Bien Urbain

Bien Urbain: contemporary art conquering Besançon's public space

The Bien Urbain festival is an initiative of the Juste Ici association, founded in 2011, which promotes art in and with public space. Each edition invites about fifteen French and international artists to take over the streets, squares, and facades of Besançon city centre to create original works, specifically designed for the locations that host them.

A long-standing event

Organised since 2011, Bien Urbain has established itself as one of the highlights of Besançon's cultural season. The festival generally takes place at the beginning of summer, in June, and displays its creations over a week to ten days.

Varied and accessible works

The creations offered during the festival are highly diverse:

• Murals and monumental paintings
• Sculptures and three-dimensional installations
• Multimedia and digital works
• Ephemeral performances and in situ interventions
• Illustrations and graphic creations

A lasting impact on the city

Since its creation, Bien Urbain has enabled the realisation of over 422 works by 162 artists and collectives from 25 different countries. These creations, whether permanent or ephemeral, contribute to the transformation of Besançon's urban landscape and the democratisation of contemporary art.

Activities for all audiences

Beyond the artistic creations, the festival offers a rich programme of activities accessible to all: guided tours of the works with the artists, bike rides to discover the artistic interventions, participatory workshops, and meetings with the creators. La Petite Boucle, a family bike ride starting from La Rodia, allows visitors to discover the locations invested by the artists in a fun and friendly way.

International reach

The Bien Urbain festival has established itself as one of the major urban art events in France. Recognised by cultural institutions and professionals in the field, it attracts internationally renowned artists from France (Marseille, Rennes, Paris, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté) and abroad (England, Sweden, Italy, Spain, and many other countries). The Chuglu collective from Marseille, winner of the ADAGP 2024 Urban Art Revelation award, was notably in residence during the 2025 edition.