Vancouver Mural Festival announces shutting down

The popular Vancouver Mural Festival (VMF) announced over the weekend it would be ending after nine years.

In an Instagram post, the festival says it has faced growing financial challenges in recent years as a non-profit organization, and it was no longer viable to continue after attempts to stabilize the organization.

In announcing its closure, VMF also announced the cancellation of this year’s Winter Arts Festival.

The organization formed in 2016 as a grassroots summer festival that eventually evolved into a year-round multi-media art and production agency.

Every year since it’s founding, VMF produced the Vancouver Mural Festival as well as VMF Winter Arts.

The festival was organized as mural tours, where festival-goers would reserve a spot and be guided through different locations throughout the city.

Throughout Vancouver, local artists would display murals showcasing their unique cultural and social backgrounds. In 2024, the tour locations included Mount Pleasant, Downtown, the West End, and the River District.

The festival also hosted a street party at Mount Pleasant. The party featured live music at multiple stages, street vendors, craft beer tasting and artist studios.

Since its founding, VMF artists have created over 400 murals in public arts events across Metro Vancouver.

Andrew Tavukciyan, who began volunteering with VMF in 2016, says it’s regrettable that the city can’t maintain festivals like VMF

“Being involved in the public art side of things was how I met people, how I got jobs — through the festival,” Tavukciyan told 1130 NewsRadio. “Murals are basically a big billboard for yourself, so the less opportunities there are to show yourself in that way is gonna be a detriment to the artists that participate in this type of work.”

The festival, operated by the B.C. non-profit Create Vancouver Society, was an inclusive event designed to showcase work from people across all social backgrounds to showcase the diverse local culture in Vancouver.

“While VMF may be coming to an end, the impact of its murals, festivals, and programs will continue to inspire Vancouver’s cultural landscape for years to come. These works of art stand as a testament to what is possible when creativity, collaboration, and community come together.” The VMF said in its Instagram post Saturday.

Tavukciyan says the biggest loss is the community gained through the festival.

“I didn’t really have any artist friends until the festival. And so I met all the friends that I’ve made and worked with and over the past 9 years was through the festival.”