Discovering Lisbon’s Vibrant Street Art Scene

With its streets full of iconic hand-painted tiles, Lisbon has been exhibiting art outside for centuries. Beyond the handsome house facades above ground, azulejos (hand-painted tiles) take over the city’s underground network in the shape of abstract paintings and colorful caricatures.

This traditional style of ornamentation is just the start of the outdoor art experience in Lisbon. At street level, artists have transformed entire neighborhoods with giant murals and colorful graffiti. It’s a canvas in constant transition—just when you think you’ve seen it all, a new mural pops up on a disused siding or downtown wall.

The Fine Art of Lisbon Tiles

It was the Moorish rulers of the medieval period who brought a taste for tiles to the Iberian Peninsula, with the first decorations appearing in Andalusia back in the 13th century. On a trip to Seville in 1498, Portuguese King Manuel I fell for the beauty of azulejo tiling and imported the tradition back to Portugal, kickstarting a national ceramic movement.

Initially, tiles adorned churches, palaces, and gardens as a sign of status and wealth. However, after Lisbon was ravaged by the earthquake of 1755, tiles became practical materials for rebuilding Portugal’s rebounding capital. This trend continued for centuries, giving birth to the iconic tiled facades that adorn the city today.

Beyond the endless geometric patterns, some panels stand out for their complex figurative scenes. By Largo do Intendente square, the former Fábrica Viúva Lamego ceramics factory draws visitors with its floral motifs and Asian figures that recall Portugal’s ties with the Far East. Over in Largo Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, tiles are used to create striking Masonic elements.

Perhaps the most ambitious use of azulejos is in the wall panel designed by André Saraiva in Campo de Santa Clara. More than 50,000 tiles make up this huge 21st-century mural, depicting some of the city’s top landmarks in a bold, modernist style.

Find Fine Art Underground in Lisbon

Art has also found its way into the city’s underground stations, with illustrations, quotes, and even stained-glass structures showcased across the Lisbon Metro network. The metro first arrived in Lisbon in 1959, and with it came a rediscovery of the versatility of azulejo tiles. Painter Maria Keil was among the first artists to fill these urban spaces with bright, contemporary designs. Consequently, other artists have transformed the underground into a giant art space.

Every station has a different atmosphere and mood. You can catch some of Keil’s minimalist tile patterns at Restauradores station, alongside designs by abstractionist Nadir Afonso. At the Aeroporto stop near Lisbon airport, you’ll find black-and-white caricatures of Portuguese national icons, while the Oriente stop is full of ocean-themed murals commissioned for Expo 98. It’s also worth stopping at Olaias, where industrial metal columns stand out against bright stained-glass ceilings.

The Best Neighborhoods in Lisbon for Urban Street Art

In Lisbon, street art and history go hand in hand. Moreover, a new generation of graffiti-inspired street artists are making the city their canvas. Neighborhoods such as Alfama and Mouraria serve as outdoor exhibition spaces for fado-themed artworks. A tribute to Severa, the city’s first fado singer, can be seen halfway up the Escadinhas de São Cristovão, while the legendary Amália Rodrigues has her face rendered in a cobblestone wall in Rua de São Tomé.

Around Graça, you can spot references to the Carnation Revolution that removed the Estado Novo regime in murals by artists like Shepard Fairey (the street artist behind the global Obey phenomenon). There are also nods to literary figures, such as the psychedelic illustration of poet Fernando Pessoa by AkaCorleone on Rua Damasceno Monteiro.

Art has also helped reshape many formerly run-down neighborhoods on the outskirts of Lisbon. LX Factory in Alcântara exemplifies the reviving power of art; this former textile plant is now home to creative workshops mingled with striking urban art pieces. Among these is a giant bee made from a mix of paint and recycled trash—an iconic style for local artist Bordalo II, whose work aims to expose the excesses of consumerism.

The industrial neighborhood of Marvila has also become an open-air museum. It’s here you’ll find the work of the Underdogs Gallery, the cultural project behind many of the city’s most ambitious street art collaborations.

Many of the large-scale murals you’ll spot in Marvila emerged during the MURO art festival in 2017. New statement pieces continue to appear, like the basketball court painted by Halfstudio in nearby Chelas in 2020. This vividly colorful work pays homage to neighborhood icon and basketball enthusiast Oliveira Donbell while nodding to Michael Jordan’s legendary team, the Chicago Bulls.

Further out, near Lisbon’s airport, there’s more must-see art in Quinta do Mocho. For years, this district had a troubled reputation tied to drugs and crime. However, in 2014, the O Bairro i O Mundo initiative invited national and international artists to revamp many of the district’s run-down facades, creating a new street art sensation. The artworks reflect the neighborhood’s social and cultural diversity, with portraits of residents alongside famous musicians such as Eminem and Bob Marley.

The Best Street Art Murals in Lisbon (and Where to Find Them)

For art enthusiasts with a limited schedule, here’s a curated list of artworks to track down for a taste of Lisbon’s exuberant creativity:

• Marielle Franco, Panorâmico de Monsanto: This powerful piece by Alexandre Farto (aka Vhils) adorns the wall of an abandoned restaurant at the Panorâmico de Monsanto viewpoint, paying tribute to Brazilian politician Marielle Franco, who was tragically assassinated in 2018.
• Balance, Arroios: An astonishingly colorful revamp of a public basketball court in Campo dos Mártires da Pátria – the work of local artist AkaCorleone.
• Half Fox, Santos: Portuguese artist Bordalo II created this attention-grabbing fox made with repurposed trash, looking over the busy Avenida 24 de Julho.
• Fado Vadio, Mouraria: An irreverent homage to Severa, Lisbon’s first fado icon, can be spotted while descending the Escadinhas de São Cristovão steps.
• Revolutionary Woman, Graça: Shepard Fairey’s propaganda artwork style appears throughout Lisbon, including this depiction of a woman with a flower-topped rifle on Rua Natalia Correia, inspired by the Carnation Revolution.
• Poseidon, Alfama: Valencian duo PichiAvo created this massive representation of Poseidon, watching over the Tejo river near the Santa Apolónia train station.
• Derlon, Alcântara: Influenced by traditional woodcut techniques, Brazilian artist Derlon painted this iconic series of black-and-white characters around LX Factory in 2012.
• Oferenda, Marvila: Following the Ibero-American theme that defined the 2017 MURO art festival, Portuguese illustrator Kruella d’Enfer designed this tropical flower bouquet called “offering” on Rua Alberto José Pessoa.
• Márcio Belém, Graça: “Better to be lost here somewhere than on my way to nowhere” is the thought-provoking name of this 2021 piece on Rua Damasceno Monteiro, depicting a girl on the edge of a pot amid lush flowers and philodendron leaves.

How to Explore Lisbon’s Street Art

Walking offers the best way to discover the city’s colorful tiled panels and street art murals. Exploring Lisbon’s vibrant neighborhoods will provide an enriching experience of the artistic treasures that adorn its walls.

Timing your visit to coincide with the urban art festival MURO in July is advisable. A who’s who of national and international artists arrives every year to creatively revamp a new Lisbon neighborhood. To uncover the background stories of landmark pieces of street art, it’s recommended to participate in guided graffiti workshops and tours.