{"id":5733,"date":"2026-07-06T13:44:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T11:44:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rotterdammakeithappen.bureaurotterdam.nl\/verhaal\/we-want-to-make-rotterdam-more-beautiful-with-street-art\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T10:44:53","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T08:44:53","slug":"street-art-brings-colour-pride-and-safety","status":"publish","type":"verhaal","link":"https:\/\/rotterdammakeithappen.nl\/en\/stories\/street-art-brings-colour-pride-and-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Street art brings colour to neighbourhoods"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”372946″]Street art is everywhere in Rotterdam. Murals sometimes catch your eye from far away, sometimes they appear right where you least expect them. They bring colour, pride, and safety to neighbourhoods. The highlight comes every September with the international street art festival ALL CAPS. But you can also set out to explore at any time of year with the street art routes from Rewriters010.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text]

I look for artists with a wow factor, who push the boundaries of colour and form.<\/blockquote>[vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”958307″]\u2018We want to make Rotterdam more beautiful with street art,\u2019 says Daniel Claessens, creative director of street art festival ALL CAPS<\/a>. \u2018Rotterdam is a street art city through and through, with artists who want to enrich it with murals. Art on the street changes how you experience your surroundings: it makes them feel better, safer, and more inspiring.\u2019[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=”0″ row_padding=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”200507″][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1\/2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”992284″][vc_single_image media=”12865″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”101978″][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image media=”12863″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”143059″][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”173874″]<\/p>\n

Alleyways and metro pillars<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The City of Rotterdam<\/a> uses street artists to address dark alleyways in the Hoogkwartier neighbourhood. Their work is less likely to get painted over and at the same time can help create a greater sense of safety. And on the Tarwewijk, fifteen bare metro pillars are getting a makeover in collaboration with RET<\/a>, with new artworks inspired by stories from local residents, schools, and organisations.<\/p>\n

ALL CAPS is proud of these collaborations: \u2018By transforming public space with art, we bring not just colour, but also pride and safety to the neighbourhood.\u2019[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=”12861″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”300420″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”127636″]<\/p>\n

A leading street art festival<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Since 2018, ALL CAPS has grown into the leading street art festival in the Netherlands. Alongside international names, there are plenty of Rotterdam-based artists on show. \u2018I look for artists with a wow factor, who push the boundaries of colour and form,\u2019 says Claessens.<\/p>\n

The name ALL CAPS is deeply rooted in the street art world and carries more than one meaning: a nod to the spray caps from graffiti culture, but also to typography, since many graffiti artists work exclusively in capitals.[\/vc_column_text]

Transforming the city into a living work of art, with colour and creativity.<\/blockquote>[vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”921546″]<\/p>\n

City as living work of art<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The festival moves to a different part of the city each time, transforming it with colour and creativity into a living work of art. In 2026, the festival takes place in the Lombardijen neighbourhood in Rotterdam-Zuid.<\/p>\n

For a full week, you can watch artists working on their murals in the neighbourhood. What makes it particularly special: one of the artists has been chosen by local residents themselves to create a mural.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=”0″ row_padding=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”200507″][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1\/2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”992284″][vc_single_image media=”12860″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”206435″][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image media=”12859″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”191269″][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”183207″]<\/p>\n

Graffiti workshops<\/strong><\/h3>\n

On the closing Super Sunday, you can discover the new murals yourself on a tour through the neighbourhood. On this free festival day, you can also watch artists at work live and even try your hand yourself. The festival really comes into its own with graffiti workshops for children, food trucks, DJs, live acts, and dance workshops.[\/vc_column_text]

Art on the street changes how you experience your surroundings: it makes them feel better, safer, and more inspiring.<\/blockquote>[vc_single_image media=”12862″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”730482″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”372943″]<\/p>\n

Legal street art wall<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When the festival launched, Rotterdam still had a zero-tolerance policy on graffiti. Today, there are practice walls and designated spots where artists can work legally. Rotterdam\u2019s first legal street art wall is the Open Art Wall<\/a>: a 150-metre wall on the Korte Stadionweg, created in collaboration between the City of Rotterdam, Rotterdams Tij, and ALL CAPS. Here, artists, students, and enthusiasts can get creative freely and legally.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=”0″ row_padding=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”200507″][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1\/2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”992284″][vc_single_image media=”12168″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”100698″][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image media=”12169″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”680717″][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”142475″]<\/p>\n

West-Kruiskade<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The West-Kruiskade shows just how much a neighbourhood can be transformed by murals. This multicultural street, where 170 nationalities live side by side, is home to the Rotterdam Street Art Museum<\/a>. The street is the museum. You feel the city\u2019s authentic energy here, where every wall and every work tells its own story.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=”12167″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”146861″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”345127″]<\/p>\n

Street art routes<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are several routes for exploring Rotterdam\u2019s murals. ALL CAPS releases a new route each year through the festival app, which previously won the Aardig Onderweg Award from RET.<\/p>\n

There are also six street art routes from Rewriters010<\/a>. Download them and follow the trail through murals and hidden artworks across different neighbourhoods, each with its own story. The routes are updated regularly, so there\u2019s always something new to discover.[\/vc_column_text]

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