Looking for Portsmouth street art? As an area of growth for local and national street artists, Portsmouth is becoming increasingly more decorated. Yet, there’s not many places online sharing where these beautiful artworks are!
This guide is a great starting point to help you hunt down the places where you’ll find new pieces and old favourites.
Lace up your comfy trainers and grab your camera, there’s some stellar art to be found.
Portsmouth Street Art
This list is a great starting point to inspire you to go and hunt down Portsmouth street art.
My aim is to give you a few starting places and my suggestion is to grab a coffee and wander the streets around it. You’re sure to find more pieces this way, and get a nice little walk out of it too.
If you’ve made a cool new discovery, please do add the time, date, what it is and where you found it in the comments below. If you know who it’s by because it has an obvious tag, even better! That will help other people to find them too.
Portsmouth and Southsea Streets
Here’s a list of seven streets to explore. I’ve written a tiny bit about each of them, just to give you a little bit of guidance and steer you in the right direction.
One – Tonbridge Street
This is probably the most well known place for Portsmouth street art. If you head here you’re guaranteed to find graffiti from many incredible local artists.
Oh, and it’s worth knowing that this street is sometimes referred to as the ‘Southsea Ghetto’. It took me forever to know where people were talking about – so, now you know!
It’s quite easy to find, head to Osbourne Road and you’ll find the old Debenhams store (closed 2020). The store leads to Palmerston Road Precinct. If you follow it round you’ll find a little ally that’s like a small street art gallery.
It’s one long L shape, and you’ll want to walk the full length of it and visit regularly. The art here changes all the time and I always visit with a coffee, so I can take my time admiring all the new pieces.
Here you’ll find pieces by local artists Gary Stranger, Fark, Roo Abrook, Solo, Pogo as well as pieces from visiting artists from further afield. We often get artists from Europe and America adding to the mix.
Don’t forget to look up either. Often there’s pieces much higher up, don’t ask me how they got up there.
Two – Osbourne Road
Osbourne Road is a fab starting place because it has plenty of pieces all down the street.
Particular focus is on the building that used to be a Grosvenor Casino. Both places are boarded up and the blank canvases quickly filled with art that tend to change pretty regularly too. Look down the side streets, because these are home to lots of graffiti too.
Here’s a couple of streets I’ve found pieces on lately…
Clifton Road – usually has a long mural or several pieces on it, and is worth a wander down.
Netley Road – there’s nothing usually on this road but, there’s an ally behind the shops (Burgers n Brewz specifically) that’s full of bins. Stay with me on this on this one, down the bin ally is a new piece by Fark. It was a purple bird when I saw it, like with all street art, it’s probably changed by now.
Three – Palmerston Road
Notably flourishes can be found on the old John Lewis building. But again, walk along it to see if there’s anything new. The area up towards the restaurants and the roads off of it might prove to be more fruitful.
Literally one minute from Palmerston Road is Grove Road, where The Liberty Lounge is. Merton Road runs alongside it and it’s on this corner a commission from the lounge can be found that changes roughly every quarter.
Four – Albert Road
Albert Road is similar to Osbourne Road, except much, much longer. It too has plenty of works on the street itself, often many of the shop keepers have murals painted on their security shutters.
The notable points on this road change constantly, and again, my advice would be to walk it and explore. Saying that there’s, usually, something in the following places.
Behind O’Neils Pub – On the small street behind the pub, you’ll find some art work. The last pieces I saw here were done by Roo Abrook, a commission from the Albert Street Traders.
The Kings Theatre – Just after the theatre look up as there’s usually some street art above the shops.
The French – A boarded up building that’s popular and usually has a mural on it.
Duncan Road – Often the shop on the corner has a mural and there’s sometimes pieces down this street.
Southsea Cycles – Has custom Fark artwork on the shop face.
Again, Albert Road has so many streets to explore leading off of it. Keep clear of the more residential but some of them contain hidden gems.
Five – Highland Road
Another great place to explore for street art is Highland Road, an extension of the bottom of Albert Road. It’s also the home of a few local street artists including Mister Samo and Fark.
You’ll find a big mural by Samo‘s studio on 131 Highland Road and some doodles around Fark‘s studio a few doors down.
But, like every street on this list, there’s more to it than that, you’ve just got to look for it!
Six – Guildhall Walk
Guildhall Square is often the place where any street art festivals or events have taken place over the years. But, you’re more likely to find a bit of street art leading up to the square throughout the Guildhall Walk area than in the historic square.
To be honest, this is probably not one of the places I’d start my graffiti hunt. I tend to explore it a little when I pass through just to see if there’s anything new and notable.
The biggest piece I’ve found here was a ‘Heart’ mural across the back of the buildings of the Guildhall Walk car park on Alec Rose Lane.
Seven – Fratton Park
A site outside of the central Portsmouth and Southsea streets is the city’s football ground, Fratton Park. You’ll want to head here and walk around it, the most popular spot has changed over the years.
It’s also worth wandering around the local streets as there’s plenty of art to be seen. Specks Lane will find you in the thick of it.
Goldsmith Avenue – Literally next door to Fratton Park is Goldsmith Avenue. This street usually has something great to cast your eyes on too.
During COVID-19 Annabel Innes, in partnership with a group of local creatives via Kickstarter, did a series of pieces on the billboards on this street. It was kind of a coronavirus lockdown art love letter offering messages of hope and thanks in a very dark time.
I didn’t manage to get down there, for obvious lockdown reasons but, thankfully the team at Strong Island (my favourite local arts and culture site) recorded it in two articles called ‘COVID-19 Art Ads Campaign‘ and ‘COVID-19 Art Ads Campaign’s Second Wave Now Up‘.
New Discoveries
The Portsmouth street art scene is flourishing with a fine balance of legal and illegal graffiti. New art is created all the time and it’s so fun to go and find it.
I’m very fond of walking the city to see what’s new. I went the other day and I spotted another piece of art I hadn’t seen before.
It’s at the top of Commercial Road on the path that runs alongside the car park behind Cascades shopping centre. Now it’s either new, or I’ve just not been that observant!
Other places, that aren’t streets but are worth a mention include…
- Southsea Model Village – No, I’m not joking, even the miniature streets of the model village have fresh paint!
- Portsmouth City Museum – I think a beautiful Cuttlefish is still on the side of the Museum’s wall, I haven’t seen this one yet.
- South Parade Pier, Southsea Sea Front – Keep an eye out for Fark sea gulls along the pier.
- Hilsea Lido – Local artists adorn the lido, and My Dog Sighs was commissioned to do a large mural in the summer of 2020.
- Village Hotel, North Harbour – another eye-catching My Dog Sighs commission.
- Southsea Skate Park – an obvious one but still a goodie.
If you liked this, take a look at these other great places to visit in Portsmouth and Southsea…
- BREAKFAST AT SOUTHSEA COFFEE
- SUPPORT LOCAL WITH LOVE SOUTHSEA
- BRUNCH BY THE SEA AT SOUTHSEA BEACH CAFE
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I have been really interested in the Street Art in Portsmouth. I am having my Grandchildren down and will design a walk for them to explore.Many Thanks Felicity
Oh amazing, enjoy! Lots of lovely spots on there within walking distance. Plus lots of takeaways you can grab treats too! Let me know how it goes Felicity.