Christmas Day 2024 saw the latest Wallace and Gromit feature film from Aardman hit our screens – ‘Vengeance Most Fowl’.
And many a Bristolian and Brit alike couldn’t wait to see what the famous duo got up to in this instalment, as well as the unfolding drama at the hands (or wings) of their nemesis Feathers McGraw, who made his return on December 25.
There was also the introduction of a brand new character, Norbot the ‘Smart Gnome’ – the latest of Wallace’s inventions. If you loved the film as much as we did, then you’ll want to mark your calendars in 2025, as a huge Wallace & Gromit event is taking place next summer.
Gromit Unleashed 3, the third instalment of the iconic Wallace and Gromit sculpture trail, returns to the streets of Bristol next summer with the first few sculptures exclusively revealed back in November – you can peek at them here. The upcoming trail will hit the streets of Bristol on June 30, 2025.
The Grand Appeal will be revealing more designs closer to the trail launch next summer. Gromiteers (a term coined in 2013 for visitors to the trail) can expect an array of designs including famous names, fable and story characters, movies and more.
Previous sculpture trails have featured designs from the likes of Disney Pixar, Lego, Joanna Lumley, Sir Quentin Blake, Dreamworks, and Jools Holland. Nicola Masters, co-founder and director of The Grand Appeal, said: “Aardman and Bristol go together like cheese and crackers, and we are ready to embrace Bristol’s pioneering, innovative, and creative spirit and Gromit’s inventiveness to develop Gromit Unleashed and deliver our next sculpture trail.
“We have lots of surprises in store for 2025 – this trail will bring the glamour of the silver screen as well as the magic of tales, fables and stories to the streets of Bristol. Since announcing the return of Gromit Unleashed last year, we have already received incredible support from businesses, artists, partners, and locations.
“For anyone wanting to be involved, now is the time to get in touch if you haven’t already. Our partnership with Bristol Children’s Hospital goes back many many years, and in that time, we have seen the hospital grow and innovate to help save more lives and to pioneer new treatments for sick children from Bristol and across the region, something we are immensely proud to be a part of.”
The evolution of Gromit Unleashed
Since 2013, Gromit Unleashed has generated more than £20 million for The Grand Appeal, the Bristol Children’s Hospitalcharity. What started as a one-off sculpture trail a decade ago has evolved into an iconic and much-loved brand, spanning collectable giftware, a major online and in-store retail outlet, and multiple trails, exhibitions, events, auctions and activities worldwide.
The original trail of Bristol’s most popular pup all the way back in the summer of 2013 attracted 1.2 million visitors and raised £2.3 million at auction alone. It took the city by storm back then, but event trail organisers at The Grand Appeal had no idea just how much of a phenomenon it would become.
Following its enormous initial success, Gromit Unleashed went global with a trip to Hong Kong. The Grand Appeal teamed up with Aardman to create 70 new spectacular sculptures in a first outside the UK. Then came Shaun in the City in 2015 in Bristol and London, then Gromit Unleashed 2 took Bristol by storm in 2018.
Businesses and organisations looking to get involved and sponsor a sculpture are invited to get in touch and find out more by visitingthe official web page, here.