Striking New Mural Unfolds in Newquay – But What Will It Show?

Fourth MUQY piece taking shape on Gover Lane this week

A bold new mural is being created in Newquay town centre this week, adding to the growing MUQY Street Art Walking Trail that launched in 2024.

Work began on Tuesday 18th March at a prominent location on Gover Lane, with the mural expected to be completed by Saturday 22nd March.

A fourth addition to the trail

This latest piece marks the fourth mural in the MUQY series, a collection of public artworks that form a free walking trail across central Newquay. Each mural is connected by QR codes, allowing visitors to explore and engage with the artwork digitally while walking through the town.

Delivered by Newquay Business Improvement District (BID) and funded by Cornwall Council’s Town Delivery Fund, the new mural continues the trail’s aim to celebrate Newquay’s culture and community.

Local stories told in vivid style

The mural is being painted by large-scale mural artist and designer Josephine Hicks, also known as Hixxy, who is known for her vibrant, surrealist style often described as ‘Left Field Tutti-Fruity’. Hixxy has previously collaborated with brands such as Clarks and Bombay Sapphire.

For this Newquay-based piece, Hixxy gathered inspiration from local archives and stories to shape a mural that reflects the town’s ebb and flow of tourism. The artwork will feature recognisable local figures such as RNLI lifeguards, hospitality workers, dogwalkers and traffic wardens – all depicted in a bright, oversized, playful style.

Mark Warren, Newquay BID Manager, said: “We are often asked when the next mural is coming to town so we are so excited to officially announce and confirm its arrival. The previous murals generated a palpable buzz and we anticipate this will do the same. We don’t want to give too much away, but we can say it will be a striking piece that speaks to the locals, whilst providing a fun and colourful lift to the street. Just like the others, it will be thought provoking with depth and place-specific meaning. We have exciting plans for MUQY, with more sites set to launch in 2025, and we look forward to continuing to build on this legacy.”

Street art across the town centre

The MUQY trail is produced by Slapdash Studio and already includes murals by Kleiner Shames, Elle Koziupa and 45 RPM, all of whom brought their unique styles to Newquay. The concept was originally developed by Dirk Parker and Jack Tierney from Slapdash Studio and first brought to life with funding from Experience Newquay.

Now expanded with support from Cornwall Council’s Town Delivery Fund, the project is set to continue into 2025, with more murals planned for locations across the town.

To find out more about the MUQY Street Art Walking Trail, visit lovenqy.co.uk. To learn more about the artist, visit josephinehicks.com.