Peaky Blinders, Gremlins and a Twisty Balloon Hat - Amazing Street Art at Yardworks 2026
If you take a wander through central Glasgow's it won't take long before you see a beautiful mural painted on the side of a building.
They are one of the city's tourist attractions and there's even a walking trail dedicated to them.
However, if you walk around - especially around the edges - there's a strong chance you'll also encounter graffiti, a much more controversial topic. To some it's a form of art or individual expression, to others it is vandalism, anti-social and a crime.
In the UK, graffiti is largely regarded as illegal, falling foul of either anti-social behaviour or criminal damage regulations.
However, in some cities - such as Glasgow - there are areas which have been designated by the local authority as legal sites for commissioned street art.
Glasgow City Council said the idea was to encourage artistic expression, community involvement in the development of their areas, and to transform neglected spaces into vibrant and visually appealing places to visit and live.
And land between the Clydeside Expressway and the former Yorkhill Hospital for children - now West Glasgow Ambulatory Care Hospital - is today home to Yardworks, one of Europe's biggest festivals for street art and graffiti.
I went along to SWG3, a multi-discipline arts and lifestyle venue which hosts the annual Yardworks festival, to take a tour of the street art and graffiti from 2026 and previous events.
YardWorks 2026 - The Biggest Yet as it Celebrates its 10th Anniversary
It's 11 days since the Yardworks 2026 festival finished as I arrive at SWG3, walking under a railway arch near the banks of the River Clyde to find the large yard on site where the tour will take place.
I'm met by my guide, Laura, who tells me that the festival was the biggest ever in its 10 year history. The two-day event on 2-3 May attracted around 130 urban artists from Glasgow, the UK and Europe plus well over 4,000 visitors.
As well as providing the opportunity to see some of the world's top street art talent, the festival included creative workshops for families, street art cycling tours of the Glasgow Riverside Innovation District (GRID), workshops for adults (including one on signwriting and one on Japanese calligraphy), spray can up-cycling activities, t-shirt design stations, food vendors, traders, artisan makers and grassroots retailers.
As the tour begins, it is easy to see why the festival attracts so many visitors in a single weekend.
The quality of the artwork here is astonishing, remarkable and, in places, breathtakingly brilliant.
Some of the pieces were created during Yardworks 2026, others have remained from previous events.
The large scale canvas co-produced by artists AROE and .EPOD is not just striking in its size - it looks about 25 to 30ft high - or blend of images.
Go closer and you see the level of detail in the work. The rotor blades and mechanics of the helicopter gunship, the sharp edges of the multicoloured triangles, the highlights on the fingers of the silver hand, the mouth and glasses on the face, and the texture and creasing on the clothing.
If this level of capturing light, shade, texture and colour was in a painting in a modern art gallery, you would be describing the artist and the work with superlatives. And rightly so.
Here, the art is created not by paintbrush but with aerosol paint cans. Which makes the level of detail even more astounding.
And in the 'Gremlins' creation above, look how the artist has used colour, shape, flow and contrast to produce this beautifully menacing piece. Even the protruding block of stone has been sprayed pink so it forms part of the art on the wall.
Creating Street Art for Any Size or Shape
As Laura guides the small group around the yard, the scale and variety of the festival exhibits becomes clearer.
As well as the larger walls there are canvases on the sides of old freight containers, boundary walls and cubes. Each artist was given a space and made it their own.
Manchester-based street artist Katie Scott was offered a tall yet narrow canvas for the festival. Hardly an ideal shape, you would think. Whilst some artists might have said "You're joking", Katie just got creative.
According to Laura, The inclusion of the 'twisty balloon' hat the woman is wearing was inspired by a balloon artist who was entertaining visitors at the festival.
On this block (pictured above), artist Tech Moon has created a simple yet mesmerising image, with the red roses and the frame of the rose window appearing 3-dimensional despite being painted on a flat, 2-dimensional surface.
Here (pictured above) you can see how another artist, Scottish-based KMG, has used the same size of space as Tech Moon was given to produce a very different image. Simplicity and symbolism feature strongly with this piece.
Below is an example of how one of the cubes was given a creative makeover by street artists.
SWG3: From Derelict Warehouse to One of Europe's Top Venues in 20 Years
Last year, SWG3 celebrated its 20th anniversary.
The place has been transformed, through the vision of its founder Andrew Fleming-Brown and support of others, and represents a reimagining of Glasgow's industrial heritage.
What began as a group of artists' studios in a derelict warehouse has become a hybrid of creative community hub and multi-discipline arts venue. A space with verve and capable of creating a fun, high-energy vibe one moment; a calmer, supportive atmosphere the next.
Fleming-Brown - apparently known as Muttley because his laugh resembles that of Dick Dastardly's cartoon canine sidekick - is a graduate of The Glasgow School of Art.
His vision for the old galvanisers yard on the banks of the River Clyde, Laura reveals, was inspired by a visit to MoMA PS1 in New York. I also read later that he was influenced by a visit to La Friche in Marseille.
SWG3 today is a space for art, design, music, fashion, food, shopping and nightlife. The site includes The Yard (outdoor space with a capacity for 4,000 people), the Warehouse (space for art exhibitions, dinners and theatre), TV studio, design studio, photo studio, artists' studios, Galvanisers hall, a Poetry Club and Zinc Bar.
On the same day as my guided tour here, there was a Climate Fresk in the afternoon and a screening of the National Emergency Briefing film about climate change in the evening.
As a music venue, SWG3 has attracted a strong mix of bands and solo artists.
Topical, Trendy and Traditional - All Forms of Street Art Get a Showing at Yardworks
Street Art might be viewed by some as anti-establishment or outside the mainstream - but it can tap into popular culture.
Take this wonderful creation by Spanish-based artist ZURIK, featuring lead character Tommy Shelby, inspired by the hit TV show Peaky Blinders.
And then there's this blockbuster piece with Batman and Catwoman getting close in between saving Gotham City from chaos.
You could regard both pieces as topical or trendy, or both. They are each, no doubt, getting lots of views on social media.
As Laura guides us around the site, the variety of images and richness of colour is plain to see - as the following examples illustrate.
Not Just Art: Support and Mentoring for Evolving Street Artists at SWG3
SWG3's promotion of local, national and international street art is not confined to the annual Yardworks festival, which is co-produced with the venue's charitable arm, Clydesdale Institute for Arts (or CIA).
The 2026 festival introduced a Street Arts Prize for Scotland. This is a new initiative, launched by Andrew Leitch of Creative Scotland, in memory of his late partner who passed away in 2024.
Five prizes of £1,000 each will be given each year for five years. The first recipient was Katie Guthrie, also known as KMG - whose 'folklore and mythology'-inspired work you will have seen above. This gives her the opportunity to create a fresh work as part of the Yardworks programme.
Upcoming artists can also get mentoring and support at SWG3, to help them develop their skills.
And festival activities were extended this year to include the transformation of pillars under the Kingston Bridge - as part of the GRID placemaking programme - and ongoing live painting at the Clyde Walkway legal wall (which I had viewed from a bus journey on the Saturday).
All giving artists more time and space to express themselves and add their personal creative stamp on the city's infrastructure.
Walls and Walls of Creativity at The Yard
The Yard at SWG3 is bounded by walls of continuous art. Some 'old', some fresh from the festival less than a fortnight ago.
Making our way around the walls, it was hard not to stop at every piece. Each one has something to catch the eye, either from a distance or on closer inspection.
Respect to the artists. They are very talented and the way they can use a spray can of paint like a traditional painter uses a brush is remarkable. With some pieces you have to remind yourself that the light, shade and texture was ALL done with sprayed paint.
I don't know how they do it. And that's probably one of the attractions for visitors to the festival - they can see the artists 'live' in action.
Here are some urban art pieces from the SWG3 walls.
It's Hard to Pick a Favourite but...
... If pushed, I would have to go for the large canvas with three devil-like Dobermans racing out towards you.
You will have seen a close-up section of the artwork at the top of this article. That really is only half (or perhaps, more accurately, one third) of the story.
Imagine turning a corner and seeing this image.
Three fierce creatures, each 20ft high, running straight towards you. One as black as the night. Two on either flank, each animated with coats coloured steely blue with streaks of cherry purple.
All three bursting out from a background of purple, black and orange.
Not created with a paintbrush but with a spray can.
Simply stunning.
My thanks to my guide, Laura, for an excellent, informative and insightful tour. I knew almost nothing about street art beforehand but left knowing a lot more about it - and some of the talented artists who produce it.
This was one of a series of post-festival tours organised by SWG3 as a new feature for 2026. It gives visitors a chance to look around the site, hear the history of the venue and, of course, view artwork from the latest event and past festivals.
Many of the artworks will be taken down soon. If you missed Yardworks 2026 or one of the tours, you'll have got a flavour of it from this article - and should keep an eye out for the 2027 event.
Gary Spinks is a copywriter, storyteller and journalist. Beyond Scotland covers the interconnected themes of sustainability, community (including Citizens and Transition Town projects) and Responsible Tourism & Travel.
