By: NICOLAS FIERRO
Salina Post
The beloved street art & mural festival that occurs each year in Salina has been canceled for the 2026 season.
Boom! Salina is an annual street art and mural festival that started in 2022, will not take place in downtown Salina, according to a Facebook announcement from the Salina Kanvas Project.
The reasoning for the cancellation is due to the ongoing Cozy Inn lawsuit with the City of Salina. According to the Facebook post, the unresolved legal matter involving sign ordinances has caused uncertainty about the ability to proceed in 2026.
Salina Kanvas Project made it clear that the decision is not a criticism of the City or anyone involved, but believes pausing the festival is the best way to protect future opportunities for public art.
They hope to return in 2027 with a clear and dependable path forward.
Boom! Salina brought artists not only from across the nation, but globally to create art throughout the community.
Below is the full statement from the Salina Kanvas Project:
With heavy hearts, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2026 Boom! Street Art & Mural Festival.
An unresolved legal matter involving sign ordinances—one that does not involve Boom!—has created uncertainty around our ability to proceed responsibly this year. The City of Salina has consistently supported Boom! and public art, and this decision is not a criticism of the City, the parties involved, or anyone connected to the festival.
After careful consideration, we believe pausing this year is the best way to protect future opportunities for public art in Salina and avoid unintended complications for our artists, property owners, partners, and community.
We know this news will be deeply disappointing. Artists, sponsors, volunteers, property owners, and supporters have already invested considerable time, creativity, and heart into this year’s festival. We are incredibly grateful to each of them.
Our hope is that Boom! will return in 2027 with a clear and dependable path forward.
Boom! has never simply been about painting walls. It has been about opening minds, broadening perspectives, creating connections, and showing world class art can help transform a community. That purpose remains as important to us as ever.
This is a painful pause, but it is not the end of Boom!.
Thank you for believing in the artists, the festival, and the power of public art in Salina
