Edinburgh International Mural Festival (EIMF) has revealed plans for its debut showing at this year’s Hidden Door, which will take place at The Paper Factory in Edinburgh’s Maybury Quarter from Wednesday 11– Sunday 15 June.

Declaring a mission to transform ‘Edinburgh into a global hub for street art, driving urban renewal, sparking vital conversations, and boosting the city’s international reputation,’ the Mural Festival will platform artists of all abilities, backgrounds and experiences.  

EIMF founder and director Ross Blair said: ‘We are super excited to be able to launch EIMF alongside our friends at Hidden Door.

‘Hidden Door have been at the grass roots of the arts in Edinburgh for over a decade, establishing meaningful creative networks across the sector. We Hope EIMF can establish itself with the Edinburgh festival landscape over coming years.  

‘Edinburgh International Mural Festival is not just a festival; it’s a year-round programme on a mission to elevate muralism and street art culture. Offering a platform for artists to showcase their talents and inspire the next generation of muralists.  

Join us in celebrating a bold new chapter for mural art in Scotland.’ 

The announcement joins an already packed line-up for this year’s Hidden Door, which has constructed its programme the theme of ‘Building As A Myth’. So far, the festival will consists of a panoply of visual art, experimental dance, live music, spoken word and local food and drink. Highlights on the bill include Tinderbox Orchestra, Isabella Strange, The Orielles, Bee Asha and Theo Bleak.

In a first for a festival which has made its name by reclaiming abandoned spaces for one-off celebrations of the arts, the 15.5-acre site of The Paper Factory is acting as a base for Hidden Door to work with artists on site-specific performance and art, commission new work, and establish workshops and studios. The team kicked off its long-term vision for The Paper Factory with a venue launch party last November. 

‘Since November’s venue launch party,' said Hazel Johnson, festival director of Hidden Door, 'we’ve been busy clearing more of the vast industrial site and getting ready to fill every corner with our most ambitious programme yet. 

‘We exist to support the creative community and to connect audiences with emerging artists, and The Paper Factory will be at the heart of that ambition in 2025.’

Tickets for Hidden Door 2025 are on sale now. 

Hidden Door, The Paper Factory, Edinburgh, Wednesday 11–Sunday 15 June.