You may have seen something magical popping up around Bristol. Unicornfest 2023 is well and truly underway, and the usual colourful streets of Bristol are looking extra bright with the addition of hand-painted unicorn statues displayed across the city.
As part of Bristol’s 650th-anniversary celebrations, Unicornfest is a city-wide art trail that has brought together Bristol businesses, schools, communities, and artists to create something extraordinary for residents and visitors to Bristol whilst raising funds for the charity Leukaemia Care. 60 unicorns can be found dotted around Bristol and the South West, each hand-painted by a local Bristol artist.
This year we’ve joined the Unicornfest celebrations in two ways! Firstly, we’ve got our very own unicorn as part of this spectacular art trail. Our unicorn, named Dance Dance Dance, has been painted by the incredibly talented Zoe Power!
Dance Dance Dance (pictured on left) outside the RWA
Zoe Power is a multi-disciplinary artist known for her bold and energetic style. You’ll find her bright murals up and down the UK and in Bristol she’s been involved in the Gromit Unleashed art trail and Upfest, as well as many other projects.
Zoë's unicorn design was inspired by diversity, self-expression and joy. Covered head-to-toe in a kaleidoscope of dancers living their best life, the unicorn was designed to inspire people to embrace themselves as they are and hopefully add a little bit of magic to their day! You’ll find our unicorn outside the RWA on Clifton Triangle, a fitting spot for a true work of art!
The second way we’ve joined Unicornfest is by being their official 2023 ticketing partner! Yuup is working with Unicornfest to bring a whole programme of magical, creative experiences so that everyone can experience a bit of unicorn magic whilst supporting Leukaemia Care.
From painting workshops with the artists of Unicornfest to the official Uniornfest Unicorn auction, plenty of exciting events surround this year’s Unicornfest celebrations!
But why unicorns? Since the 17th century, these magical creatures have been a symbol of Bristol and they’ve certainly left their mark on the city! You can spot one above the County Hall and also the SS Great Britain.
Unicornfest is a wonderful way to experience Bristol, taking you to spots you may not have visited before! Using the official Unicornfest app, you can track and collect all 60 unicorns across the city. The app is free to download, but you can make a donation to Leukemia Care if you enjoy the app.
You can hunt down Bristol’s colourful unicorns until September.
The art trail will then come to an end with the Unicornfest Farewell Festival from 22nd - 24th September at Propyard. The ‘blessing’ of unicorns will then be in one place, so you can find any unicorns you weren’t able to discover on the trail. After the final farewell the unicorns will make their way to a charity auction where they will be sold to raise funds for the national charity Leukaemia Care.
