Street art tour in Marseille

Street-Art tour in Marseille

From Marseille to New York, it’s only a short step to admire the vitality of local and international street artists! Let’s go for an artistic stroll through the streets of the Phocaean city where graffiti, stencils and mosaics rub shoulders and follow one another.

Published on 24 November 2020

A quick overview

Street art in Marseille really took off in the 1980s, and it became more pronounced in 2013 during the European Capital of Culture year in Marseille. And certain areas of the city have become veritable showcases for street art with the blessing of the local authorities and the biggest gallery owners.

Leading and emerging artists succeed one another in putting their signature on the city’s walls. Marseille, which is regularly among the most Instagrammable cities in Europe, finds its murals on the social networks of professional or occasional bloggers from all over the world. This is becoming a real travel goal, especially for citybreakers, and also a real theme to regularly animate your articles and reports.

The very personal selection that you can find below may no longer exist in part, but other ephemeral works will catch your eye and that of your photo reporters in these neighbourhoods that make a place for urban art.

The Cours Julien

In these pedestrian streets, bars with lively terraces contribute to the very special atmosphere of the place. Shopkeepers have become aware of the power of street art to attract locals and tourists. The “Cours Ju'” has become a must-see with its small shops with colourful fronts and entirely covered walls.

The works to be admired

Metro Notre-Dame du Mont
Street art by Space Invader or copycat
Tilsit Street
Nudem Durak by Mahn Kloix, his latest work on the Kurdish artist
Stairs of the Cours Julien (opposite rue Estelle)
The Mahnkloix anamorphosis
Crudère Street
Le M.U.R. de Juxtapoz/ C215 / Sobr
Vian Street
La Maison Hantée (1st IAM and Massilia Sound System concert)/ Gutan and Mahnkloix’s fresco “Man Versus Wild”/ l’Atelier72/ Joke, Tétal, Sock
Rue des 3 Mages and corner of Rue Pastoret
Mahnkloix “Shaza et Jimena” / Monsieur Chat/ C215

The Panier

Near the Vieux Port, here is one of the most recognised and emblematic artistic districts, although it is also the oldest in Marseille and one of the oldest in Europe! Between its pedestrian and winding streets, street art is everywhere.

The works to be admired

Rue du refuge
The beautiful female portraits of Manyoly (also present in other streets of the district)
Near the Place de Lorette
Alberto Ruce’s “no display” kiss, a very personal favourite!
Montée des Accoules
Eddie Colla’s collages. Collages made in the studio and then enhanced with paint.

La Friche Belle-de-Mai

This former tobacco factory has become a unique experimental space dedicated to artistic creation in all its forms. Studios, performance halls, exhibition spaces, incubators and slide areas flourish at the wasteland.

An unmissable artistic melting pot where street art had its place. When you arrive at the Friche, it is obvious: frescoes, stencils, collages. With a spray can, a brush or a pole, the Friche becomes the playground of graffiti artists from all over the world.

The works to be admired

Cour Jobin
The fresco of the TKO crew, made in 2001, on the occasion of a Hip-Hop event
Terrace of the Grandes Tables
The dancers of the artist Sobr
Roof terrace side
The artist REMED, alias Guillaume Alby, came to make his mark at La Friche. On the occasion of the “Nouvelle Vague” exhibition, dedicated to the influence of street culture in contemporary art, he wrote a letter on the 60-metre wide space available to him.

The seaside

Near the beaches, some works are very visible like the various graffiti of Bobar, Rish or KFC Crew near the famous Marseille bowl skatepark by the sea but other places remain more confidential and combine street-art works and sea view, an ideal duo for your articles!

Marseille has a very lively art scene, both contemporary and street art. Exhibitions, events and festivals are flourishing. Underground culture is more and more represented and the artists want to assert themselves more and more.

The works to be admired

Bain des Dames Beach
JeF’s “blue dragon” made of blue driftwood, stranded on the water’s edge, which is a delight for professional and amateur photographers. Or his laughing Buddha, perhaps since replaced by another multicoloured fresco.
Malmousque cove
The huge wall portrait of André Villas-Boas, the current coach of Olympique de Marseille

Catch them all!

At the beginning of summer 2020, the French artist Invader took over the urban space of Marseille to install his creatures. Having already come twice in the past, this year the artist has achieved a feat by installing more than 80 works in barely two months!

It’s an invasion on Planet Marseille! There are now nearly a hundred mosaics in Marseille, spread out from Goudes to Estaque. The game now is to find all these mosaics hidden in the different districts of Marseille, a real treasure hunt. Marseille is the second largest French city after Paris to have been “colonised” by Invader’s universe.

More experiences to enjoy

in Marseille