Tour the 10 Best Graffiti Cities Around the World

A city with plain unadorned walls versus a city with art and graffiti greeting you at various streets and corners—the latter sounds much more lively and exciting, doesn’t it?

Graffiti and street art make a city come alive, reflecting its spirit and culture. This celebrated form of public art is sure to fascinate not just art enthusiasts and photography lovers, but almost anyone living in or visiting the city. Earlier considered unlawful, more and more cities are now adopting a liberal and supportive attitude towards all forms of street art, converting the city into a uniquely painted canvas.

So hop along the streets of these most enthralling graffiti cities, go camera crazy, and treat your eyes to the best street art around the world.

1. New York City, New York

New York City Is considered to be the hub of street art, making it every artist’s dream to paint in this global city. Explore its five boroughs and discover hidden masterpieces, showcasing some of the most diverse street art in the world. Starting 2016, an initiative recruited over 200 young artists to paint the city’s housing projects, bringing to life dull and crime-hit areas. In addition, 100 storefronts were painted as part of the 100 Gates Project in Lower East Side, turning the area into a must-not miss public art exhibition.

Must See: Brooklyn’s Bushwick, Manhattan’s Chelsea, Hunts Point in Bronx, and the Graffiti Hall of Fame in Harlem are some of the most iconic graffiti spots here.

2. Mexico City, Mexico

From quirky artworks and religious graffiti to Mexican murals and historically significant installations, the Mexican capital offers diverse styles of street art.

Its city centre is a feast for your senses, especially in the evenings, when one can see the vibrantly painted closed shutters and garage doors. The ‘All City Canvas’ project started in Mexico City in 2012 has been one of the world’s most important street art festivals, bringing together internationally renowned artists. For the best experience of Mexico city street art, refer to the ‘Street Art Chillango’ online platform, which lists over 10,000 artworks across the city, along with a virtual map of their location. 

Must See: The international style street art of La Roma and Condesa, the vibrant graffiti of Xochimilco that can be explored on rafts, and the Museo del Juguete Antiguo Mexico for its intriguing artworks on the inside and the outside.

3. Los Angeles, California

Behind LA’s glamour, celebrity life, and Hollywood industry is a strong and sprightly graffiti art scene. Enjoy the California sunshine as you walk through LA’s art-laden neighbourhoods, displaying an eclectic mix of murals and graffiti. The decade-long ban on public art here was lifted in the recent years, leading to a revival of its street art tradition. In 2011, the first major US exhibition on street art was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.

Must See: The Arts District, La Brea Boulevard, Culver City, and Melrose Avenue, have some of the city’s best street art.

4. Berlin, Germany

As fascinating as its history, the graffiti and street art culture of Berlin has certainly amplified in the last few years. Here buildings and walls are turned into uniquely painted canvases, and excellent street art beckons artists, painters and photographers from all over the world. Take guided tours of its East Side Gallery, a nearly mile-long section of the Berlin wall, displaying over 100 historic murals. Painted in 1990, this longest-lasting open-air gallery preserves politically motivated street art works as a memorial for freedom, and is still open for contemporary artists to express their creativity.

Must See: Apart from Berlin’s East Side Gallery, Kreuzberg and Mitte are great spots to see Berlin’s best public artworks.

5. Melbourne, Australia

Rightly considered as the cultural capital of Australia, Melbourne is also the centre of Australia’s graffiti art. Its vivaciously painted buildings, streets and arcades display a unique blend of indigenous and established cultures. Walk this bustling city on your own or take a city tour discovering its many art-laden alleys and corners. The annual Melbourne Stencil Festival is a great time to experience street art here, featuring works of local and international artists over a period of 10 days.

Must See: The much celebrated lively artworks on Union Street, Bourke Street, and Hosier Lane.

6. San Francisco, California

Besides its must-see tourist attractions, San Francisco presents a plethora of murals and graffiti art, some of them addressing strong social messages. The annual Clarion Alley Mural Project here produces remarkable public art, free for everyone to see, in the company of some great live music. For the best experience of San Francisco’s street art, head to the 1AM Gallery, a creative space which not only offers a tour of the city’s best street art, but also conducts workshops on designing pseudonyms, using spray cans, and creating a large mural with a group of other art enthusiasts.

Must See: The artworks on Haight Street, 24^th Street, Cypress Street, and Balmy Alley.

7. Barcelona, Spain

Apart from fascinating sculptures, Picasso’s masterpieces, and Gaudi’s architecture, Barcelona has a thriving street art culture as well. Take a street art walking tour or bike tour here and discover an array of murals and graffiti both by famous painters and lesser-known artists. For a complete experience of Barcelona’s street art, stay at the Graffiti Hostel where the rooms are decorated with incredible graffiti art and named after European cities or places of Barcelona.

Must See: El Borne and El Raval neighborhoods, Poble Nou, and the Gothic Quarter are the city’s most popular graffiti landmarks.

8. Buenos Aires, Argentina

Compared to other cities, the authorities in Buenos Aires are much more permissive and liberal towards street art. One only needs the approval of the property owner to convert a blank wall into a spirited piece of art. Owing to this freedom to paint, the Argentine capital attracts street artists from all over the world. In addition, this cosmopolitan city hosts a number of international street art festivals bringing together local and international artists, photographers and street art fans.

Must See: The neighbourhoods of Villa Urquiza and Coghlan, and the Federico Lacroze metro station are some of the best places to see large-scale artworks and murals.

9. Prague, Czech Republic

A list of the top graffiti cities of the world is incomplete without the mention of Prague and its unmissable graffiti spots, especially the famous Lennon Wall. This iconic wall in Grand Priory Square served as an outlet for political opinions and artworks during the Communist rule of the 1980s. Inspired by the legendary singer and songwriter John Lennon, these paintings have been covered countless times, only to be painted again with inspirational quotes, lyrics from the Beatles’ songs, and political opinions.

Must See: Besides the Lennon Wall, Tesnov, Vltavská Metro Station, and Vitezné námesti are some of the must-check-out graffiti spots here.

10. Delhi, India

Once a cosmopolitan city most popular for its rich history, architectural heritage and multicultural identity, Delhi has now also emerged as the street art hub of India. With the help of a number of public art events and organizations, the Indian capital has recently undergone a facelift, converting public walls and spaces into vibrant large-scale murals. These iconic public art hotspots have changed the visual landscape of the city, and are a great way to popularize diverse themes and social messages among all classes, through art.

Must See: The Lodhi Colony Area in Delhi is India’s first public art district featuring large-scale paintings and eloquent street art. In addition, Shankar Market and Govindpuri Metro Station flaunt several massive murals.

Which one would you start your street art tour with?