SE26 project
Wallstreet Festival – opened the conversation about the importance of art
In the summer of 2025, the Wallstreet Festival was held in Skellefteå. For three intense months, the city center was filled with new artworks, creative encounters, and shared experiences. The festival opened up many new conversations about art and its significance in a changing world.
Residents and visitors were invited to discover and participate in art experiences in public spaces when Skellefteå was transformed into a living art festival. The artistic expressions spanned a broad palette, with large wall and street paintings, sculptures, light art, and more. Through various activities such as guided art walks, open discussions with artists, and workshops, the barriers to art were lowered and the festival attracted a wide audience, regardless of age or previous art experience.
Wallstreet Festival is a global concept with the overall goal of acting as a system influencer for more public art with co-creative resources. In addition to Skellefteå, the festival was also held simultaneously in Nacka and Varberg.
"The idea behind the Wallstreet Festival is to increase art in urban spaces while working with the structures that regulate and influence our society. We are delighted to see the results, for example in new collaborations with new actors in society around the importance of art for a community," says Lena Forsberg, who was project manager for the Wallstreet Festival in Skellefteå.
The ambition in Skellefteå was also to make art accessible in people's everyday lives and strengthen the community between residents, associations, and businesses. The festival became a broad collaborative project in which the business community, civil society, and individual residents participated.
By making art accessible, Skellefteå also became a more attractive place. The festival contributed to increasing the value of real estate, the value of Skellefteå as a tourist destination – and, not least, the value of how we in Skellefteå see ourselves. For many, the artworks became a reason to discover new parts of the municipality and see familiar environments with new eyes.
As the summer drew to a close, the Wallstreet Festival left behind several new permanent artworks that continue to be part of the cityscape and serve as open, accessible cultural experiences all year round. The Wallstreet Festival is an example of how art can contribute to both community spirit and long-term urban development.
Quick facts about the Wallstreet Festival in Skellefteå:
- The Wallstreet Festival is a global concept for art exhibitions in urban spaces. In the summer of 2025, the festival was held in three municipalities in Sweden: Nacka, Varberg, and Skellefteå.
- The festival took place between June 1 and August 30, 2025.
- The public artworks were funded by Skellefteå Municipality, but municipal companies and other organizations also contributed. Some of the new artworks have become permanent in Skellefteå after the festival ended.
- During the festival, 31 works were installed around the city and 55 activities were held for residents and visitors.
- Wallstreet Lab, a venue in the city center, attracted between 15 and 50 visitors per day. Many of those who visited Wallstreet Lab were people who do not usually visit art exhibitions.
One item on the agenda at the conference: Culture and Leisure – The Power of Tomorrow's Society, on June 2-4is:
Public art through collaboration – we share our experiences from Wallstreet Festival 2025, where art found new spaces and financiers. During this program item, we also raise questions about the significance of art and look at other examples where art has found its place thanks to collaboration.
Questions and answers about the project
How we use public art to create attractive and stimulating living environments for residents, while also contributing to the appeal of the area, which can attract both visitors and potential new residents.
In the short term, experiences for residents and visitors. In the long term, a contribution to developing opportunities for more funding channels for the arts.
Wallstreet contributed to this vision by making art accessible in people's everyday lives – even many who do not usually engage with art became involved. After the festival, several of the artworks have remained part of the urban space, contributing to well-being and experiences. Wallstreet Festival is an example of how art can open up community and at the same time contribute to long-term urban development.
Read more: SE26 project
Sidinformation
- Senast uppdaterad:
- 26 February 2026