Have You Seen Newquay’s Street Art Trail Yet?

Newquay’s Streets Are Being Transformed Into an Open-Air Gallery

Newquay is quietly becoming one of Cornwall’s most surprising cultural destinations, and you might not have noticed yet. A growing collection of large-scale murals, creative installations and newly painted doorways are turning the town centre into a dynamic, open-air gallery that stretches from the train station through to the coast and beyond.

From Walls to Doorways

Over the past couple of years, bold artwork has been appearing across Newquay’s buildings, walls and hidden corners, each piece telling the story of a town evolving well beyond its traditional summer-holiday identity. The ever-expanding Newquay Street Art Trail (known as MUQY, short for MUrals of NewQuaY) has now been joined by a new doorway project, created and managed by Love Newquay, part of Newquay BID.

More than 20 doorways, alcoves and smaller walls have already been transformed into unique works of art, linking different parts of the town centre together and drawing footfall into local businesses that sit away from the main streets.

Mark Warren, the Love Newquay and Newquay BID Manager, says: “What we’re seeing is a real shift. Newquay town centre itself is becoming an open-air gallery, and unlike traditional galleries, ours is set against the stunning backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean, our beaches, and the iconic landscapes that make this place so special. This is our unique, contemporary, community culture and this in-built creativity is being unleashed all across our physical canvases, and it’s so invigorating to witness. At its heart, our ever-growing Love Newquay Street Art Trail is about more than just exciting art, it’s about sustainability, opportunity, culture, creativity, storytelling and community pride.”

The First Door Sets the Tone

The doorway project was launched with a piece by award-winning Newquay-based artist Diane Griffiths, whose work captures a night-time scene overlooking Towan Beach, located on Bank Street. Diane’s work has been gaining wider attention recently, with one of her pieces selected as the cover artwork for an upcoming album by space rock band Hawkwind.

Diane says: “I paint night paintings of scenes and when I heard about the Love Newquay doorways street art project, I knew it was a great opportunity to be seen in the centre of town. My piece of the House on the Island was quite easy to come up with because it had to be something that was really recognisable to locals and visitors given the location in Bank Street and how close it is to the island and Towan Beach and the harbour there. When I was painting it, I had so many people stop and give amazing comments and encouragement, so it just reminded me what a fantastic community there is here in Newquay town. This project is such a good opportunity for artists to have their work seen by so many more people in such a great way. I just want to thank Newquay BID for organising this brilliant opportunity and also EE for the collaboration and for allowing me to paint on this large gate right next to their store.”

Since that first piece, new doorway artworks have continued to appear across the town, from the Headland Hotel through to Cliff Road.

Explore the Trail

All of the artworks can now be explored via the Love Newquay Street Art Trail map, available on the Love Newquay and Visit Newquay websites, with a printable version coming soon. Each mural along the trail is accompanied by a QR code, providing background on the artist, the inspiration and the story behind each piece.

Vote for Your Favourite

A public vote opens on 22nd April, giving residents and visitors the chance to choose their favourite doorway artwork. Voting runs until 6th May, taking in the early May Bank Holiday weekend. You can cast your vote here.

Mark Warren adds: “With the creation of the street art trail, we’re not just revitalising the physical buildings, the artists are creating and defining Newquay’s unique cultural and contemporary creative identity, telling our stories at the same time. Like many coastal towns, Newquay experiences significant seasonal fluctuations, with visitor numbers swelling dramatically during the summer months. This project is part of our wider, ongoing work to balance that curve, creating consistent reasons to visit, explore and stay throughout the year. We truly believe this is a turning point for Newquay.”