The Bold, The Beautiful, and The Brazen – A guide to the best Street Art In Shoreditch

Famous artists and grassroots upstarts have transformed well-worn streets in Shoreditch with challenging and political expression. See all the standout pieces with our self-guided walking tour and map.

The street art scene in London dates back to the early 20th century, but gained momentum in the 1960s when kids – inspired by their New York counterparts – started tagging their names on buildings.

The emergence of punk rock and hip-hop culture in the 1970s and early 1980s, saw graffiti develop into street art with rebellious, anti-establishment sentiment and self-expression bursting onto London’s gritty walls.

By the 1900s and 2000s, street art in London developed into a sophisticated and professional outlet. London walls became canvases for creative experimentation and artistic boundary pushing.

Shoreditch played a significant role in the development of street art in London, with abandoned buildings and warehouses the perfect canvas for striking typography, political statements, and witty murals.

Artists flock from all over the world to paint in Shoreditch. But street art is, by its very nature, ephemeral. New art pops up just as old favourites disappear.

This rotating lifecycle is what makes it so appealing, and no two visits to Shoreditch are ever the same.

We have picked out our favourite Shoreditch and Brick Lane street art and artists and created this self-guided walk.

The route includes all the latest artworks, including the new Banksy, Three Monkeys, on Brick Lane Bridge.

SHOREDITCH STREET ART MAP

Our walking route has been designed to pass the best street art in Shoreditch in the shortest distance possible. It starts at Old Street Station and ends at Liverpool Street, but there is no reason you can’t do it the other way around.

• Distance – 3.3 miles (5.4 kilometres).
• Time – Around 3 hours.
• Start – Old Street Station.
• Finish – Liverpool Street Station.

You can find the walking route on the map below. Download it onto your phone to follow as you walk along.

If you’d like to do a shorter walk, you can focus on the area around Brick Lane. You’ll find the highest density of artwork here, so you can see a lot without walking too far. It also has the most lively and buzzing atmosphere.

WALKING ROUTE

1. COWPER STREET

Get the underground to Old Street Station.

Just outside, navigate towards Cowper Street. This little road has a collaboration between several exciting artists.

Fusing their different styles, Jim Vision painted the colourful portrait, Si Mitchell is responsible for the striking dragon, and ThisOne added the black and white flowers.

A massive wall is often covered with adverts at the junction of Cowper and Tabernacle.

2. BLACKALL ALLEY

Follow the walking route on the map above to Blackall Alley, which is something of a hidden gem in Shoreditch. Too small for cars, it’s backed onto by warehouses and packed with street art and murals.

There are hundreds to take in.

Don’t miss the numerous stencils by Buenos Aires-born artist Cartooneros, including “Van Gogh” and “Surviving England on Ten Pounds.” Our favourite was the striking face by Dubai-based street artist Fink 22.

3. AMERICAN CAR WASH

This multi-story car park is covered in graffiti from top to bottom. Rather than cool street art, it’s more of a blast of colour against the city’s skyscrapers.

You will pass two interesting galleries on the way to the car wash.

Pure Evil Gallery, run by the eponymous local artist on Leonard Street, is a mecca for independent artists who wear their politics proudly. 

Jealous Gallery, on Curtain Road, is a contemporary gallery often focusing on street artists. During our last visit, it had an exhibition by Italian-born artist ALO (Aristide Loria).

4. RIVINGTON STREET

Before heading into New Inn Yard, the walking tour detours to Rivington Street. It’s worth the effort as there’s plenty of excellent art, including two Banksy’s.

In Cargo Bar’s Yard, behind an iron gate and covered in Perspex, you’ll find Banksy’s “The Guard Dog” and “His Master’s Voice.” Between them are the indelible thoughts by LA-based street artist WRDSMTH.

There’s plenty more to feast your eyes on. Ben Eine’s “Scary” is under the railway bridge, and next to it is a wonderful art adaptation of Marina Lewycka’s novel “A Short History of Tractors in Ukraine.”

Finally, the colourful heads of French artist Thierry Noir are under the Bash Street sign. He became a legend for painting on the Berlin Wall almost every day from 1984-1989.

5. DEREHAM STREET & BATEMAN’S ROW

Following the map zigzag your way back to New Inn Yard via French Place (which has an image of a White Rabbit on large black doors).

Mister Trist’s large mural of a man reaching for paper doves adorns the bridge over Dereham Street.

On Bateman’s Row, Luap’s Hope was painted in just 3 days and features a pink bear looking depressed. However, his flowers suggest a glimmer of hope might be around the corner.

6. NEW INN YARD & KING JOHN COURT

New Inn Yard has a tiny little courtyard containing rubbish bins, metal fire escapes, and a whole host of street art. The art rotates quickly, but there are plenty of images all over the walls and an evocative Cartoonneros stencil called Putting Putin in the Bin.

The brutalist building running along New Inn Yard and King John Court is covered top to bottom in one massive mural called Connectivity Matters. Numerous artists contributed to this remarkable endeavour which was completed in 2018.

• Autone Neist has created a crossing of lines in blazing colour topped with a Pride Matters rainbow heart.
• Mr Cenz and Lovepusher have combined to show a woman in deep thought holding a glowing orb seemingly connecting with the future.
• Nomad Clan use the fast-forward and rewind symbols of old cassette decks to show connections through time, and a pigeon carrying a letter for connections across space.
• Best Ever simply portrays human connections through the shaking of hands.
• Oliver Switch and BUSK convey the unbroken line of time from grand old masters to modern street art and graffiti.
• Ed Hick and Zadok, both formerly part of the 54 Crew, have created an eerie forest scene connecting twisted trees and mushrooms.
• Tizer and Captain Kris highlight the links between nature and technology in their image of a robot dancing with a woman.
• Hunto & Mr Thoms have painted a series of intertwined faces in Picasso-esque cubist style.

7. HOLLYWELL LANE & GREAT EASTERN STREET

Two tube carriages covered in graffiti by Sime and Wendy are perched on top of the building that sits on the corner of Hollywell Lane and Great Eastern Street.

The words “Let’s adore and endure each other” are under the carriages on the Great Eastern Street side. Painted by Stephen Powers, it’s one of London’s most famous and loved street art pieces.

There are four advertising boards below that regularly rotate with different street art.

8. BULL IN A CHINA SHOP

Otto Schade usually communicates anti-war themes with his trademark ribbon style. Painting in Shoreditch, he has earned the name Osch over the years.

Just under the bridge opposite Box Park Shoreditch, you’ll find his “Bull in a China Shop,” which he painted on commission from a whisky bar of the same name.

9. BRAITHWAITE STREET

It’s always worth walking up to the railway arches on Braithwaite Street and seeing what’s there. David Speed is an East London-based artist best known for his dramatic purple neon images, often of local personalities.

On our last trip to Shoreditch, a girl with a large afro was replaced by a portrait of a gentleman named Mally, who was looking dapper in a bow tie.

10. EBOR STREET

Ebor Street has some large, long walls, which makes it perfect for big pieces of Shoreditch Street art.

David Speed has had a large portrait on the corner for the last couple of years. It was recently replaced in 2024. You can see both versions in the photos below.

Typography artist Ben Eine’s 45-metre-long multi-coloured mural “I DON’T WANT TO BE LIKE THIS ANYMORE” dominates the other side of the street.

11. REDCHURCH STREET

Redchurch Street has some of the best examples of street art in Shoreditch.

Columbian Vane MG’s bright and neon colours come together in a striking image of a girl with a red face. ALO has two pieces in his usual liminal style.

The walking tour takes a detour onto Chance Street and Whitby Street, but when you return to Redchurch Street you’ll find the stunning “Ukrainian Girl” by Woskerski and a long rectangular piece reminiscent of Roy Lichtenstein.

Unfortunately, the Woskerski has recently been partially covered by graffiti. You can see the images from 2023 versus 2024 below.

12. CHANCE STREET & WHITBY STREET

Go down Chance Street and you’ll find a massive wall packed with street art and a clothesline stretched across the street with shoes dangling from it.

The highlight is the vibrant mural of colourful diagonals by German street artist MadC (Claudia Walde).

Underneath is Yorgos’s large black-and-white image reflecting his focus on human gestures (rather than cognitive justifications) as signs of meanings, emotions, and relations.

At the corner of Chance & Whitby Street is the bold blue and pink artwork called the Dream Factory, reminding you where dreams were made.

Head down Whitby Street and you’ll find Jim Vision’s kaleidoscope of colour in a portrait of a woman, followed by “The Whitby Street Lady.” Painted in 2018 by Jimmy C, an Australian Street artist based in London, it has incredible light and depth with the out-of-focus spheres drawing us towards the lady’s face.

13. BRICK LANE STREET ART (+ THE NEW BANKSY)

Brick Lane is an excellent destination and not just for street art. This multi-cultural melting pot has vintage stores, bagel shops, curry houses, art galleries and record stores.

There’s art on almost every spare space of wall. The Brick Lane graffiti is a fascinating assault on the senses and a highlight of this walk.

The current main attraction is the new Banksy, one of 9 that appeared across London over 9 consecutive days in August 2024. The Brick Lane Banksy is 3 Monkeys swinging across Brick Lane Bridge.

As you follow this walking tour down Brick Lane, the route detours into several side streets.

14. GRIMSBY STREET

Just before you reach the new Banksy on Brick Lane, you’ll notice we have a detour marked on the map to Grimsby Street.

Two entwined elephants, painted by American artist Cernesto, are high up on the wall. Then there’s an entire wall of images behind which the trains rumble.

The road ends at a bright orange mural called Scream. It was painted by Stik, a former homeless man who began painting to feel less invisible.

15. ALLEN GARDENS & PEDLEY STREET

Just after the Banksy on Brick Lane, the next detour turns left onto Pedley Street.

On your right is “High 5”, a collaboration between Jim Vision and Fanakapan painted in 2019. Jim contributed the explosion of colours around the woman, Fanakapan added the helium balloon, a trademark of his work.

Continue into Allen Gardens, where you’ll find a mix of street art and graffiti all around the park. It can often be busy here with artists painting over old works or touching up their own.

Once you’ve explored, head back via Buxton Street to Brick Lane.

16. HANBURY STREET

Hanbury Street has some of the best street art in Shoreditch and it’s worth turning left off Brick Lane and wandering all the way down the street.

Look out for Belgian artist ROA’s black and white crane high up on a large brick wall. Next to it is an upside-down breakdancing Coldstream Guard painted by Argentinian Martin Ron. Both have been here for over 10 years.

A little further up the street is another work by WRDSMTH.

At the junction with Spital Street a large wall used to hold a wonderful mural of pink mushrooms by Woskerski.

This has now been replaced (2024) by a collaboration between Jimmy and Taqi Spateen, a Palestinian artist. Jimmy has painted the beautiful landscape, and Taqi added the walls and watchtowers, which are familiar to his life.

17. PRINCELET STREET

At the junction of Princelet Street and Brick Lane is a simple yet striking image painted by Stik on red shutter doors.

It features two stick figures holding hands, one in black wearing a burka and one in white. It celebrates London’s diversity and the bridging of cultures. Pointedly it’s only a few doors down from the Brick Lane Mosque.

Next to it is another work by Taqi Spateen featuring an angel in Ukrainian colours, standing on the shoulders of a soldier.

18. SEVEN STARS YARD

Seven Stars Yard looked a bit messy when we last visited. The wall of the yard used to be covered in art, but a large metal shed now covers half of it. Nevertheless, there’s been some intriguing pieces here over the years.

On our last visit, there was a piece by British-American artist Tizer, known for his blend of graffiti and character-based street art.

High up on the wall was ‘FAN’ spelt out in Fanakapan’s signature helium balloons.

19. HENEAGE STREET

We’re big fans of Fanakapan’s hyper-realistic helium balloon 3D graffiti-inspired murals and our favourite lurks just off Heneage Street.

The mural features the 3D character Carl Fredricksen, the 78-year-old balloon salesman from the Pixar movie ‘UP’, holding the strings to balloons that spell out the words ‘UP YOURS’

It’s a magnificent piece of street art in a yard adjacent to the 5th Base Gallery. Although it can be a bit tricky to find, we have marked its location clearly on the Shoreditch Street Art map above.

20. FASHION STREET

The final stop on our Shoreditch Street art walking tour is Fashion Street.

First up is a portrait of café owner Danni with her grandfather Joe when she was three years old. Painted by Jimmy C in his usual pointillist/drip style in 2016, “Joe’s Kid” recalls the work of post-impressionist painters.

Further down the street is a portrait of a girl in vivid swirling colours by Mr Cenz, which he updated in 2024. There’s also a mix of graffiti and street art around the door of Mission E1.

FINISH AT SPITALFIELDS

Fashion Street is the end of the street art walk.

The nearest tube station is Aldwych East, but it’s much more interesting to head home via Liverpool Street Station, stopping off at Spitalfields Market on the way. Have a stroll through the market or grab a bite at one of the food stalls.

From Spitalfields, it’s a short walk along the atmospheric Artillery Passage to Liverpool Street Station, the end of our DIY walking tour. It’s also close to our self-guided walk through the City of London.

If you enjoyed the tour or have any suggestions, please leave a comment in the comment section at the bottom of this post.

If you’d rather join a tour than our self-guided walk, check out this well-rated Shoreditch Street Art tour.

MORE GUIDES TO PLAN YOUR LONDON TRIP

• To get an idea of what you might like to do, read our guide to the best things to do in London.
• Our London Itinerary helps you plan 3 or 4 amazing days in the city.
• Find your perfect accommodation with our Where To Stay in London guide which includes a review of the best areas.
• A great neighbourhood to explore is Notting Hill – this guide covers the highlights.
• For a completely different area, take our Shoreditch Street Art walk.
• Read our Hackney neighbourhood guide for all the best things to do in this East London area.
• Our guide to accommodation in Soho includes our hotel recommendations and things to do.
• Get out and about with our top walks in London – each with a detailed map.