CANS FESTIVAL - documented by John Byford
Leake Street, Waterloo, London - ENGLAND. 2008 🇬🇧
Leake Street, Waterloo, London - ENGLAND. 2008 🇬🇧
Monkey by Nick Walker, alongside Mr. Brainwash at The Cans Festival, London 2008.
The Cans Festival
In May 2008, a forgotten service tunnel beneath Waterloo Station was transformed into one of the most talked-about street-art events of the decade. The Cans Festival, conceived and orchestrated by the anonymous artist Banksy, turned Leake Street into a living, breathing gallery — and yes, I was there, lucky enough to officially document the project as it unfolded.
Please note: All images of Banksy have been removed to respect the artist’s privacy.
Once an access road used by taxi drivers for Eurostar passengers, Leake Street had slipped into disuse after the terminal moved to King’s Cross. Banksy recognised the raw potential of this dark, overlooked space. With support from Eurostar and the local authorities, he invited artists from across the globe to join him in creating something entirely new.
In the days leading up to the event, Banksy told The Daily Telegraph:
“Graffiti doesn’t always spoil buildings, in fact it’s the only way to improve a lot of them… with a couple of hundred cans of paint I’m hoping we can transform a dark forgotten filth pit into an oasis of beautiful art.”
And transform it they did.
From 3 to 5 May 2008, Leake Street became a riot of colour, creativity and controlled chaos. Street artists arrived armed with spray cans, stencils and rollers, leaving behind an astonishing range of work — from delicate stencil pieces to vast installations, including smashed-up cars, domestic living-room sets and even a tree weighed down with CCTV cameras.
International names such as Vexta, C215, Ben Eine, Blek Le Rat, Nick Walker, Charles Uzzell Edwards (Pure Evil), Mr. Brainwash (Thierry Guetta) and many more joined the takeover. Banksy also opened the festival to emerging talents and the public, encouraging anyone with a stencil to head to the Lower Marsh end, quickly dubbed Stencil Alley, and add their own mark to the tunnel’s rebirth.
The media descended, the crowds followed, and in just one weekend Leake Street was launched onto the world stage as a destination for street art — a title it still holds today.
Top photo: Monkey by Nick Walker, alongside Mr. Brainwash at The Cans Festival, London 2008.
All photographs © John Byford.
Mr. Brainwash features in the new book by John Byford.
Text and images ©John Byford ~ All rights reserved