What a bloody amazing spot! Any fan of graffiti, hip hop, or art in general must make a stop here to soak in the absolutely stunning pieces of work. Despite not having a single artistic bone in my body, I've been a lifelong graffiti fan ever since the heyday in the 90s when subways and freeway signs back home in the States were all bombed out. I just happened to stumble upon this magical place as I was exploring the area near where I am staying in Southwark. I originally noticed it through a gated fence, and assumed it was some abandoned, desolate spot that artists have taken over. Little did I know that upon further inspection, Leake Street Arches (Tunnel) is simply massive, and extends as far as the eye can see with some of the most stunning artwork you will ever come across, and it is all perfectly legal! It totally reminds me of one of my favorite spot back in the day, the eternal, legendary 5 Pointz in Long Island City, New York (check my profile photo)! That place will forever have a special place in my heart, and thankfully, I have found its heir apparent! This 100% legal wall was made famous by a nameless world famous artist you may have heard of, and has an agreed upon paint over policy. Every time you visit, you may see something new, and at any given time, you will likely find groups of artists working on their next big piece. Of course being publicly sanctioned, they don't tolerate any tomfoolery, so there is a mutual level of respect amongst the artists. You may also witness rap battles, poetry slams, and dance offs, as if you were in the middle of filming for You Got Served or Beat Street! Built into the tunnel itself is a plethora of bars and restaurants, so you can enjoy the art and entertainment while imbibing on your favorite lager and downing some munchies. Best of all, the environment is mostly family friendly. Graffiti may have a negative reputation amongst some uninformed individuals, but a quick visit down here with little Sally and Billy in tow can change your whole perspective of it. Travel guides will rarely if ever mention Leake Street Arches as a must see attraction, but in my book, it would be a big mistake if you miss out. It is unequivocably the highlight of my stay in London. read more

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A great place to escape the sun. New views everyday. A place to get coffee and maybe souvenirs but it was a nice reprice for our teenagers as we waited for a ur ride out of the city. If you need a cute photo for your London experience this is it read more

Leake Street Tunnel - Tunnel - Local Flavor Near Me

I recently discovered this Street Tunnel in London a couple of blocks away from the Big Ben. I absolutely love art, street art as an expression of creativity, passion and liberty. All I can say is just go, absorb all the wallart captured in this incredible tunnel. I visited during the night. Highly recommended. read more

Leake Street Tunnel - Graffiti wall - Local Flavor Near Me

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What a great surprise to find leake Street Tunnel near my hotel. It is a lively location full of art and people expressing their love for graffiti. There are different spots for entertainment such as bars and location to play board games. read more

Leake Street Tunnel - Local Flavor Near Me

Super dope spot to checkout, but if you're looking for a particular installation, the artists do change out the walls pretty often. If you're lucky like we were, you can probably spot someone working on a piece. After your stroll through, grab a beer or bite to eat in the tunnel or just outside you can find an incredibly lively restaurant with music. read more

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This was my fav place in London. Live graffiti with amazing details, the tunnel has all the city vibes. read more

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I am a big fan of graffiti/ street art! This tunnel is completely covered with artistic expression! Several ways to enter the tunnel. Tunnel near the Waterloo Train Station entrance! read more

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The Leake Street Graffiti Tunnel is such a cool piece of living art right in the heart of Waterloo. When you first approach the tunnel from either side, you might feel a little trepidation because both entrances are a little dark (at night anyway), but once you get into the tunnel, it comes alive! There are hundreds of pieces of amazing graffiti art. And I'm not exaggerating that number, literally hundreds. The many times we walked through the tunnel, we saw pieces take shape from the beginning, artists finishing their pieces, and even pieces being covered over by other artists. And before you say this is vandalism, it is actually the only area of London where graffiti art is legal. Their mission says it is to "celebrate the creativity of urban culture" in London. The tunnel also houses lots of cool eateries (some have their patio or "back door" into the tunnel, with the store front out to the street). There was Mamuska, Draughts, and Passyunk. I think lots of people pass through this tunnel every day (because London is a huge walking city). If you're a local resident, I'm sure you already know how cool the graffiti tunnel is, but if you're a visitor looking for some cool local flavor, definitely checkout the Leake Street Tunnel! The Leake Street Graffiti Tunnel is such a cool piece of living art right in the heart of Waterloo. When you first approach the tunnel from either side, you might feel a little trepidation because both entrances are a little dark (at night anyway), but once you get into the tunnel, it comes alive! There are hundreds of pieces of amazing graffiti art. And I'm not exaggerating that number, literally hundreds. The many times we walked through the tunnel, we saw pieces take shape from the beginning, artists finishing their pieces, and even pieces being covered over by other artists. And before you say this is vandalism, it is actually the only area of London where graffiti art is legal. Their mission says it is to "celebrate the creativity of urban culture" in London. The tunnel also houses lots of cool eateries (some have their patio or "back door" into the tunnel, with the store front out to the street). There was Mamuska, Draughts, and Passyunk. I think lots of people pass through this tunnel every day (because London is a huge walking city). If you're a local resident, I'm sure you already know how cool the graffiti tunnel is, but if you're a visitor looking for some cool local flavor, definitely checkout the Leake Street Tunnel! read more

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As a fan of street art, this tunnel was amazing! It's such a fun spot to stop, take photos, and admire the vibrant artwork. Definitely a must-visit for tourists looking for a unique and colorful experience in the city. read more

Leake Street Tunnel - Local Flavor Near Me

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This may be my favorite stop of the trip! I love street art, and when you walk down the steps to this tunnel, you're instantly immersed into the world of graffiti art. And as it appears the walls are ever changing, it can be marked on your list as one to return back to from trip to trip, to see what pieces have since been completed and which of your favorites may no longer be present. read more

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It's an amazing experience. Everyone should go anytime you're anywhere near London you will enjoy viewing all the creativity that goes into this place you can either walk through sit and just enjoy and watch sometimes you'll see your artist there I thoroughly enjoyed it. read more

Leake Street Tunnel - Local Flavor Near Me

Checked this spot out on the way to the London Eye. There's a lot of cool graffiti art. Based on the reviews I read the graffiti art changes over time. read more

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I stumbled upon this tunnel when I was walking back to the plaza hotel from the Westminster bridge. It's nothing I'd go out of my way to see compared to all the other sightseeing in the city, but since it was right in the area it was worth checking out. Looking at the past pictures here on yelp it's clear the graffiti art changes over time. The tunnel is probably about a 5 minutes walk in total. The tunnel also has a few back entrances to a few restaurants in that area. Easiest way to find the entrance is to head over to the Brew Dog off Leaks St and York Rd. The tunnel is just to the right of Brew Dog. read more

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We were in town & came across an event at one of the little clubs here which is how we came across this tunnel. Not sure what else can be said about this? It's cool to look at there's a lot of cool graffiti / art depends how u want to look at it. The club was fun & since it was Halloween weekend it was a fun costume party. If u are near by or in the area not bad to stop by & check it out. read more

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As a street art connoisseur and documentarian going back 20+ years I can appreciate the works in this tunnel and there were several people doing spraying but because it's all authorized I found it pretty uninspiring and milk toast graffiti. I'd say if you are going or coming from the Waterloo Underground or Rail Station and have an extra minute then check it out as it's right there. But, I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to hunt it down. read more

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This place is incredible and worthy of exploring after you get off the train at Waterloo. Most tourists coming to the area are probably interested in the sites across the river, as this is located just over Westminster Bridge from Big Ben and Parliament, but for those that venture off the path, the payoff is incredible. Check it out: https://youtu.be/fyEUN3uHxu4 read more

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Cool place to visit if you're in the area and check out the local street art. Our flat was nearby and we stumbled upon this tunnel our first night in London on our way to see the London Eye. You can easily access the tunnel from Lower Marsh. We walked through this tunnel several times day and night and never felt unsafe. We watched several artists painting over old art and repainting during our stay. My kids thought it was very cool to watch. read more

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An explosion of color and artwork. It's pretty cool and a quick walk on the way to the London Eye.

Super cool little tunnel that didn't feel as sketchy as I thought it would. The place is literally in a construction zone, but people routinely walk through it to get from one area to another. There're graffiti and murals and throw ups pretty much everywhere. One guy has some stuff in there that seems to advertise his graphics or something-or-other business, which I didn't like very much. On the non-construction opening of the tunnel, there were a bunch of food stalls (on a Thursday around lunchtime) that seemed to be there because there were a fair amount of construction workers and business people around the area. Food looked pretty good. Lots of choices. Cool little place to check out if you have some time. It's not a very large place, so maybe 10- 25min, depending? read more

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An eclectic collection of artistic expression, this tunnel is condensed with graffiti that were improved and modified over the years. Amazing to walk through and comprehend what happens when art is allowed to flow freely. I've seen mural corridors and street art lanes in the US but this takes the cake. If you're in the area around the London Eye (this is right around the corner by the Marriott in a slightly hidden alleyway), and want something other than usual "touristy" spots, this is a definite must. We were lucky to see several artists adding their own spray arts on multiple walls, and we asked if we can help. We got to try our hands with several spray paint cans as graffiti painter and had fun doing it (and legally too :-) read more

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If you haven't been go. Great place to see graffiti art. I was lucky enough to be able to watch a few artists as they worked. This is definitely a place to visit if you're a fan of street art read more

Hidden under the arches of waterloo station, are the not so easy to find Leake Road tunnels. This is a disused, closed off road which used to connect the A3200 to Station Approach Road. Most people know this road because of the graffiti art that is there. It's used by many artists for practice so you'll see some beautiful pieces down there. However most are covered over quickly and what's there today will be tagged or covered over the next. It's a unique corner of London and one of the places that makes me appreciate the city. There is a uniqueness and creativity that wandering out to the London eye and Aquarium, you just wouldn't expect to be around the corner. You never know what to expect, I've seen fire performances, people shooting videos and fashion shoots down there, and there is always something that seems to be happening at the Vaults. However it's also used by a lot by teenagers now for meeting and drinking these days, and it doesn't feel the safest of areas. However I've not heard of any incidents. The paint fumes and litter can be off putting, but worth it if you're into seeing some really creative pieces and feeling the true grit of the city. read more

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Last week my girlfriend and I were amongst a lucky few to get hold of premier tickets to Banksy's new film 'Exit Through The Gift Shop' which is out in cinemas today. Although we had seen a snippet of a trailer for the film we didn't quite know what to expect, particularly as the screening was in a tunnel underneath Waterloo station in London. My plans always end up congregating on the same day so we had to rush from the Absolut Vodka screening of "I'm Here" by Spike Jonze to Waterloo station. From here we had no idea where we were heading but followed the smell of spray paint to Leake Street Tunnel. Leake Street tunnel is a scary place as it's secluded and covered from floor to ceiling in amazing graffiti and street art. It's the kind of place where you should expect to get mugged (of course I didn't because I'm rock hard) but it's also the kind of place to see amazing art work. So we walked down the tunnel, past graffers painting outlines and street artists lining up stencils, until we got to a small door with a bad mother fucker standing outside. He mumbled a few words to us, we mumbled a few back and we went on in. Walking through the door we were greeted with a whole range of Banksy pieces from statues and burning Mona Lisa's to moving hot dogs and ice cream vans. We could walk up close and it didn't have the clinical feel of a gallery... because it wasn't. When the time was right and once we'd bought our drinks and pop corn from the ice cream van we were ushered through a parted velvet curtain into a makeshift cinema by more bad mother fuckers. We took our seats on old leather couches that suitably looked like they'd been pulled from junk yards and the film began. The film itself was great, but judging from the amount I've written so far I guess I was more impressed by the location, atmosphere and general feel of the place. A narrator took us through the documentary with a masked, and voice changed, but still Bristol accented, Banksy adding bits along the way. One of the first things we find out is that this film is not actually about Banksy. This threw me at first and I thought it would be shit. Banksy tells us that a film maker tried to make a documentary about him but seeing as the film maker, Theirry Guetta, was so interesting (and highly bizarre), he turned it round to be a film about the film maker. So we follow round this film maker who is absolutely CRAZY but completely hilarious. It's mostly through point of view shots because Theirry is the one filming it and we learn about his life, his family and his interests. He began to get infatuated with street art from his street artist relative known globally as Space Invader (if you don't know him you might recognise the picture below from Covent Garden, London). As he filmed more and more of Space Invader doing his work he started to meet more and more influential street artists and gradually became obsessed with Banksy. He saw Banksy as unattainable and impossible to document but eventually they were brought into contact with each other and became friends. That is, until a new self acclaimed street artist called Mr Brain Wash came along and ruined it all. You'll have to go watch the film to find out more, which you can do today as it has been released in a whole load of cinemas. I've written a blog post on this with pictures etc here: http://is.gd/9HW3u read more

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Again where else in London town are you going to find a unique underground spaces runs off York Road and under the platforms of Waterloo bridge stations. This amazing walk way is celebrates with street art that covered from floor to ceiling in graffiti and that is dedicated to graffiti. Leake street tunnel is a place where street art is tolerated and even encouraged and artwork changes regularly you never see the same artwork twice, you can get a chance to see artists in action and a prefect place to live paintings and It's a great spot to practise your street photography skills. As I walking through dancing and fashion shoots were happen there, is exquisite blend of fashion and expressive street art you either love or hate if place... for me I love. read more

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This is a really interesting London hidden gem, tucked away under Waterloo Station. The pedestrianised tunnel is a legal graffiti area so pretty much every surface is covered with graffiti and street art, ranging from local taggers to enormous pieces by internationally renowned artists. It is a fascinating sight, there are so many amazing pieces to admire and there were several artists at work while we were down there. I was a little concerned about safety down there beforehand but there was nothing to worry about when we visited on a Saturday afternoon. Well worth a visit if you are in the area. read more

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Eye-opening and totally unlike anything else you'll see in London. Terrific fun--if you can find it. It's a gritty location, but not at all a dangerous one (or at least that was my perception). There were a lot of people milling around, looking at the art and the artists working. In some ways, the best part is the opportunity to discover how these expressive murals get produced. (Answer: with a lot of spray cans, very little self-consciousness, and minimal respect for the artwork that preceded yours.) You will get lost trying to find the entrance. Both times we visited, it took a while, even though we technically knew what we were doing. See Richard D.'s directions below, and/or budget enough time and patience to screw up. read more

So glad we went to check out Leake Street Tunnel. We went around 11pm and it had lots of lights. So don't be afraid to go. Also there is a bar/Museum that had just closed but looked super cool. Highly recommend. read more

Leake Street Tunnel - Local Flavor Near Me

Hey there, I'm currently working on the pre-production of a short documentary about The Tunnel and we're looking for a few people who would be interested on appearing on it. We're looking for a variety of people so it doesn't matter if you're based in London or not. In fact we're really looking to have a few people coming from abroad on the film, as long as you're planing to be in the city during shooting time between the 1st and 18th of august. If this sounds like something you would like to be part or you want top know more about thew project send an email to this address: luis.yyz@gmail.com read more

Well worth a visit. It's less than 5 minutes walk from the London Eye. Walk east from the Eye through the plaza. Cross Belvedere Road and continue east along Chicheley Street, which ends a block later at York Street. Cross York Street, jog to the right 20 m then turn left and walk east into the tunnel. Bring a tripod for your camera if you want to take photos. read more

AMAZING! A MUST SEE! Culture-filled and authentic London. Too awesome for details! You! Must! Go!