Banksy

Nakita Devi, a breath therapist at Limitless Living, has explained why she loves Bristol so much in the week that the city was named one of Lonely Planet’s places to visit in 2026

A resident of a UK city newly tipped as one of the best in the world to visit loves it, but would make one change if she could.

This week Bristol was included in Lonely Planet’s best places to visit list for 2026. This comes a few short months after it was named as one of Time Out’s best places in the world.

High praise indeed. And praise which Nakita Devi, a breath therapist at Limitless Living, feels is well deserved. She told The Mirror why she loves Bristol so much and what brought her back to the city.

“There’s a real blend here of history, culture, community, and events. The level of innovation and creativity almost feels tangible. I also love feeling a general sense of togetherness and trust that exists here – perhaps rare for a city,” she explained.

“I’ve lived in various other places and countries over the years, but Bristol is home because there are many people here committed to making life better for everyone; whether that’s through art and music, politics and education, social justice and inclusion, or family festivals and sober spaces. It really feels incredibly diverse, with something for everyone, more than anywhere else I’ve been.”

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When it comes to her recommendations for the best places to eat, drink and visit in Bristol, the 37-year-old was teeming with ideas.

“There are so many! Stokes Croft and Gloucester Road have a whole host of independent cafés, restaurants, and bakeries. King Street is also one of my favourites for bars and pubs with its history and cobbled stones. For dinner, personally I love Indian so Rock Salt and Nutmeg are two of my top recommendations,” the born-and-raised Bristolian said.

“I love the many open green spaces that are so accessible! Brandon Hill, Ashton Court, Blaise Castle, and Leigh Woods are just a few of my favourites for a wander any time of the year.”

However, as with all places, Bristol is not perfect (although some in the city might argue it is.)

Nakita has one small note for Bristol. “It can sometimes feel quite intense. I particularly notice it when I return after being away. There’s an aliveness or electricity here that can feel overwhelming at times. Additionally, with such a constant range of events to choose from, it’s easy to want to do it all instead of prioritising rest,” she said.

Nakita shared her views on the city in the week that Bristol was named as a must-visit destination for 2026 by Lonely Planet, thanks to its vibrant street art scene. The city is the only one in the UK to feature on the travel guide’s worldwide Best In Travel list for next year.

“Bristol’s street art scene makes for a fantastic inclusion in Best in Travel, Lonely Planet’s annual celebration of essential journeys and experiences for the coming year,” said Tom Hall, vice president of Lonely Planet.

“We’re delighted to shine a light on one of the UK’s most exciting cities, showcasing the talents of local artists. Exploring the colourful, creative murals dotted around the city is the perfect first step in getting to the heart of Bristol.”

The city reportedly boasts over 250 street artworks at various locations. ‘Our Common Ground’, a large new piece covering part of the Centre, was revealed in September, although it received a somewhat mixed response.

Banksy, perhaps the world’s most famous street artist and a native of Bristol, contributes significantly to the city’s reputation. Kathryn Davis, Chief Executive of tourism body Visit West, expressed her delight that Bristol had made it into Lonely Planet’s 2026 edition, highlighting the significant financial contribution the local arts scene brings to the city and wider region, reports Bristol Live.

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“Our ever-evolving outdoor gallery draws thousands of visitors from around the world each year, contributing millions of pounds to the local visitor economy,” she stated.

“Visitors not only stay in hotels and join tours, but they also contribute significantly to the visitor economy at large… Crucially, this impact extends beyond the city centre, helping to drive economic benefits across the wider city.”

According to Visit West, tourism is worth £2.6bn to the combined economy of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset. Around 45,000 people work in the ‘visitor economy’ of the region.

“We are thrilled that Lonely Planet has named Bristol in its Best in Travel 2026 for our city’s street art,” Ms Davis added. “We look forward to welcoming many more visitors this next year and beyond, to discover the humorous, playful, political and subversive street art in and around the city.”

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A new mural by elusive street artist Banksy has appeared on the side of the Royal Courts of Justice building in central London.

It depicts a judge in a traditional wig and black robe hitting a protester lying on the ground, with blood splattering their placard.

While the mural does not reference a particular cause or incident, its appearance comes two days after almost 900 people were arrested at a London protest against the ban on Palestine Action.

The artwork was quickly covered up by large sheets of plastic and metal barriers. Court officials told the BBC the work would be removed.

The Metropolitan police said it had received a report of criminal damage and that enquiries would continue.

A spokesperson for HM Courts and Tribunals said that the Royal Courts of Justice was a listed building and that it was “obliged to maintain its original character”.

The spot Banksy chose was on an external wall of the Queen’s Building, part of the Royal Courts of Justice complex, on the usually quiet Carey Street. On Monday it was busy with onlookers taking pictures of the recently hidden patch of wall.

One of two security officers outside the building said they did not know how much longer they would be required to stand guard, adding, “At least it’s not raining.”

The Bristol-based street artist shared a photo of the wall art on Instagram, which is Banksy’s usual method of claiming a work as authentic. The artist captioned the picture: “Royal Courts Of Justice. London.”

Labour peer Baroness Harriet Harman said she believed the work was a “protest about the law” without specifying which legislation she meant.

“Parliament makes the law, and the judges simply interpret the law,” she added. “I don’t think there’s any evidence, in terms of the right to protest, that judges have been clamping down on protests beyond what Parliament intended.”

Banksy’s stencilled graffiti is often critical of government policy, war and capitalism.

Last summer, the artist began an animal-themed campaign in the capital of nine works, which concluded with a gorilla appearing to lift up a shutter on the entrance to London Zoo.

Other notable works included piranhas swimming on a police sentry box in the City of London, and a howling wolf on a satellite dish, which was taken off the roof of a shop in Peckham, south London, less than an hour after it was unveiled.

Banksy has in the past also been known for his work in the West Bank.

In December 2019 he created a “modified Nativity” at a hotel in Bethlehem which showed Jesus’ manger in front of Israel’s separation barrier, which appeared to have been pierced by a blast, creating the shape of a star.

Israel says the barrier is needed to prevent infiltrations from the West Bank but Palestinians say it is a tool to grab land.

LONDON — A new mural by elusive street artist Banksy showing a judge beating an unarmed protester with a gavel has appeared outside a London court.

The mural depicts a protester lying on the ground holding a blood-splattered placard while a judge in a traditional wig and black gown beats him with a gavel. Banksy posted a photo of the work Monday on Instagram, his usual method of claiming a work as authentic. It was captioned “Royal Courts Of Justice. London.”

While the artwork does not refer to a particular cause or incident, activists saw it as a reference to the U.K. government’s ban on the group Palestine Action. On Saturday almost 900 people were arrested at a London protest challenging the ban.

Defend Our Juries, the group that organized the protest, said in a statement that the mural “powerfully depicts the brutality unleashed” by the government ban. “When the law is used as a tool to crush civil liberties, it does not extinguish dissent, it strengthens it,” the statement said.

Security officials outside the courthouse covered the mural Monday with sheets of black plastic and two metal barriers, and it was being guarded by two officers and a CCTV camera.

Banksy began his career spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England, and has become one of the world’s best-known artists. His paintings and installations sell for millions of dollars at auction and have drawn thieves and vandals.

Banksy’s work often comments on political issues, with many of his pieces criticizing government policy on migration and war.

At the Glastonbury Festival last year, an inflatable raft holding dummies of migrants in life jackets was unveiled during a band’s headline set. Banksy appeared to claim the stunt, which was thought to symbolize small boat crossings of migrants in the Channel, in a post on Instagram.

The artist has also taken his message on migration to Europe.

In 2019, “The Migrant Child,” depicting a shipwrecked child holding a pink smoke bomb and wearing a life jacket, was unveiled in Venice. A year prior, a number of works including one near a former center for migrants that depicted a child spray-painting wallpaper over a swastika were discovered in Paris.

Banksy has also created numerous artworks in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over the years, including one depicting a girl conducting a body search on an Israeli soldier, another showing a dove wearing a flak jacket, and a masked protester hurling a bouquet of flowers. He also designed the “Walled Off Hotel” guesthouse in Bethlehem, which closed in October 2023.

Last summer, Banksy captured London’s attention with an animal-themed collection, which concluded with a mural of a gorilla appearing to hold up the entrance gate to London Zoo.

For nine days straight Banksy-created creatures — from a mountain goat perched on a building buttress to piranhas circling a police guard post to a rhinoceros mounting a car — showed up in unlikely locations around the city.

Doye writes for the Associated Press.

June 1 (UPI) — The famed anonymous street artist Banksy has claimed credit for new graffiti that is believed to offer a rare moment of introspection and vulnerability by the artist.

The new graffiti was claimed by Banksy on his Instagram account last week and depicts a painted black lighthouse with white beams of light extending horizontally from it as well as the stenciled white text. “I want to be what you saw in me.”

The street artist used a real metal bollard in the foreground as part of the artwork. The bollard’s shadow is cast onto the wall, aligned with the base of the painted lighthouse, creating a sort-of three-dimensional effect.

While Banksy’s true identity remains unconfirmed, he is widely believed to be a white British male from Bristol, active since the early 1990s, possibly a man named Robin Gunningham. His work has often been political and aimed at critiquing societal power structures and politics, as well as commenting on consumerism and the concept of surveillance.

With his access, the artist has been able to make his galvanizing work even in war-torn Ukraine and in Gaza.

But Banksy has faced a slew of recent criticism suggesting that his work is starting to lose its edge.

For example, a Sky News article last year questioned if the public was falling out of love with Banksy after the lukewarm reception of his recent animal-themed murals in London.

“While Banksy’s messages have always been anti-capitalist, many of his works have brazenly succumbed to the very workings of capitalism. So it is difficult to know what exactly the artist’s intentions are,” Lala Singian wrote in an article published by Asia News Network after a recent museum exhibition of his work.

The presence of Banksy’s graffiti can also pose challenges for property owners: a mural in London last year was defaced quickly after it went up, the building housing his big Brexit mural was demolished, and another on a farmhouse was accidentally demolished, and plans to renovate a mural located on Venice’s Grand Canal faced backlash from artists.

Because the artist rarely discusses his work, it can be hard to ascertain his true intentions with the most recent work. In an op-ed, Hyperallergic criticized the work as a “beacon of nope” and called it a “bit jarring” to see him refer to himself in first-person and self-conscious.

“But even with all of that,” journalist Rhea Nayyar wrote for the online art magazine, “the work comes across as overly sentimental for something so … empty? So obvious?”