Leicester gains record for tallest street art in Europe

Europe’s tallest piece of street art, rising 82 metres up the side of a towerblock in Leicester has been completed.

The piece, created by a team of artists, is almost double the height of the UK’s previous tallest piece of street art, Athena Rising in Leeds, which was 46.8 metres tall, and is now the fourth largest piece of street art in the world, behind two artworks in Calgary, Canada, and one in Karachi, Pakistan.

Izzy Hoskins, a co-director of the Leicester arts company Graffwerk, which produced the piece in collaboration with BID Leicester, said it was the only one out of those record breakers that is painted and designed by local artists.

“We just felt like if we didn’t have local artists with the ability to paint it, and we didn’t celebrate them, then what was the point?” she said.

People have been travelling to the city to take photographs, and the team behind it hope it will become a Leicester landmark.

“We’ve got this immense feeling of pride when we stand back and see what’s been achieved,” said Hoskins. 

“We are a creative country, we do have creative cities, and we have some incredible artists. And it’s great to put them on that platform and showcase what’s possible.”