Andy Dice Davis, founder of the award-winning Cheltenham Paint Festival, has announced that this year's festival is postponed until 2026, due to the recent closure of North Place car park.
The 300-space car park closed, with just a week's notice, on Friday 21 February 2025 and was one of the town's largest open-air parking sites, with convenient access to the Brewery Quarter and High Street.
Earmarked for the construction of 147 homes, North Place was a key venue of the annual and much-loved Paint Festival, which attracts world-renowned street artists from around the globe.
The car park housed the majority of the festival's large-scale artwork and formed part of its free, five-mile arts trail around Cheltenham.
Headline artists travel from far and wide to showcase their talent at the event, with past artists including Belgian muralist, Jolien De Waele; Mexican-based French mural artist, Margay Art; and local artist WolfSkullJack, whose work has been commissioned by megawatt rockers such as Metallica and The Smashing Pumpkins.
Andy, posting on his Facebook page, said he's now focusing on finding a venue for 2026.
He said: 'Very sad to see the boards at North Place car park coming down today. This spot has been crucial to the festival's success; it's seen so many wonderful pieces over the years and holds some great memories for myself and the team.
'It's a huge loss to the Cheltenham Paint Festival and I'm currently working on something to replace it for future events.
'In part, due to the loss of this amazing spot and with our 10-year anniversary next year, I have decided to concentrate on next year's event and to not hold the festival this year.
'I am intending on going back to our roots and hold a smaller jam though. Keep an eye out on our socials for updates.'
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