La Tapia Fest Expands Its Urban Art Footprint Across Sant Joan and Alicante
In a vibrant surge of color and ecological commentary, a new wave of urban artworks is taking shape on previously empty streets. The festival, known as Tapia Fest, is nearing its fourth edition and continues to celebrate street art with living murals, music, and community engagement. Supported by the Sant Joan Department of Culture, the event this year introduces a series of artistic interventions that enrich the local landscape and invite residents to interact with art in public spaces.
Alicante has joined the roster of festival sites with a notable wall in front of the Colon hostel, a nearly six-meter-long canvas affectionately called Misa Shine. The wall is part of a mix of private donations and municipal walls that host the color and energy of the festival. The weekend brings dance and music into the fold, underscoring how this first mural of Misa blends spontaneous inspiration with the artist’s intent to create an immersive experience that no longer lives only in a studio. The artist describes the work as a conduit through which the universe speaks, a process that blends tattoo artistry, teaching, and portraiture into large-scale painting. The goal is simple: make art accessible, make it social, and make it something viewers can walk away from with a new relationship to their surroundings.
The festival also features a new showcase in Sant Joan, where Sergio Garcia Alvarez, Sergio de Lamo, and Juan Duran, under the collaborative banner of Tapia 13, paint a booth near the Library of Sant Joan. They work with brushes on a dynamic pace that allows observers to witness the development of a mural from start to finish during the Urban Route day. On this day, the completed murals are opened to the public, and artists take the opportunity to demonstrate their methods and talk about the messages embedded in their work.
García Álvarez, who participates with Doble 13, contributes a two-part piece. One half emphasizes an abstract line centered on water, while the other half leans toward an impressionistic portrayal of fire. These elements—life and death in nature—anchor the festival’s recurring themes and invite viewers to reflect on environmental, social, and cultural values. Since 2017, a mural art cooperative has expanded the reach of the project across the province, producing large-scale works in places like Elda, where a 620-meter slope stands as a testament to collective artistry. The organizers assert that such festivals revitalize spaces and spur citizen reflection; the experience is described as enriching, even if it unfolds in a more relaxed, unstructured way that invites conversation and shared interpretation.
A trio of women artists—Air, Laia, and Moses—will claim a 26-meter-long wall along the La Ordana pass, presenting what they describe as pure graffiti. While each artist brings a distinct style and approach, they agree on a shared palette and a common philosophy about color and movement. One Madrid-born participant, now based in Alicante, notes that even when the lettering is basic, the composition communicates energy, joy, and positive momentum. The emphasis remains on large-scale painting that embraces classic graffiti while exploring contemporary sensibilities and a social message that resonates with the viewers.
Tony Cuatrero, a founder of the festival, explains that the organizers strive to balance the mediums and respect the city’s rhythm. Artists are given the space and context for their work, but the team avoids overwhelming the urban fabric with oversized murals. This approach preserves the city’s vitality while ensuring that the murals remain legible and meaningful over time. Past editions have left behind vibrant, enduring installations, and Cuatrero highlights the value of recognizing artists as professional contributors who shape the city’s cultural narrative. Manu Ripoll is slated to document the festival with illustrated reportage, capturing the inception, execution, and reception of La Tapia Fest for broader audiences. (Source: La Tapia Fest organizers).
As the weekend unfolds, a program of supplementary urban art activities takes center stage. Constitution Square hosts a flea market, T-shirt printing, and screen-printing workshops, complemented by concerts featuring Le Grand Wednesday, Los Ibiza, and R de Rumba. At midnight, La Tapia Sonora fills Sala Euterpe with sound, turning the square into a living gallery where art, music, and community mingle until nightfall. (Source: La Tapia Fest organizers).