BANKSY EXHIBITIONS AND PRANKS // THE CANS FESTIVAL, 2008

  • Poster for Banksy's The Cans Festival showing a girl riding a a spray paint can
    Poster for Banksy, The Cans Festival, May 2008.
    Leake Street, London, England.
    © Banksy.
    In May 2008, Banksy staged The Cans Festival in London’s Leake Street tunnel, transforming a disused passage beneath Waterloo Station into a vast public gallery. Over one weekend, the Eurostar service tunnel was closed off and repainted with new works by Banksy, before opening up to showcase contributions from stencil artists around the world. The rules were simple: artists could create freely, but no one was allowed to paint over another’s work. The result was a riot of colour, humour, and political imagery that extended across several hundred metres of walls.
     
    The event drew thousands of visitors when it opened, cementing its place as a landmark in street art history. Banksy also provided a dedicated area where members of the public could experiment with stencilling for themselves, underscoring his commitment to accessibility and community participation. Since the festival, Leake Street has remained a legal graffiti site and evolved into a cultural hub, complete with bars, venues, and a thriving tourist draw. The Cans Festival not only highlighted the vibrancy of stencil art but also secured Leake Street’s reputation as one of London’s most important street art destinations.
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  • “A wall is a very big weapon. It’s one of the nastiest things you can hit someone with.”

     — Banksy

    This act of handing over the spray can was central to the project. It blurred the line between spectator and artist, reinforcing Banksy’s belief that street art should belong to everyone, not just professionals or collectors. Visitors who had never painted before could leave their mark in the tunnel, becoming part of a temporary but vibrant creative community.
    The festival attracted thousands throughout its opening weekend, proving how accessible and democratic street art could be when stripped of barriers and rules. By giving people the chance to paint their stencils, Banksy turned a forgotten tunnel into a collaborative cultural landmark that continues to evolve as one of London’s few legal graffiti spaces.
    • Banksy Girl With Baloon

      SIGNED EDITIONS

    • Banksy Show Me The Monet 2005

      ORIGINAL WORKS

    • Banksy's mural of a rhinoceros on a car

      STREET WORKS