Mladá Boleslav will once again be transformed into an art gallery. The ‘City=Gallery’ festival will bring world art together with the local community.
Press release: At the end of August and beginning of September, the streets of Mladá Boleslav will once again be filled with colour, creative energy and art – art that will not be confined to the walls of galleries, but will be created right before the residents’ eyes.
From 31 August to 6 September 2026, the next edition of the City=Gallery festival will take place. For several years now, this festival has been transforming the face of the city and demonstrating that public space can be an inspiring place for socialising, dialogue and everyday life.
“We want people to see their city through slightly different eyes during the festival week. It’s not just about bringing brilliant artists to Boleslav and leaving high-quality works behind in the city. It’s just as important for us to showcase the entire creative process, bring art directly to the people and give locals the chance to get involved in transforming public spaces. That’s why this year, alongside the murals, we’re also placing great emphasis on community projects and a programme that everyone can truly enjoy,” says Lukáš Kladívko, founder of the City=Gallery project.
The festival is underpinned by a long-standing partnership between the organisers and the Škoda Auto Endowment Fund. “Together with Město=Galerie, we have been bringing inspiration and prominent artists from abroad to Mladá Boleslav for several years now; this year, for example, the curator of the DC Walls festival from Washington will be joining us. At the same time, we are increasingly involving local residents, who this year will work with the artist Toy Box to shape a new artwork in the courtyard on 17 November Street and will subsequently be involved in its creation. It is precisely this connection between high-quality art, public space and the local community that we consider to be an important part of the city’s long-term development,” says Ladislav Kučera, director of the Škoda Auto Endowment Fund.
The City=Gallery festival was brought to Mladá Boleslav by the Škoda Auto Endowment Fund, with the aim of sparking a discussion about the city’s character, engaging the local community in this debate, and bringing inspiration from abroad to the region. Among other things, the festival drew inspiration from international programmes focusing on art in public spaces. ‘City=Gallery’ is therefore intended not merely as a festival centred on façade painting, but as a platform connecting art, technology and the community. In Mladá Boleslav, 26 large-scale murals have already been created through this initiative.
World-class art right on the streets of Mladá Boleslav
This year, too, prominent figures from the international and domestic urban art scenes will be coming to Mladá Boleslav. Among the biggest draws are European graffiti legend Loomit, German muralist Hera, American artist Nico Cathcart, Romanian illustrator Maria Surducan and Czech street artist Toy Box. Throughout the week, visitors will be able to watch large-scale works being created right on the city’s streets, meet the artists and see how ordinary façades are gradually transformed into works of art.
One of the key themes of this year’s festival will be the interplay between world art and local history. Maria Surducan will also be creating works in public spaces. Her work – a comic book dedicated to Karel Zdeněk Líman, a native of Mladá Boleslav and architect to the Romanian royal court – will also be featured in an exhibition at the Municipal Theatre (2–30 September). Líman was responsible for the design of the world-famous Peleș and Pelișor castles, and was involved in the reconstruction of Bran Castle and the Cotroceni Presidential Palace in Bucharest. In Mladá Boleslav itself, his work is represented by Líman’s Villa.
Not just watching, but creating too
However, the festival is not just about admiring finished works. The residents themselves will also have the chance to become part of it.
Czech artist Toy Box has organised the Community Art Project, during which locals will be involved in both the design and creation of a large-scale painting on tarmac in a public space. The community meeting will offer residents the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the artist’s designs, discuss them and influence the final appearance of the artwork with their feedback. They will then also be able to get directly involved in the creation of the artwork. The project will take place in the courtyard on 17. listopadu Street.
PPG will also bring colour to schools
Another partner of this year’s festival is PPG, which is supporting it by supplying materials whilst also participating in projects linked to the festival’s community and educational aspects.
One such project is PPG Colourful Communities at the 6th Primary School and Nursery School on Jilemnického Street in Mladá Boleslav. Under the guidance of muralist Anna Herzig, a large-scale mural will be created on the staircase leading to the school canteen. Volunteers will also be involved in the project, and the finished artwork will become a permanent feature of the school. The Colorful Communities programme combines support, specialist expertise and volunteer work by staff with the aim of transforming schools, community centres and public spaces. In the case of the school in Mladá Boleslav, the project will transform an environment used daily by around 800 pupils and staff.
Skateboarding, graffiti and street art at Betonárka
On Saturday 5 September, the ‘Město=Pohyb’ event will take place at the Betonárka skatepark. It will combine the adrenaline of skateboarding competitions with street art and creative expression. Visitors can look forward to the MB Sk8 Cup 3 race as part of the Czech Skateboarding Cup, a live graffiti exhibition and a street art workshop, where those interested will be able to try their hand at using spray paint under the guidance of experienced instructors.
Tangenta will be transformed into a canvas several hundred metres long
The festival will culminate on Sunday 6 September with the traditional Urban Art Graffiti Jam on Tangenta. Over the course of the day, dozens of artists will gather on a stretch several hundred metres long along one of Mladá Boleslav’s major thoroughfares to create a large-scale graffiti installation together.
Entry to the festival and the accompanying programme is free.
Find out more at https://mestogalerie.cz/mestogalerie-2026-mlada-boleslav/.