Newquay opens doors to artistic and cultural creativity with more murals and new street art trail

Newquay is undergoing a vibrant cultural and creative visual transformation, as a growing collection of large-scale murals and creative installations turn the resort’s centre into a dynamic, open-air gallery.

And now a new door painting project, created and managed by Love Newquay, part of Newquay BID, has swiftly seen an intriguing set of 20+ fresh, unique canvases popping up all around the town, with the opportunity for members of the public to get involved and vote for their favourite door artwork.

Over the past couple of years, bold, expressive artwork has been appearing across Newquay, making waves, sparking conversations and social media excitement.  Splashed across walls, buildings and hidden corners, each bespoke piece tells the story of a town that is evolving well beyond its traditional ‘summer holidays’ identity. The ever-expanding Newquay Street Art Trail, including (MUQY – MUrals of NewQuaY) represents a shift in mindset: positioning Newquay as a year-round lifestyle destination driven by creativity, community, wellbeing and culture.

Building on the success of these landmark pieces, Newquay BID has launched a new doorway project, a grassroots initiative designed to celebrate and support the town’s thriving local creative community. Bringing together artists and businesses, this part of the project has immediately transformed everyday doorways, alcoves and smaller walls into unique works of art. With over 20 installations already completed, the door artworks fit with the bigger mural pieces, creating a rich tapestry of creativity. As a result, the street art links together different areas of Newquay’s town centre as an open air gallery, encouraging exploration and discovery beyond the main streets and footfall and custom into local businesses.

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 piece to launch the doorways project, by award-winning artist Diane Griffiths, captures a stunning night-time scene overlooking Towan Beach. Located on Bank Street, it set the tone for what has quickly become an exciting and fast-growing addition to the town’s cultural offering.  From the Headland Hotel through to Cliff Road and everywhere in between, new doorway artworks are continuing to appear, each one adding personality, colour and identity to Newquay’s streets.

Newquay-based Diane Griffiths has also recently seen one of her artworks repurposed for the cover sleeve artwork for ‘space rocker’ band Hawkwind’s upcoming album.  She said, “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.”

Visitors and residents can now experience all of the artworks via the new combined Love Newquay Street Art Trail found on the Love Newquay and Visit Newquay websites and soon to be available in an easy-to-print-off version.  This is an interactive map that stretches from the train station through the town centre and beyond. Each mural is accompanied by a QR code, offering a deeper insight into the artist, the inspiration, and the story behind each piece — creating a fully immersive contemporary cultural experience.

In addition, an interactive public vote will open on 22nd April, inviting people to choose their favourite doorway artwork. The voting period will run until 6th May, capturing visitors over the early May Bank Holiday, a key time for engagement from both locals and visitors.

Mark Warren says, “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.  Newquay is forever evolving. We’re all about families, wellbeing, culture and community and this is all part of us showcasing our everyday creative lifestyle.  With Love Newquay and the BID, we’re building something special right across the town and the calendar.

“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. Through the wonderful work of our local artists, our new Love Newquay Street Art Trail is already increasing footfall throughout the town, throughout the year, supporting Newquay’s predominantly independent and family-run businesses, playing a key role in supporting year-round employment and strengthening the local economy.”