A retaining wall alongside the Banshtitsa River in Kyustendil is being transformed into the country’s longest legal graffiti art wall, according to a report by the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).

"The goal is to attract artists from around the world to leave their creative mark on the city, and to provide young Bulgarians with a space in which to develop artistically," said Emanuela Dyulgerska-Milanova, Head of the Department of Culture and Spiritual Development at Kyustendil Municipality. She added that graffiti is not an act of vandalism: "This is one of the things we want to show to people unfamiliar with this art form."

To celebrate the inauguration of the wall on 21 and 22 June, Kyustendil Municipality is organising a graffiti festival called "Colors of Kyustendil vol.1". Among the featured artists is a world-renowned graffiti artist from Colombia who is touring Europe this summer. The artists will paint together across a 700-square-metre area in a relaxed, open setting, accompanied by a DJ playing live sets to enhance the creative atmosphere.