The team here at Upfest are buzzing to announce our 2026 Festival Artist, Melo, over the past 18 years the leading role as festival artist has been undertaken by many emerging and established street artists from Cheo, Gemma Compton and My Dog Sighs through to Mister Samo in 2024.
Melo is a Bristol‑based multimedia artist whose murals are instantly recognisable for their bold character design, expressive movement, and joyful sense of play. Her work draws heavily on the cartoons and comics she grew up with, resulting in vivid, character‑driven scenes that feel alive with personality and motion.
Melo explores themes of liveness, musicality, the body, and strength, often blending human forms with imaginative hybrids and bulbous plant life to create dreamlike, energetic worlds. Her practice spans murals, illustration, and collaborative public art, and she continually pushes her visual language through experimentation with scale, proportion, and immersive storytelling.
In Bristol’s public realm, Melo has become a prominent creative force, contributing to major citywide artworks and high‑profile collaborations. Her vibrant mural for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 at Canons Wharf brought colour, character, and celebration to the city’s fan zone, honouring women in sport through a large‑scale live‑painted installation. She has also worked alongside respected Bristol artists such as Jody, Conrico, and AimesWasHere on significant community‑focused pieces, including a 19‑metre mural supporting Big Issue sellers and the BillyChip initiative at the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft. Through these projects, Melo continues to help shape Bristol’s visual identity with work that is bold, generous, and deeply rooted in community spirit.
