Huge Hunger Games mural revealed in the centre of Cardiff
Amelia Jones
A huge Hunger Games mural has appeared in the heart of Cardiff as part of an eye-catching promotional campaign for the franchise’s upcoming film.
The artwork has been unveiled on Westgate Street ahead of the release of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, transforming part of the city centre with a striking piece of fictional Capitol propaganda.
At the centre of the mural stands a Peacekeeper, the heavily armed enforcers of the Capitol, while a huge volcano rises behind them. Bright pink birds can also be seen across the artwork, adding a colourful contrast to the imposing imagery.
The mural carries the message “PEACE IS PRESERVED, NOT PROMISED”, a slogan designed to look as though it has come directly from the Capitol’s propaganda machine.
Cardiff is one of several UK cities to feature the campaign, with murals also appearing in Hackney in London and Edinburgh in Scotland.
The unusual advertising campaign deliberately blurs the line between the fictional world of Panem and the real world, presenting the film as though the Capitol itself is behind the messaging.
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Rather than simply promoting the cast or showing scenes from the movie, the artwork adopts the distinctive style of the regime’s propaganda, with its bold imagery and messages about peace and order.
The pink birds are also a recognisable element from Sunrise on the Reaping, while the Peacekeeper at the centre of the mural gives the artwork an unmistakable connection to the Capitol.
The film is set 24 years before the events of the original The Hunger Games and follows a young Haymitch Abernathy as he is forced to compete in the 50th Hunger Games.
The new film is based on Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel Sunrise on the Reaping and stars Joseph Zada as Haymitch, alongside Whitney Peak, McKenna Grace, Jesse Plemons and Ralph Fiennes.
Talking about the campaign, culture writer and Hunger Games enthusiast, Lewis Powell said: “There’s nothing Hunger Games fans love more than putting our detective hats on, and Lionsgate has really leaned into that with the Sunrise on the Reaping campaign.
“This is the second UK-wide activation we’ve seen lately where instead of just being handed an advert, fans stumble across pieces of Panem in real places, share them online, and work together to find others: effectively creating a huge international scavenger hunt.
“The U.K. component is particularly interesting because they’re hand-painted murals, while many international installations use temporary fabric, paper or digital displays.
“There’s something wonderfully analogue about physically painting Panem propaganda onto a wall, mirroring the book’s idea of painting your own poster.
“The best Hunger Games marketing doesn’t just advertise Panem. It makes you feel like Panem might actually be breaking through into our world. And these murals do exactly that.”
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on November 20, 2026.
You can take a closer look at the mural here.
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