Annual Street Art Festival takes place in its 20th iteration in Ibug. - Street Art Festival Ibug celebrates its 20th installment this year.
The 20th edition of the Street Art Festival Ibug, a celebrated temporary gallery for urban art, is taking place from August 22 to September 7, 2025, in Chemnitz—the European Capital of Culture 2025. This year, the festival moves to a former hospital site known as Krankenhaus Stadtpark, transforming the industrial and hospital space into a dynamic urban art venue.
The name "ibug" stands for Industrie-Brachen-Um-Gestaltung, meaning industrial wasteland redevelopment. The site was once home to Presto-Werke and later Auto-Union AG's headquarters, before being converted to a hospital post-WWII. After closing in 1997, the site has remained vacant, making it an ideal location for urban art renewal.
The festival draws international participants, making it one of Europe’s most significant urban art events. In 2025, about 70 artists from 25 countries are involved. The artwork spans graffiti, murals, and installations, reflecting the fusion of urban art with Saxony’s industrial legacy.
The Street Art Festival Ibug began in Meerane, Zwickau district, and has since been hosted in various cities, including Glauchau, Zwickau, Floha, Chemnitz, Leipzig, and most recently in Riesa. The festival was initiated by graffiti artist Tasso, who, along with fellow artists, tackles a derelict industrial site each year for the festival.
Over the years, the Street Art Festival Ibug has transformed from a well-kept secret to an institution in Saxony. Today, it is a permanent fixture in Saxony’s cultural landscape, enhancing the region’s reputation for urban and contemporary art. It plays an important role in Chemnitz’s 2025 European Capital of Culture program, alongside other initiatives like the PURPLE PATH art and sculpture trail.
During the festival, visitors can expect a spectrum of art including large-scale murals, paste-ups, illustrations, installations, and multimedia projects. The event, which started about a week ago, will open to visitors over three weekends starting August 22.
In addition to the art, the festival also includes music, performances, workshops, and family-friendly activities, further broadening its cultural impact during Chemnitz’s Capital of Culture year. Through the Street Art Festival Ibug, former industrial heritage sites are creatively revitalized, promoting cultural tourism, supporting artistic innovation, and fostering community engagement in Saxony’s transformation as a hub of modern urban art and culture.
References: [1] Street Art Festival Ibug. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.stra-festival.de/ [2] European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.chemnitz2025.de/ [3] Purple Path. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.purplepath.de/ [4] Chemnitz 2025. (2021, October 28). Retrieved from https://www.chemnitz2025.de/de/presse/pressemitteilungen/detail/anmeldeergebnisse-fuer-die-street-art-festival-ibug-2025-laesst-die-erwartungen-erfrieren/
Community policy should address the sustainable redevelopment of the Krankenhaus Stadtpark site, post-Street Art Festival Ibug, to ensure its future as a community space for vocational training programs in home-and-garden techniques, thereby promoting a vocationally skilled lifestyle in accordance with the festival's mission of fostering creative revitalization.
The Street Art Festival Ibug's wide array of interactive workshops, including illustration and multimedia projects, serves as a platform for home-and-garden enthusiasts to learn and exchange ideas, potentially leading to the formation of local lifestyle-focused communities.
