Street art fans from around the world will be virtually welcomed to the streets of South Bristol as UPFEST announces Virtually Upfest an online version of the world-famous street art festival 25^th-27^th September.

Working in collaboration with Bristol-based augmented and virtual reality studio, ZubrVR and with the help of Arts Council England’s emergency response funding, the team at UPFEST has reconstructed Bedminster’s North Street with a TRON style feel, and designed an alternative way for users to experience the festival after the Covid-19 pandemic forced 2020’s edition to be cancelled.

The virtual world will run from the UPFEST gallery down to the Tobacco Factory, giving users the chance to explore over 30 new pieces of commissioned work by a spectrum of UK artists specifically for the virtual world. The team at Upfest are also proud to announce the equal allocation of artists commissions within the virtual world of female and male artists. Introducing ....

Acerone // Andy Council // Bex Glover // Cheba // Cheo // Clare Hoops // Copyright // Dan Kitchener // EJITS // Elaine Carr // Emily Donald // Emotional Waterfall // Fem Sorcell // Gemma Commpton // Georgie // HazardOne // Inkie // Irony // KoeOne // Lucas Antics // Miss Wah // Molly Mural // Mr Penfold // Paul Monsters // Philth // Silent Hobo // Soker // Sophie Long // Sophie Rae // Squirl // Zoe Power

UPFEST’s founder Stephen Hayles,says:

“As we were unable to run the festival the same as we have done in previous years we thought it would be fun to find a way to bring the festival to the people and the team at ZubrVR have done an incredible job at helping us bring this alternative to life”

“We usually see people visiting from all over the world, so hopefully this way, we can help both our national and international audience enjoy the festival from the comfort or their own home or on the move through their mobiles.”

“The emergency response funding from Arts Council England we received early this year, primarily came from players of the National Lottery and has been a lifeline to the Upfest Organisation enabling us to experiment into the world of VR creating a new platform for the festival and it’s artists.”

The portal to Virtually Upfest via Upfest.co.uk and will be compatible with  both VR headsets as well mobile phones and regular laptops. The retro style TRON feel to the virtual world has taken influence from the 1982 legendary American Sci-fi film which saw arcade owner Kevin Flynn reconstituted into the internal, 3-D graphical world of computers.

Due to covid-19 the event was unable to take place as planned in June this year, but this experience is set to give users the opportunity to visit the much loved streets of South Bristol ahead of their return in 2021. Access to the virtual world will be free continuing the Upfest Organisation ethos of making art accessible for all.