Art & Culture

A giant street art festival is coming to Stockport with over 50 of the UK’s top artists

Stockport's more than ready to pump up the jam.

Thomas Melia - 9th September 2024

As a nation we love things involving jam. Whether it’s jamming out to our favourite song, jam on toast, and now Stockport’s inaugural Paint Jam.

This huge event covers a 1km walking tour from Merseyway to GRIT Studios on Canal Street, with four different locations hosting their own taste of Stockport culture.

There’ll be a variety of activities taking place across the walk, with breakdancers, food and drink options, and DJs keeping you company as you immerse yourself in everything the Greater Manchester borough has to offer.

Akse P19, Qubek, Hammo, Liam Bonini, Caroline Daly, and Kelzo are some of the artists involved.

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All the four spaces will feature street artists, with the Canal Street boasting more than 20 creatives alongside music and refreshments.

Manchester‘s-own Inspiral Carpets keyboard player, Clint Boon, will be part of the DJs on site providing ambience for the festival, perhaps incorporating sounds of the 90s ‘Madchester’ movement.

Radio 5 Live’s Nihal Arthanayake will also be attending as one of the event’s resident DJs.

This time last year, Stockport invited Argentinian artists to transform a 70 metre wall into a vibrant art installation called ‘La Boca to La Stocka’, depicting stories from the respective cultures, and more than 1,000 people attended with just less than six days notice.

This year’s event though is set to be on a much larger scale.

A giant street art festival is coming to Stockport with over 50 of the UK’s top artists / Credit: Richard Meftah

Stockport is now bursting with creativity after being named the region’s Town of Culture back in 2023, and Paint Jam will be continuing the artistic legacy of this vibrant borough.

“This project is about knitting together, building on, and extending the Creative Quarter linking Canal Street to Hopes Carr,” says John Macaulay, who is the co-founder of GRIT Studios and Art Battle Manchester.

“Last year, 1,400 people attended with only six days’ notice, which was fantastic. We’re aiming to make this year’s Paint Jam bigger, better, and more vibrant, creating a well-defined cultural corridor that bursts with world-class street art.”

Although not required, signing up for tickets will help event organisers better manage the festival and help to keep everyone updated.

You can sign up here.

Featured Image – Richard Meftah (via Supplied)