Astro Arts Festival celebrates the spirit of street art with new murals and a gallery show, August 7 to 9

Hosted by the Astro Club Artist facility, the event—now in its second year—continues to pick up where the Vancouver Mural Festival left off

Astro Club Artist Facility. Photo by Jeremy Au Yeung

 
 

Astro Arts Festival takes place at the Astro Club Artist Facility from August 7 to 9

 

THE VANCOUVER MURAL FESTIVAL officially ended in 2024 after nine years, but it certainly left its mark on the city, both literally and figuratively.

As Stir reported, the fest’s organizers said in a statement released at the time: “While VMF may be coming to an end, the impact of its murals, festivals, and programs will continue to inspire Vancouver’s cultural landscape for years to come. These works of art stand as a testament to what is possible when creativity, collaboration, and community come together.”

It’s in that same spirit that Astro Arts Festival was founded last year, and the event’s second iteration takes place this August at its home base, the Astro Club Artist Facility (165 West 4th Avenue). Here’s a quick overview of what’s happening each day of the festival.

 

100 Amigos gallery exhibition. Photo by Jeremy Au Yeung

 

Friday, August 7

Everything kicks off with the opening of a gallery exhibition called 100 Amigos. Curated by Pablo Zamudio, Drew Young, Douglas Coupland, and Graeme Berglund, the show opens to VIP ticketholders and early buyers at 6 pm, with the public exhibition running from 8 pm to 1 am. VIP tickets are available through the Astro Arts website.

 

Astro Arts Festival. Photo by Jeremy Au Yeung

 

Saturday, August 8

At a free block party taking place from noon to 8 pm, the festival will unveil six new large-scale murals and will host Astro Alley—a live mural, street art, and graffiti jam featuring more than 30 artists.

The outdoor event also includes an artisan market curated by Make Good Party, the Astro Vintage Market hosted by Cabreezy Curates, and a block-wide beer garden, with music by Ricecake.

 

Astro Alley. Photo by Jeremy Au Yeung

 

Sunday, August 9

The block party continues from noon to 7 pm, and offers the opportunity to see the block-wide mural wrap, featuring artwork by Anaïs Lera, Brother Jopa, Col Urrutia, Drew Young, Lisa Taniguchi, MAZIE, Seeroro, Sener, TheCoalCinder, Tierney Milne, Timothy Fernandes, and Zens. Music curated by B-Dilla.

With the exception of the 100 Amigos VIP viewing, all events are free to attend. See the Astro Arts website for the full schedule.

 
 
 
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John Lucas
John Lucas

John Lucas has covered music and the arts for longer than he cares to think about. He can also be found playing his guitar in dodgy rehearsal spaces and low-rent venues in and around Vancouver.

 
 

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