McCartney Times

The day many people have been dreading has arrived: John Lennon has left the building.

Not the real John Lennon, of course, but the jaw-dropping mural of him which has been proudly displayed on the side of the Tobacco Factory for the past year.

Brazilian graffiti artist Kobra applied the finishing touches to his stunning artwork – which would later be mistaken for Harry Potter – on the final day of last year’s Upfest. But now, with the festival set to return later this month, the time has come for the wall to be wiped cleaned so that a new artist can bring the Bedminster building to life.

Upfest will return to the streets of south Bristol from July 28-30.

Organisers have not yet revealed who or what will replace the legendary singer, but there is a very strong chance it could be a Simpsons character as it was announced earlier this year that Matt Groening’s lovable cartoon creations will be featuring heavily at the festival to tie in with its 10th anniversary.

Three Upfest artists have been selected by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening to bring The Simpsons to life in their own unique styles.

They include Bao, who was born and remains based in Hong Kong. Bao is known for her freestyle work with vibrant murals and illustrations. Another of the artists is Soker, a wildstyle writer and one of Bristol’s finest talents who has been putting his mark on the city since the late 80s.

The third is Nomad Clan, the collective of Cbloxx and AYLO and one of the most sought-after duos in the international global street art scene.

Upfest organiser Stephen Hayles said: “We understand that a lot of people will be sad to see John Lennon go. Kobra’s work has proved to be one of the most popular pieces over the ten years of Upfest.

“That being said one of the key elements of Upfest is the ever changing art and the fact there is always something new and different to look forward to.

Source: John Lennon has left the building: Incredible Upfest portrait is removed from Tobacco Factory – Bristol Live