The Complete Guide to Tel Aviv Street Art

Want to visit a city with style, creativity, and charm at every turn, particularly in its backstreets?  Then head to Tel Aviv, the vibrant modern, and non-stop capital of Israel. And once you’ve finished sunning yourself on sandy white beaches, dancing till dawn in nightclubs, and exploring the amazing food scene, consider hitting the streets to seek out the cool street art scene.

Graffiti on a store entrance in Florentine, Tel Aviv

Whether you’re strolling the picturesque backstreets of Nahalat Binyamin and the Yemenite Quarter, enjoying the Bohemian vibes of Florentin, or getting lost in beautiful Old Jaffa, chances are that you’re going to be stumbling across some street art. And it takes all forms too- from powerful murals with social and political messages to fun and funky pieces guaranteed to make you smile.

Bold, Colorful, and Subversive

Tel Aviv street art and graffiti are constantly changing too, because the city has so many young creative people around. New pieces are constantly appearing on the walls, and they’re less likely to be commissioned than spontaneous, subversive, and even unsanctioned. Moreover, the Tel Aviv Municipality has recently begun hosting artists, who love to ‘take over the streets’ with bold and colorful creations.

Naturally, the artworks can get political

And whilst you can explore the scene yourself, the best way to see and understand it is as part of a Tel Aviv graffiti tour, with a local guide who’ll give you rare glimpses of an Israel many tourists never see, along with plenty of social commentary no doubt!

Untold Beauty in Nahalat Binyamin

The pedestrianized street of Nahalat Binyamin, in downtown Tel Aviv, is known for its bi-weekly arts and crafts market and the bustling Carmel Market, which runs parallel. But it’s also got loads of street art on which you can feast your eyes.

A Mural in Nakhlat Binyamin

Artists whose creations you’re likely to stumble across include Imaginary Duck, Know Hope, Michal Rubin, and Adi Sand (and many more besides). Giraffes and flamingos sit side by side with murals of Theodor Herzl (who, long before the creation of the State of Israel, envisaged a country where Jews could be independent) and German women in attire from the 1930s, reminiscent of the decadent cabaret culture that existed before the rise of the Nazis. Look out for the ‘Bubble Woman’, Who’s Your Daddy Now’, and the thought-provoking ‘ In Complete’. 

The "Who's Tour Daddy Now" text, hidden by our PRO guide

And don’t miss Rami Meiri’s beautiful mural of two friends playing the violin and accordion, whilst standing on a balcony, next to flower pots- it says a lot about the heart and soul of this neighborhood.

Sassy Street Art in Florentin

Historically a very working-class neighborhood, Florentin today is arguably the city’s most hipster area, full of small cafes and bars, funky boutiques, and a nightlife scene that will challenge the most hardy party-goer.  

Street art in Florentin

With its Bohemian vibes, and a whiff of ‘underground culture’ to it, if you’ve only got the chance to explore one part of Tel Aviv’s street art scene this should be it.

Heading down the main street of Frenkel and into Abarbanel and the industrial zone, you’re bound to stumble across pieces by Dede, one of Israel’s best-known street artists, and on the scene now for over a decade. He’s known both for his animal creations and simple ‘band-aid’ black and white pieces. 

A mural dedicated to some of the heroes who died in the October 7th mass terror attack

The entire area is full of pieces that scream ‘satire'- lots of political commentary (if you take a tour, your guide will be able to explain the Hebrew words and phrases to you). The artist Dioz has quite a few pieces here- especially the large murals with prominent faces, showing rows of tiny teeth and exposed brain matter!

A soldier rescues a child - an artwork dedicated to the IDF's efforts during the October 7th mass terror attack

Much of the graffiti and street art is also unsigned- so you’ll just have to speculate on what kind of creative mind dreamed up what you’re seeing.

Alice in Wonderland, Musical Greats, and Lady in Fur

The whole area is full of eye-catching graffiti, but there are two you shouldn't miss. The first is ‘Alice in Wonderland’ which is close to Chelouche Street. It’s not at eye level so don’t forget to look up.  In the style of Banksy, it’s painted by artist Jonathan Kis Lev and it’s one of his earlier works - simple but beautiful.  

Close by, he’s also highlighting a few of the musical greats whose lives were tragically cut short courtesy of drug addiction- Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Jim Morrison, etc.) and at the end is a blurred face which some speculate might be his own.

The 27 Club Graffitti in Florentin

And then there’s ‘Lady in Fur’ by Miss K- in Cruella de Ville style, she’s wearing a leopard fur draped around her neck, and her green face, cigarette holder, and tiny purse are all drawn to perfection!  (Nearby, she’s also drawn a ‘wise old owl’ in blue, with two sets of eyes!)

Creative Commentary in Jaffa 

Jaffa’s got an emerging street art scene which can be found mainly around the famous Shuk haPishpeshim- the Jaffa Flea Market- but also in the trendy adjacent Noga neighborhood. Top of the artists here has to be Mr. Bombastic (identity unknown) who’s famous for his ‘Shalom’ and ‘Salaam’ (meaning ‘Peace’ in Hebrew and Arabic respectively) which is as much a commentary on daily life in Jaffa (a ‘mixed’ city, where Jews and Muslims co-exist) as an art statement.

Graffiti in Southern Tel Aviv

You’ll also see plenty of poetry and slogans on the walls, as well as an area close to the Jaffa port where many international artists were brought in (courtesy of a project run by Rachel Meijler, a gallery owner in the city who wanted it to be a way to ‘overcome’ political tensions- here you’ll see a paper airplane flying out of a wall by Viegas (Brazilian) a grey tiger by Sundancer (from South Africa) and blue Indians sailing in a purple sea by Cranio (from Brazil). 

There’s also some great graffiti of Mr. Donald Trump, along with his trademark hair and rosy cheeks, proclaiming ‘Make Jaffa Great Again!’ and some great pieces by Nitzan Mintz (Dede’s art partner) close to the harbor.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

One final thought- it’s important to bear in mind that street art and street graffiti are dynamic and constantly changing. Something you’ll see on a wall one week may well not be there a few days later- it might have been removed, deleted, painted over…

Sure, street art guides and roundups are fine- up to a point- but by the time they’ve been researched and gone to print, the works they’ll point you to may already be redundant!  

Tel Aviv Street Art

This means that taking a street art tour in Tel Aviv is really the best way to go- it’s guaranteed to be a unique experience because you may well be stumbling upon something that’s only gone up the previous day!  

If you’re visiting Israel and looking for things to do and see, check out our wide range of day trips- from the ancient, magical Old City of Jerusalem to the Dead Sea and Masada and from Biblical Nazareth and the Galilee to the Herodian and Crusader ruins of Caesarea and Akko. There’s also some great street art on display in Jerusalem (particularly in the Mahane Yehuda market) and downtown Haifa, the beautiful northern city in Israel that overlooks the Mediterranean and is the gateway to the Galilee.