SArt Urban Arts Festival 2025: Battambang ignites in a festival rich in colors and creativity
- Partenaire Presse
- 9 hours ago
- 2 min read
From November 3 to 8, 2025, the historic city of Battambang, Cambodia, is preparing to become a true living canvas of colors, rhythms, and artistic expression. The 4th edition of the SArt Urban Arts Festival, organized by Phare Ponleu Selpak and supported by the TUI Care Foundation, this year highlights the theme "Colorful Cultures", celebrating the richness of cultures and the unifying power of art.
This biennial festival is much more than a mere artistic event: it is a vibrant movement that transforms the city into an open and collaborative space for expression. Twelve international and local muralists, selected from over 120 candidates, will participate in a historic competition to inaugurate Cambodia’s first permanent outdoor urban mural gallery. At the same time, sixteen pop-up exhibitions will unfold across various locations, inviting visitors to explore Battambang’s cultural heritage and discover its creative cafés.
Every evening, Street 2 will come alive with the "Art After Dark" festival, offering musical and artistic performances featuring renowned artists such as Kesorr, Sin Setsochhata, Keo Chandalin, and Sam Rocker.
More than sixty culinary stands and art shops will provide festival-goers with a true feast for the senses.
The festival also values youth participation: workshops for creating illuminated floats ("Float Creation Workshops") involve local school students in designing and building the floats that will parade at the grand "Art Parade", showcasing their creativity and community pride. Giant puppets, made in collaboration with the French artists of "Les Grandes Personnes", will interact with traditional Khmer puppets "Ting Mong", in a vibrant cultural exchange.
The final evening promises amplified energy with an EDM concert in the heart of the city, featuring Vanthan, DJ Lor, and other talents, to conclude the festival in an apotheosis.
The SArt Urban Arts Festival is also hosting Cambodia’s first mural competition, bringing together artists from the United States, Spain, Singapore, Timor-Leste, France, and Germany alongside local talents. This emblematic competition aims to provide unique visibility to the emerging artistic scene while beautifying Battambang in a lasting way.
Among the highlights is also the Immersive Tour Culture Arts, a two-hour immersive visit led by Phare students in theater, dance, and music, revealing the city’s political and cultural history. This initiative shows the festival’s desire to establish a deep link between art, community, and heritage.
With graffiti workshops, breakdance, giant puppet creation, and numerous discussions, the festival promotes cultural exchange and active participation from all.
In 2023, the festival attracted more than 7,700 attendees in person, with an online reach of 4 million, confirming its status as a flagship event. Over 27 international artists had then contributed to decorating the city with 21 monumental murals.
Organized by Phare Ponleu Selpak, an art school committed since 1994, and supported by the TUI Care Foundation, this festival strongly contributes to affirming Battambang’s role as a vibrant cultural center in Cambodia while boosting local tourism.
Once again this year, the SArt Urban Arts Festival promises a celebration rich in colors, creativity, and exchanges, bringing together artists, residents, and visitors in an unmatched spirit of sharing and artistic collaboration.