazingly, it survived the 2011 earthquake and still welcomes guests for a "back in time" experience. This "grand old dame" features high ceilings, exquisite woodwork, vintage tiles and elegant staircases. Modern amenities include a fully equipped gym, lap pool, sauna and spa pool.

Sublime art on a red brick wall

Just adjacent to the Heritage Christchurch hotel, you'll marvel at this captivating red brick mural executed by the celebrated New Zealand street artist Rone. This is one of the city's most treasured murals.

A mural in celebration of ice cream

Considering the number of ice cream shops in Christchurch, it's no wonder a special mural was painted along a pedestrian zone and dedicated to this favorite dessert.

New Zealand's last Edwardian-style theater

Fortunately, many of the historic buildings survived the earthquake and have been lovingly restored. The Isaac Theatre Royal was built in 1908 and is the only operational Edwardian-style theater remaining in New Zealand.

Whimsical art at every turn

This quirky mural, created by a New Zealand artist who paints under the name Cracked Ink, decorates the walls in the heart of Christchurch's downtown.

Coffee shop art

This colorful mural adorns the walls above a popular coffee shop in downtown Christchurch.

19th-century post office

Designed in Italianate style, the Chief Post Office of Christchurch was opened in 1879. Despite all odds, it survived the earthquake and is scheduled to reopen this year as a hospitality and visitor complex for Christchurch's ever-expanding tourism industry.

A brick wall with a purpose

It's amazing to see how a colorful mural can transform the concrete wall of an otherwise uninteresting commercial building into a work of art. Kudos go to Christchurch for taking the lead in creating this artistic playground for visitors and residents alike.

Symbol of hope

This mural is entitled "Rise from the Rubble" and commemorates the valiant efforts of the Christchurch community to restore the glory of this lovely city after the 2011 earthquake.

The Avon River of Christchurch

Christchurch's Avon River flows through the city for miles, and you can enjoy its peaceful ambiance right in the heart of the city. Or you can opt to experience a leisurely cruise up the river in a flat-bottomed boat (a favorite Christchurch attraction) poled by an Edwardian-attired guide. The tour takes you past the stunning Botanic Gardens, where you can admire the flora and fauna from the comfort of your skiff.

Christchurch Botanic Gardens

A true must-see during a visit to Christchurch are the Botanic Gardens, which sprawl over an area of 50 acres in the heart of the city. Free to the public, the park features an amazing collection of exotic and local plants of New Zealand, as well as several conservatories, bubbling fountains and lovely lawns on which to relax, picnic and smell the flowers. 

Bee-ing happy in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens

An industrious bee makes the most of nectar remaining in this sunflower.

Lyttelton's restored timeball station

Christchurch is on the itinerary of several major cruise lines that dock in the charming port of Lyttelton, approximately a 20-minute drive from Christchurch. The quaint town is known for its bohemian vibe, quirky shops and restaurants, as well as a lively art scene. The historic Lyttelton Timeball Station, constructed in 1876, is a local landmark and accessible via a walking trail. It was badly damaged by earthquakes in 2010 and 2011, but thanks to funds collected from the community, has been restored and reopened to the public. 

Setting sail

The Holland America ship Noordam prepares to set sail from the picturesque harbor of Lyttelton to its final port of call, Sydney, Australia. Cruising remains a popular way to savor the beauty of New Zealand, as many of the country's most picturesque cities and towns offer port access.

About Joanne and Tony DiBona

Joanne and Tony DiBona know a thing or two about creating photo galleries to share their personal travel experiences around the world with their readers.  Their articles have been featured on 10Best  for the past decade, as well as in national and international print and online media. Their awards for photography and journalism fill up an entire wall in their office, the most recent being a top national award for their US and international galleries published on 10Best. Follow their travel adventures on their scenic photography   website and travel blog . Have a question about travel? Contact them on their  Instagram and Facebook pages.

Read more about Joanne and Tony DiBona here.

Connect with Joanne and Tony via: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

Watch This Space

Thoughtful reflections on the ever evolving street art, murals and graffiti scene in Christchurch, New Zealand

The Flare Street Art Festival, March 2-12, 2022

Christchurch’s street art reputation is, in many ways, built on the legacy of festival events. The likes of From the Ground Up , Rise , Spectrum and Street Prints Ōtautahi established the city as a destination for artists to find opportunities and for a new audience to experience amazing examples of urban art in a setting that was forced to re-imagine it’s creative profile and identity. It has now been five years since the last significant festival was staged in Ōtautahi, but with the emergence of the Flare Street Art Festival , Christchurch is braced to once more flex it’s status as Aotearoa’s leading urban art city. We sat down with Selina Faimalo, project manager for Flare, to discuss the challenges of developing a street art festival in 2022, what Flare promises, and who we should be excited about…

____________________________________________

The Flare Street Art Festival is just days away, how are you feeling? Are the nerves jangling or is it just excitement? 

I’m really excited to see it all, well nearly all, coming together! Obviously, I’m still a bit nervous because things can change between now and then, as we know, but we’re pretty fool-proof under the red traffic light setting. We’ve adapted.

What are some of the significant changes you have had to make? 

We originally planned to have a large celebration of street art culture, hip-hop and urban art at the end of the festival. We were going to close down High Street and have a big market and festival with live music, dancing, skateboarding, food trucks, urban stallholders and a pop-up gallery, all sorts of things. That part of the festival had to be cancelled, so instead we’re doing micro events over the ten days; we’re going to have street art tours with Watch This Space, which we were always going to have, they can still go ahead. There will be tours on each weekend of the festival. We’ve still got a pop-up gallery and kind of hang out space, that will be open during the days. Fiksate and Offline Collective are collaborating and going to do some street art projections in some vacant spaces in the SALT District . We have the panel discussion with the artists, that is also with Watch This Space, with some of the headlining artists at 12 Bar , which will be an awesome way to interact with the artists and get to know a bit more about them. It’s going to be live-streamed as well, which is really cool as we can’t host as many people as we wanted to…

It still is a really good program. I think it is important for street art and mural festivals to provide chances to engage with different elements…

Absolutely.

The festival or market day would have been amazing, but I guess there’s a silver lining in that you can now perfect it for next year and grow the festival as a recurring event… 

Totally, it might be a bit of a blessing in disguise. I’ve spent about eight months on the process of organizing this festival, so I think it gave us a lot more time to re-evaluate things and put that energy into different things. Obviously, it’s unfortunate that we had to cancel those elements, because we have musicians and vendors were relying on that income from the event. Cancelling those individuals and businesses was really sad, because you have already committed and turned down other bookings… It’s been tough for all in the events industry.

Bringing together the wider urban art community is really important. As you said, there are the headline artists, but that’s not the whole picture, you’ve got other artists too, like the Fiksate team, the artists with work in the pop-up gallery and some smaller live painting events as well. There is a much wider array of people than the names on the posters… 

It was important to involve as many Christchurch artists as possible, to make it inclusive and diverse, including, the “OGs” as well as the younger generations, as well as making sure there are female artists represented, who are not always as predominant in the street art scene.

Can you give us a little bit of background on ARCC, who are the organization behind Flare ? 

ARCC is a group of business leaders and place-makers, who just want to make a bunch of cool stuff happen in the city and revitalise what’s happening here. George Shaw from OiYOU! is a part of ARCC and is obviously a big advocate for street art and he recognised that a lot of the murals from the Rise and Spectrum festivals are not there anymore, as the city is being rebuilt the visual aspect of street art is not there as much, it’s being built in front of or covered, so he just wanted to bring that back, putting it on new buildings and filling these blank walls with street art again and retaking that status as a street art capital, we were obviously in the Lonely Planet as one of the street art capitals of New Zealand and the world…

A lot of that recognition came from the festival events, because you’re seeing a lot of work appear in a short time, there is a rush in activity that captures the attention. So, Flare becomes an important way of re-claiming that title. How did you come to be the project manager for Flare ? 

I’m actually a trustee of the SALT District, so I already knew about ARCC because a lot of the team are on the SALT District board as well and they had mentioned it. I was going along to the street art meetings and they were talking about it and I’d already been in touch with George anyway because I’d mentioned to him ages ago that I really wanted to do some type of hip-hop street art event and I wanted to know how you would make that happen. He said let’s keep in touch, maybe there will be something that we can do. I also run the Conscious Club with Kophie (Su’a Hulsbosch), we do social and environmental events in Christchurch, we’ve been doing it for the last two years, in which we weaved creativity into the majority of our events. We have held exhibitions together and shared creative working space with her for a while now. I’m not part of the street art community, but I’m a massive fan of street art culture and hip-hop in particular. I really wanted to do a hip-hop event, I talked with Red from the Hip Hop Summit about all the different things that we could do. George’s plan was to run Flare , but he had another exciting project come up. The timing wasn’t great for him to project manage Flare , so he asked if I would be interested in project managing it with his help and guidance, along with the rest of the team at ARCC helping out as well. As business leaders they have great connections to building owners to help make this happen. One of the biggest challenges of a festival like this is getting a building owner to agree to getting their wall painted without knowing what it will be, so without those connections and networks I don’t think it would be possible!

There’s a fine art to that side and you probably had to learn on the fly a little bit! You want wall spaces that are visible and attractive, but you also want to ensure that that building owners are supportive of artistic credibility and freedom. You have to find that balance of great walls with the right people, right? 

Yeah, we’re telling artists they will have creative freedom, but obviously it can’t be anything offensive or inappropriate, and when we say inappropriate, like when we spoke to John Hutchinson of Team Hutchinson Ford, about painting his wall, he said as long as you don’t paint a Holden! It was little things like that, I just wouldn’t think about. In general I would say building owners can be a little bit conservative, and like to play it safe, might not want certain things on their walls, so it’s a balancing act of letting some know and showing them designs and then we will be surprising some!

I’m a big believer that part of the job of street artists is to bring the audience along, rather than being dictated to creatively to fit a popular trend that supposedly speaks for everybody. The reality is that we are incredibly diverse as a population, made up of individual voices, so why not let murals be a voice of an individual and in doing so, present a little bit of a challenge to the public audience to come with the artist rather than the artist having to go to the audience? What other skills that you maybe didn’t expect to draw on were needed to bring Flare to life? 

I guess navigating the street art scene is something I didn’t know a lot about. I’m quickly learning it is tricky! Obviously, graffiti comes from the streets, which means there an element of rebel and conflict. Having people involved in the festival like DTR crew and Kophie, has helped with those situations. The panels along the Smash Palace pathway will be painted with local graffiti artists, and I don’t think that was my call as to which artists would be involved in that, so I asked Dcypher and Ikarus to facilitate that part of it, so they have led that part because they can navigate the relationships within the graffiti community. Even curating the headlining artists, that was tricky. George actually curated that aspect, but I was part of the conversation, and I don’t think I would have thought about who you should choose in case their work gets tagged over because they’re not respected in the street art community. That is a huge thing that I’ve learnt a lot about recently, if you put the wrong person on a wall, then it’s likely going to get continuously tagged over because they don’t have that respect or that mana in the community…

In terms of the final headlining artist roster, from Christchurch we have Kophie, Wongi ‘Freak’ Wilson and Ikarus, and from out of town are Elliot Francis Stewart from Auckland, Kell Sunshine from Gisbourne, Swiftmantis from Palmerston North and Koryu , who is kind of itinerant, kind of travelling around NZ, right? 

Yeah, well, he’s based in Geraldine…

That street art mecca!

Yeah! He is based in Geraldine, but he travels a lot, he is originally from Japan.

So out of that list, who are you excited to see? 

Out of all seven? I mean, I’m going to say Kophie, big respect to the wahine! Being a woman in general is hard and being a woman street artist is even harder and I think she has really stepped up. she has been doing it for over ten years now and I think this is her time to leave a mark in her own city. She’s done commissioned murals but this time she gets to paint what she wants to paint and she’s so talented.

I’m a big fan of Kophie too, she is super talented and its great to see her given this platform. Anyone else? 

I would say Koryu, I think his mural will be very cool! I’ve seen his design as well, so that’s why I’m really excited to see what he’s doing. I’ve been watching him this summer, watching every mural that he’s painted and it’s incredible.

He’s relatively new to it as well, right? But he’s developed a style that is both very distinctively his, and I think also speaks to his heritage, but also something that you can understand why the public gravitate towards the detail. It’s graphic and pictorial, you can easily see a crowd going, wow! He also just seems like a lovely guy! There is some amazing footage from South Sea Spray where he won the ‘People’s Choice’ award and he did a break dance because he’s a b-boy as well… 

I know, he’s so amazing! That’s one thing I’m really sad about, as part of the festival we were going to have hip-hop and break dancing, and it would have been really cool to have a headline artist paint and dance!

Maybe he could still do that at the panel discussion! 

I think so, just break it out!

So, the Flare Street Art Festival begins on the 2 nd of March, when the headline artists start painting, but how can people find out more? How can people get involved in the various events? 

They can head onto Facebook for the Flare Street Art Festival or the website which is flare.nz . The full program is on the website and if you want to book tickets to any event, you can do that online. I recommend having a look online because that will be have the right information, it is the digital age, we can update things!

The Flare Street Art Festival is located across the SALT District with a range of activities – follow Flare on social media or visit their website for more information and booking options. Flare runs from the 2nd March until the 12th March, 2022.

Author: Reuben Woods

Reuben is an art historian, writer and curator. His PhD thesis explored graffiti and street art within post-earthquake Christchurch. He also serves as creative director and lead tour guide for Watch This Space. View all posts by Reuben Woods

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Discover the colourful street art of Christchurch on a Watch This Space walking tour. Photo by Jo Percival.

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Watch This Space: Christchurch Street Art Tour

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Christchurch is famous for its street art. So famous, in fact, that in 2016 Lonely Planet named the city as one of the world’s best for experiencing the art form known as neo-muralism. 

You can wander the streets and find colourful, artistic surprises around corners, adorning alleyways and stretched over the soaring canvas of multi-storey buildings. But the best way to fully appreciate the abundance of artworks is on a Watch This Space Street Art Tour . 

Guide Reuben Woods is an art historian with a passion for graffiti and street art. Having written a PhD thesis exploring graffiti and street art in post-earthquake Christchurch, he’s the ideal host to provide fascinating insights into the city's many and varied artworks.  

On a two-hour amble around the central city you’ll marvel at incredible, large-scale street art by both local and international artists, explore the meaning behind each piece and the awe-inspiring level of skill required to create massive murals with spray paint, often in just a couple of days.  

After Christchurch’s catastrophic 2011 earthquakes, street art began to make its way in from the fringes to the central city, with artists offering creative contributions to Christchurch’s recovery – sometimes quite explicitly; Reuben tells of murals that were giant sticking plasters painted over cracks in buildings.  

Roa's Moa, street art painted on the exterior wall of the Canterbury Museum. Photo by Jo Percival

Art also played a functional role in the wounded city. At a time when many landmark buildings had been destroyed, street art became an important navigational tool in the new landscape – instead of buildings, murals became the key features.   

‘Roa’s Moa' is a giant black and white piece on the wall of Canterbury Museum created by Belgian artist Roa. Reuben describes the painterly skill required to craft such a large artwork in a narrow space, working within the difficult parameters of the building’s windows and roof angles. And despite being on an external wall, this mural is catalogued as part of the museum’s collection.  

Over at the gothic Arts Centre the street art is much more subtle. Rather than boisterously colourful murals there is a small vending machine – a Kunstautomat – by German artist Lars Kaiser that dispenses original works by local artists in exchange for a handful of gold coins. It is essentially a lucky dip – you might get a painting, a tiny sculpture, a sketch or a cartoon. 

Creative stonework at the Christchurch Arts Centre. Photo by Jo Percival.

As part of the Arts Centre’s painstaking post-earthquake restoration there have also been some sneaky details incorporated into the stonework. Instead of sculpted fleur-de-lis, the mouldings outside Cellar Door restaurant have been replaced with hands – wearing a wristwatch, holding a Bic pen and a half-eaten biscuit. There are faces instead of flowers, including one wearing a gas mask. While these quirky stone sculptures can’t technically be considered street art, they function in the same way – surprising, delighting and rewarding closer inspection.  

Reuben talks about the ephemeral nature of street art. As urban landscapes evolve and new buildings are constructed, some artworks will disappear or be obscured, but that is all part of the process. Neo-muralism embraces the temporary.  

The giant mural on the back of Christchurch's Riverside Markets building. Photo by Jo Percival.

On the back of the buildings housing Riverside Markets is an enormous piece of art – a bit like a set in a stage play – that depicts an entire street scene, a homage to heritage buildings that were lost in the quake. Created by the DTR crew, artists Dcypher, Ikarus, Jacob Yikes and Wongi Wilson, the piece incorporates the points of the roofline for full 3D effect.   

Over by Little High you’ll find Olive, the most famous stray cat in Ōtautahi. Painted by SwiftMantis, Olive is depicted as a multi-storey, hyper-realistic painting – from the nick in her ear to the tactile-looking black fur. Created in conjunction with the Cats Protection League of Canterbury, the artwork was designed to raise awareness for stray cats in the city and was successful in finding the sweet-looking kitty a new home.  

The mural of Olive, the most famous stray cat in Christchurch. Photo by Jo Percival.

Street art has evolved from its rebellious origins. Once the domain of disenfranchised youth using art as a tool for expression, today street art has become a showcase of incredible skill – the mastering of spray paint, an incredibly challenging medium, within public, urban spaces.  

Story and photos by Jo Percival for the Winter 2023 issue of AA Directions magazine.

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• Meet 20-year-old Ella Ward, a successful artist in Ōtautahi Christchurch
• Top tips for safe winter driving
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Christchurch Street Art: Art with a Heart

A few years after the deadly 2011 Christchurch earthquake, street artists and graffiti writers took to the damaged streets of Christchurch. Traditionally associated with vandalism, the goal of this art initiative was to fill the streets with colour, joy and optimism. And now almost a decade after the destructive event, Christchurch has grown into one of the world’s street art capitals. One of the big forces behind this is the street and graffiti art production organisation ‘Oi YOU!’. Read on to get a taste of the outstanding Christchurch street art scene.

Table of Contents

My Christchurch street art walk

Some people choose their holiday destination based on the weather, local nightlife or number of Michelin restaurants. For me the decisive factor is the presence of street art .

Truth be told, when I was putting together the itinerary for our first New Zealand road trip, I didn’t plan on including Christchurch first of all.

Sorry Christchurch, it wasn’t personal!

It was just that I had my heart set on traversing New Zealand’s majestic landscapes rather than spending time in cities. Until I discovered the great amount of street art in Christchurch, that is. After that I suddenly found myself very eager on visiting the South Island’s largest city! So, I booked us into an apartment for a couple of nights and scheduled in a whole day of exploring Christchurch’s urban canvases.

As you can see from the eye-catching giant spray cans in the photo below, these urban canvases are very diverse indeed. Located next to a basketball court on the corner of Manchester and Lichfield streets in the city centre, there are eight oversized spray cans in total. Three of them are long-term works painted by professional artists. The remaining five are freely available for local aspiring artists with the aim of creating an ever-evolving public art project.

Spoiler alert: I ended up loving Christchurch for so many more reason than just its incredible street art. Read my 12 reasons why I think Christchurch is worth visiting in my Christchurch itinerary .

Street art in Christchurch city centre

I’m fortunate to live close to Shoreditch, a London neighbourhood famous for its outstanding street art. This has introduced me to some of the world’s best street artists. I recognised the works of some of my long-time favourite artists in Christchurch such as the Belgian ROA and Australian RONE, both highly respected names in the international street art scene.

But the great thing about travelling, especially to the other side of the world, is that you discover new things to get excited about. Such as the works of Jacob Yikes and Wongi “Freak” Wilson. These are both incredible New Zealand artists who have played a significant role in the post-earthquake transformation of the city.

Here’s a small selection of the murals I came across in Christchurch’s city centre.

Mural by ROA on the Canterbury Museum

As mentioned earlier, ROA is at the top of my all-time favourite urban artists. One of his large-scale murals has even become an icon of East London’s street art neighbourhood of Shoreditch. But seeing his wall paintings whilst travelling is always a special treat!

ROA painted this mural on the Canterbury Museum (Rolleston Avenue) during the 2013 Rise festival. It represents two native birds to New Zealand: the now extinct moa and rare kiwi. I kept seeing signs for kiwi zones during my several hikes across New Zealand, but I think this mural is the closest I’ve got to actually seeing one.

More street art in Sydenham, an inner suburb of Christchurch

The thing about following street art trails is that they often lead you to remote industrial areas. I did end up in such an area, but entirely by chance as we followed a tip from a friend who recommended a visit to Penny Lane record shop. This was located in Sydenham, an inner suburb of Christchurch and about 1.5 kilometres from the city centre. Unfortunately, we weren’t to pick up our rental car till the next morning. However, always in for an adventure, Hubby and I ventured to the record store by foot. And that was actually very lucky as this allowed us to discover some great street art and graffiti in the area.

Interactive Christchurch street art map

I didn’t use a street art map at the time, but found some locations online before our trip. But as you wander around town, it’s hard not to come across any street artworks!

However, once I got home I wanted to look up the artist names. That’s when I found a great interactive street art map called Watch this Space . Besides photos of the artworks it also gives you the exact locations for them, together with the artist names and their bio (plus social media handles). And if applicable, it also gives you some background information on the project or festival it was part of. Even if you’re not searching for street art locations in Christchurch, it’s worth checking out the website as it contains some amazing artworks!

The changing streetscape of Christchurch

Ironically Hubby and I returned to Christchurch a year later for yet another epic New Zealand road trip. This time my street art hunt was limited to our route from the apartment to the car rental. It was curious to see all the new building work that had gone up in those twelve months’ time.

Most of the street artworks had stayed the same, except for the three spray cans which had been renewed. Sadly, the Anthony Lister artwork in the photo above had disappeared as the wall was painted over by the property developers. Although this is a great loss, it’s also a reminder of the common fleeting nature of graffiti and urban art. I’m looking forward to my next visit to Christchurch and see how much more this resilient city has emerged from the debris.

Do you go on street art walks when you’re travelling? I find that following street art trails often leads me to surprising parts of town. What is your experience? Share your thoughts in a comment below. Thanks! Zarina xx

Want to discover more surprising street art destinations? Then have a look at these articles:

• Discover the Singapore Street Art Scene
• Dunedin Street Art Trail: Blending Art and History
• Marseille Street Art
• Málaga Street Art Project: MAUS

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Your blog is definitely giving me an appreciation of street art! They’re all beautiful but the elephants is my favourite

Ah thanks for your lovely comment ^-^ Those elephants are amongst my favourites too 🙂

Awesome! You showed New Zealand differently! Very beautiful place on Christchurch Art Street. Thanks for sharing!

I love street arts and photos like these. All this work is pretty impressive. New Zeeland is one of the places where I want to visit in future.

I hope you’ll get to visit one day as it’s such a beautiful and diverse country too!

You found so many fantastic artworks! We visited Christchurch just over a year ago, but I have to admit, although we saw fab street art in other parts on NZ, in Christchurch we went straight to the beach, so we didn’t actually explore the city and see all this. You have convinced me I need to go back and actually look around the city next time! (oops!)

Oh what a shame! We made a stop in Christchurch especially for the street art there. Did you go to Dunedin? They have amazing murals there!

I was in Christchurch in 1998, way before the deadly 2011 earthquake but the street art they have created is outstanding because it is truly art and not graffiti.

Wow, I wonder what the city looked like when you visited. It was really sad to see all the derelict buildings around town 🙁 But I agree that these murals are real works of art!

This is some of the finest street art I’ve ever seen, and such a beautiful start to it as an art initiative to bring back joy in the city! I was in New Zealand a couple of years back but didn’t think of including Christchurch – gives me a reason to go back now.

Ah what a shame you missed it then, but if I hadn’t found out about the amount of street art in Christchurch by chance, I would’ve skipped the city too! If you do go back, make sure to visit Dunedin as well, because the mural art there is even more impressive in my opinion!

Wow this art is amazing! it’s so great to see people trying to make a positive impact following such an awful event. I think this will really challenge a lot of people perceptions of ‘graffiti’ too!

Great to know there is an app you can use to find out any additional information on the art! Thanks for sharing

Wow, I had no idea about Christchurch being so rich in street art. Thank you for sharing this perspective of the city 🙂 Look forward to visiting.

Aaaw, you’re very welcome! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it. Hope you will get to visit for yourself one day!

Tremendous street art! The Battersea Street car park mural is so intricate.

Yeah, that’s a really impressive one indeed!

I just love checking out street art in different cities around the world. In fact, I’m sure it could be a full-time hobby if you wanted it to. My fave here is the ‘Rise From the Rubble.’

I’m surprised how much street art there is everywhere nowadays! It no longer has the more ‘edgy’ character as the artworks are commissioned, but they’re still beautiful and impressive nonetheless! I like how they often bring you to areas of a city you wouldn’t necessarily go to otherwise.

Wow! I’m a big street art fan and am super impressed by the amazing street art in Christchurch, would love to visit and check it out for myself soon (:

I hope you do make it out there one day! But don’t forget to visit Dunedin (360 kilometres south from Christchurch) then as well because I found the street art there even more impressive! Will be writing a Dunedin street art blog here too 🙂

Oh my goodness, I love this post! I would never have thought that Christchurch has so much beautiful street art. I’m especially taken with the concrete spray paint cans that people can paint again and again. Love this!!!

Thanks! Nice to read you enjoyed it so much ^-^ I was so surprised about this too! But there’s another city in New Zealand, Dunedin, which is also home to fantastic murals and I’ll be sharing some photos I took there soon here as well so keep tuned 🙂

I love looking at street art in cities! I’ve always wanted to go to New Zealand, so now I’m definitely going to have to add this to my itinerary when I get there. 🙂

Ah that’s so great to hear my post inspired you 🙂 I’m in the midst of an epic blog post series about my New Zealand travels so make to return to my site in case you do ever make it out there! 🙂

I used to live in Christchurch, but it was during the bad quakes. There was some street art, but mostly just ruined buildings. These look beautiful. I should go back and see how it’s changed.

I’m sorry to hear you experienced the earthquakes, that must have been terrifying! Glad you were okay though. Wonder what it will feel like if you do go back.

More and more cities are adding street art, I love it, it changes from the ugly graffiti and brings a lot of life to a city. Obviously, I don’t expect to find street art in cities where ancient architecture is featured or cities known for their history such as Paris and Rome!

You know, regarding that latter: I was so surprised to see there was so much street art and graffiti in Athens! But also Paris and Rome have their abundant street art neighbourhoods, but those are not right in the ‘pretty’ city centre 😉

So many epic street art works! I especially like Giving hands and Elephant family! Thanks for the artsy inspiration!

You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂 I like your two favourites a lot too, but it’s so difficult to choose from so many awesome works!

So much cool street art! I was in Christchurch 12 years ago but can’t remember any street art. I really want to go back now! 🙂

That could be right, because as I gathered they didn’t start until 2013, following the devastating earthquake in 2011. Curious to know what the city looked like when you were there, because it was still full with damaged buildings and there wasn’t a main shopping area either for instance.

Amazingly colourful and inspiring street art! Always a joy to see you celebrating these places and discoveries!

Thank you! It’s my number one goal whenever I visit a city nowadays, to seek out their street art neighbourhood and have been doing quite well on recent trips 😉

I loved Christchurch when I went. I was only there briefly and if I had known that there was such cool street art I would have stayed longer!

Oh what a shame! But wonder how you managed to miss it as there’s so much of it! 😉 Unless you were there before 2013 as that’s when they started painting.

I had no idea there was so much street art in Christchurch! Stunning!

I didn’t know first of all and don’t remember how I found out about it, but glad I did as else I would’ve skipped Christchurch and missed this all!

When I read through street art posts, I always try to pick my favourite art work. It is IMPOSSIBLE with this post. The Giving Hands, the spray cans, Hide and Seek, and the Red Lips are all awesome. But so are the others!

I know, they’re all pretty impressive, right?! I did select some of my favourites of course, I photographed loads more artworks but that would be rather overwhelming for one blog post ha ha!

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96. New Zealand's vibrant street art scene

A colourful shark mural in Hannahs Laneway Wellington.

--> BY Jacqui Gibson

Last updated . 31 January 2022

Exploring New Zealand’s vibrant street art, quirky museums, cutting-edge architecture and more is one of the best ways to uncover the stories of the nation: here is No. 96 of our 101 Reasons To Stop Dreaming About New Zealand And Go.

New Zealand’s vibrant street art scene not only showcases some of the country’s best talent, but also tells the unique story of the nation itself. Tucked away in rural North Island/Te Ika-a-Māui townships like Tāneatua, the gateway to the pristine native forest of Te Urewera, you’ll find an extraordinary mural of prominent Ngāi Tūhoe elder Hokimoana Tawa, emphasising unity, called Ma mua a muri ka tika, by Tūhoe artist and activist Tame Iti and internationally recognised artist Owen Dippie. Drive 15 minutes south of Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty to find it. In regional art enclaves like Whanganui, the town is an ever-changing canvas thanks, in part, to the biennial street art festival, Whanganui Walls .

See the striking Ma mua a muri ka tika mural in Tāneatua (Image: Jacqui Gibson).

Drop into the city’s iSite visitor information centre to pick up a walking map of Whanganui street art, and then search out US artist Pat Perry’s mural of much-loved local painter Edith Collier on Ridgway Street. The walls of Palmerston North, less than an hour from Whanganui, have equally been transformed by the installation of vivid artworks, including those along Berrymans Lane. Meanwhile, two major city centres with thriving street art scenes include Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara and Christchurch/Ōtautahi. In the capital, you’ll find street art in popular foodie laneways such as Hannahs Laneway . Walk down Bond Street to see a giant mural of Kiwi painter Rita Angus by artist Elliott O’Donnell (known as Askew One).

Christchurch art detail (Image: Pam Carmichael).

The story of a city rebuilt after the devastating earthquake of 2011 is told in the eclectic street art dotted throughout Christchurch. With the city’s galleries and cultural spaces closed in the wake of the quake, artists took to the surfaces of Christchurch’s broken buildings and car parks to express themselves and uplift the spirits of citysiders. A decade on, a completely remodelled Christchurch is a vastly different place. Yet some of those original artworks (and many more new ones) still exist. Head into the city centre to see an iconic collaboration by Christchurch artist Jacob Yikes and Andrew J Steel, overlaid by a text based work called Smash Place by Wongi ‘Freak’ Wilson. Considered one of the artists most associated with the rise of street art in post-quake Christchurch, Wilson’s work can also be seen in the laneways of the Innovation Precinct and in the giant spray cans of the East Frame.

Spend time at Christchurch Airport to see vibrant newer works of nature and popular tourist activities by DTR, Paul Walters, Dcypher, Flox, Greg Straight, Emmanuel Moore and Porta. For total immersion in the city’s street art scene, take a walking tour to explore it with Watch This Space tours . They cater to big groups as well as one-on-one tours. If your love of public art extends beyond graffiti and street art, download the Scape Public Art App to tour Christchurch’s huge range of public artwork

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Exhibitions

Christchurch Art Seen - Art Tours will return

Author: Karin Bathgate

Created: Wed 13 May 2020, 04:16 pm

Category: Arts History

Christchurch Art Seen

No city in Aotearoa New Zealand knows better than Christchurch that at times of crisis people reach-out to the arts.  This has happened once more in the Covid-19 lockdown period.  What we also see is that the arts reach back into the community. For Christchurch Art Seen this has occurred through continuing weekly emails and updating social media sites, featuring local artists and conversations about their newly created work.

Christchurch Art Seen was established in January 2019 to host guided tours each week to art galleries, artist studios, artist-run spaces and public institutions. Through our walking tours we have been able to highlight what is happening across the arts community in Christchurch and are well-placed to do so again once the city reopens. Over the past year of art touring local people have often walked away surprised to discover something they did not know existed in the city.

The future for our walking tour business is positive. As a small and nimble operation we have already proven agility during our first year of touring. We are in the fortunate position of being able to create new tours the moment galleries open and artists with studios happy to receive us.

Christchurch Art Seen is unique to the city, passionate about the art scene and well placed, with your support, to make local tourism a priority. Once restrictions are lifted and we, the people of Christchurch, are able to move out of our bubbles, local business is going to need our local support and we will be ready to provide our high-value tours again. Christchurch is a strong and active arts city and with our patronage we will see that vibrancy come into prominence once more.

[email protected]  Insta: @chchartseen IMAGE

• Tour guide Reuben Woods introduces New Zealand street artist Chimp’s (AKA Ash Sisson) Organic Matters at Christchurch Justice and Emergency Services Precinct, Lichfield Street.

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13—22 March 2023

Ōtautahi Street Art Festival

MINI FLARE 2023

2023’s Version of FLARE is still an amazing array of street artists just on a smaller scale! Mini some might say!

We have 3 walls in the heart of Ōtautahi’s CBD and all located in the arts precinct! 

FLARE is the inaugural Christchurch Street Art Festival, an exciting collaboration with our city of Ōtautahi, local businesses and local artists.

Over 80 street and graffiti artists have come together, including 7 headline artists (1 international, 3 national, 3 local) painting 7 major murals across the CBD. 4 Wāhine Takeover artists, 40 exhibiting artists, 30 laneway artists all contributed to the festival.

Headline artists include Christchurch-based Kophie (aka Meep), Wongi ‘Freak’ Wilson and Ikarus from DTR, and from out of town, Elliot Francis Stewart (Auckland), Kell Sunshine (Gisborne), Swiftmantis (Palmerston North) and Koryu (Japan). Creating new public art pieces will add to the texture of the city and reclaim Christchurch’s global status as a street art capital.

FLARE Central Pop-Up Gallery The High Street location was perfect, made available at no cost thanks to the support of 181 High. The exhibition curation by Kophie Su’a Hulsbosch (aka MEEP) was carefully done to ensure an authentic reflection of the graffiti whakapapa of street art; we see this as a key point of difference with many other ‘street art exhibitions’. The collection was diverse and exciting, including emerging, established and headline artists across mediums including painting, printmaking, sculpture, dioramas and photography. In recognition of our Auckland artist being in isolation during the first week of the festival, we extended the gallery hours by a week, ensuring we could also provide a festival experience to this artist and enable further sales.

Guided street art tours by Watch This Space The free street art tours had excellent uptake and fantastic commentary by Reuben Woods balancing perspectives on the international pop culture phenomenon of stickering/pasting in recognition of SlapCity’s effusive appropriation of neglected walls and city assets; also dived into existing works yielding loads of insights that gave context to the content of the artworks and the professional development of the local artists over the last decade.

Projections at 151 High Street, by Fiksate X Offline Projections Absolutely stunning, like a hologram, best experienced inside the space, and worthy of further exploration next year in conjunction with a popup hospitality experience.

‘Make Art Not War’ by Dr. Suits X Ghostcat X Dcypher A late addition to the festival, is a high-impact and playful but serious commentary on the very topical situation of conflict in Ukraine. Our exhibition also included works by a Russian photographer resident in Christchurch reflecting our inclusive solidarity around this issue.

Artist Talks panel discussion Strong facilitation by Reuben and great engagement by artists resulting in a very interesting and insightful discussion; great feedback to date.

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Street Art Tours in Chrischurch

Attention all art lovers! Are you looking for something fascinating to do on your next day off? If so, make sure to try, Watch This Space Christchurch Street Art Tours on your next day off! What is amazing about this tour is that it is not your conventional art tour, since it is focused on street art, it attracts visitors from all walks of life.

How can I explore street art in Christchurch?

The companies educated and experienced tour guides will take you on a detailed trip around the city for several hours. This gives them time to delve deep into the history of street art in the city and the world, all while exploring huge murals and locations that mean a lot to the cities residents. They will also give you in-depth knowledge of the artists themselves, and the stories of what inspired them. So, what are you waiting for? Make the most of your next day off and visit Watch This Space!

• Tours by appointment.
• Large and small groups are catered for.
• Tours start at $30 per person.

Watch This Space Street Art Tour

Check out things to do nearby....

Visit Teece Museum of Classical Antiques in Christchurch

Visit Rutherford’s Den in Christchurch

Christchurch Art Gallery

Visit Ravenscar House Museum in Christchurch

Beautiful Scenery at Christchurch Botanic Gardens

Earthquake Museum in Christchurch

Escape Room Christchurch

Tram Ride through Christchurch

Punting on the River Avon in Christchurch

Central Otago Cycling Trail

Museum of Toys & Collectables in Christchurch

Laser Strike Christchurch

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Street art is any art developed in public spaces. The term can include traditional graffiti art work, as well as, stencil graffiti, sticker art, wheatpasting and street poster art, video projection, art intervention, guerrilla art, flash mobbing and street installations (definition from Artrepublic.com ). This page looks at street art in Christchurch. It is a notable feature of the urban landscape since the Canterbury earthquakes.

• Christchurch street art
• Current and upcoming events

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Christchurch street art images.

Current and upcoming Christchurch street art events

The little street art festival - friday 24 november to monday 4 december 2023.

The new Little Street Art Festival includes nine Ōtautahi urban artists who have produced works across the central city, and more artists who will contribute to the programme of activations. Artworks include from tiny paintings filling cracks, painted blooms emerging from planter beds, reflective ruminations on Ōtautahi’s past, and portraits that will capture your attention in unexpected places. Artists include:

• teethlikescrewdrivers
• Ghostcat and Jacob Yikes
• Meep a.k.a. Kophie
• Dark Ballad
• Jessie Rawcliffe
• Nathan Ingram

Find out what's on .

• Visit the Little Street Art Festival website
• Like @thelittlestreetartfestival on Instagram
• Like @thelittlestreetartfestival on Facebook

Street art in Christchurch

Christchurch has produced some stunning artists including Dcypher , Jacob Yikes , Wongi "Freak" Wilson , Ikarus , Ghostcat , and Kophie aka Meep .

Watch this Space

Watch this space is a comprehensive guide to Christchurch street art:

• Visit the  Watch this space  website
• Like Watch this space on Facebook
• Follow Watch this space on Instagram
• Read our interview:  Watch this space: Lindsay Chan maps Christchurch street art .

Fiksate Gallery

Fiksate Studio & Gallery is New Zealand's only street art and urban contemporary gallery, and is focused on supporting and showcasing urban art.

• Like Fiksate on Facebook.
• Follow @fiksate_gallery on Instagram.

Plain Sight

• Like Flare Ōtautahi Street Art Festival on Facebook
• Follow @flarestreetartfestival on Instagram
• Subscribe to the Mini Flare Facebook event

SHIFT: Urban Art Takeover (28 January to 11 April 2023)

SHIFT: Urban Art Takeover : With the Museum’s redevelopment not far away, most of the complex is empty and it has been handed over to urban artists from Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas to use as their canvas. They’ve created a pathway of art across five floors and over 35 spaces, including storerooms, offices and other parts of the Museum that are normally off-limits. Their artworks, which range from traditional graffiti to murals, paste-ups, projections and more, are inspired by the Museum and the taonga (treasures) it cares for.

Tickets are available on the door, but priority will be given to those who have pre-purchased tickets online if capacity is reached. The journey through SHIFT  takes between an hour and a half and two hours.  SHIFT: Urban Art Takeover is a paid-for experience with all proceeds going towards the Museum’s redevelopment.

The exhibition will run until 11 April, the end of Easter weekend.

Find out more

FLARE Ōtautahi Street Art Festival (2 to 12 March 2022)

7 large murals popped up across the CBD as street artists from across New Zealand converged on our inner city to unleash their creativity on our major walls and spaces.

• Like @flarestreetartfestival on Facebook
• Subscribe to the FLARE Street Art Festival event

Spectrum Street Art Festival (December 2015 to April 2016)

Oi You presented the Spectrum Street Art Festival in Christchurch from 12 December 2015 until 17 April 2016. This year's festival featured a new exhibition in the YMCA on Hereford Street, with works by the eight featured street artists as well as new works by returning artists. Eight new works brightened Christchurch streets.

Read Street artists to descend on central Christchurch this week by Charlie Gates, The Press, 5 December 2015

Our Spectrum Street Art Festival photos

Spectrum Street Art Festival (February to May 2015)

See our photos from the 2015 Spectrum Street Art Festival (14 February to 10 May 2015).

OI YOU! present RISE 2014

OI YOU! present RISE 2014  had three major exhibitions. See our photos .

Find photos of local art:

• Discovery Wall
• Canterbury Stories
• Christchurch Street Art interactive map of Christchurch featuring urban art
• Search for Christchurch street art on DigitalNZ
• Christchurch NZ Street art group on Flickr

Street art blog posts

Paint n’ Pen Street Art comes to life in Christchurch

Watch this space: Christchurch street art

The outdoor art gallery

Art, art on the streets

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FINE ART TOURS NZ

CHRISTCHURCH

More than a decade after a series of devastating earthquakes hit the Canterbury region, Christchurch has re-emerged as a resilient city with a thriving arts scene and creative businesses

Take a look at our standard tour options or enquire today about customised itineraries to suit your special interests. All tours start and end at your chosen Christchurch inner city hotel or agreed cruise shuttle stop in the city. Standard departures times for our half day tours are 10am or 1pm. Full day tours depart at 9am or 10am. Private couples, small groups and larger groups can all be handled with ease. Enquire about rates for groups.

  Half Day Private Tours

Christchurch city walking tour.

Explore the heart of Christchurch with a private guide and see how a region devasted by earthquakes has rebuilt and re-emerged as a modern, resilient city.

Christchurch, once known for its Gothic Revival architecture, is now also home to striking modern architecture and interconnected streets and pathways designed for walking and cycling. Tour the city on foot with a mature local guide who will share their new favourite spaces and personal stories of regeneration and the rebuild.

Tour highlights include: Private tour with a mature local guide, departs and ends at your inner city hotel, visit the Christchurch Botanic Garden, tour the regenerated heart of the inner city.

Private Couples Tour – NZ$330 per person (Minimum 2 people)

This tour is not suited to anyone with limited mobility or low levels of fitness. We recommend a moderate level of fitness to enjoy this tour – participants are required to walk 3km-5kms along formed paths. Sturdy walking shoes, a weatherproof coat, sunglasses and sunscreen are recommended. Stiletto heels are not suitable for this tour. Tour duration: 2.5 hrs

christchurch fresh taste tour

Local fresh produce, sweet treats and NZ wine tasting. A private food walking tour of Christchurch city hosted by a mature local guide.

Enjoy local food and wine, fresh produce and artisan made treats on this short – and very sweet – food walking tour of Christchurch city. A visit to an urban cellar door is included, making this tour a great choice for those with limited time in New Zealand to visit the wine regions.

Tour highlights include: Private tour with a mature local guide, departs and ends at your inner city hotel, visits to local produce markets, New Zealand wine tasting.

Private Couples Tour – NZ$499 per person (Minimum 2 people)

This tour is not suited to young children under 14 years. This tour is not suited to anyone with limited mobility or low levels of fitness. We recommend a moderate level of fitness to enjoy this tour – participants are required to walk 3km-5kms along formed paths. Sturdy walking shoes, a weatherproof coat, sunglasses and sunscreen are recommended. Stiletto heels are not suitable for this tour. Dietary requirements can be catered for with advance notification. A customisation fee will apply. Tour duration: 3 hrs

nz art & architecture

Discover the architectural and artistic legacy of Christchurch, home to some of New Zealand’s leading creatives

Founded in the 1850’s, Christchurch was built on Victorian architectural ideals. The modern city continues this tradition with excellent examples of New Zealand architecture from the 19 th century through to the present day. Your private guide will also introduce the work of leading Christchurch creatives, artisans and art collectors. This private half-day experience includes transfers and finishes back at your hotel in the central city.

Tour highlights include: Private luxury tour with a mature local guide, visit to two significant heritage properties*, morning or afternoon tea, comfortable transportation throughout the tour.

Private Couples Tour – NZ$859 per person (Minimum 2 people)

* Subject to availability – options include Ravenscar House Museum, Christchurch Art Gallery, Christchurch Town Hall, the Arts Centre and Canterbury Museum. This tour is not suited to young children under 14 years. This tour is not suited to anyone in a wheelchair or pushchair – however, those able to walk with a frame or walking stick can be accommodated on request. Tour duration: 3-4 hrs

full day private tours

Please enquire about customised options for full day private tours in Christchurch. We recommend our NZ Art & Architecture tour for those wanting to experience more and explore further.