Banksy has spent years cultivating the image of the outsider. The elusive vandal-philosopher with a spray can, appearing in the night to mock politicians, consumerism, surveillance culture, and the general strange theatre of modern life. Yet here we are in 2026 discussing a Banksy statue that is being photographed politely by tourists while councils hover nearby trying not to look too pleased with themselves. Which, one suspects, is not quite how rebellious street art was supposed to end up.

In this episode of Mark and Pete, we ask the awkward question nobody in the art world seems especially eager to answer plainly: is Banksy still genuinely edgy, or has the establishment effectively adopted him as its favourite “safe rebel”? Because there is something faintly comic about anti-authoritarian artwork being protected by local authorities, insured by institutions, and quietly folded into civic branding exercises. Revolution, but with planning permission.

We dig into the strange transformation of graffiti from criminal nuisance to luxury commodity. Works once painted illegally on brick walls are now removed behind Perspex screens and sold for astonishing sums. Millions, in some cases. Meanwhile, the public still gets to feel faintly subversive while admiring them, which is rather convenient all round.

There’s also the broader cultural issue underneath it all. Modern Britain increasingly likes rebellion provided it arrives curated, marketable, and unlikely to disrupt the café trade. Edginess, but not too edgy. Protest, but tidy enough for Instagram. One begins to wonder whether the system now survives partly by absorbing its critics and turning them into attractions.

Along the way we discuss street art, government funding, cultural branding, authenticity, and why genuine dissent tends to become deeply unfashionable the moment it stops being profitable. Funny old world, really.