BLINK Cincinnati Announces 2026 Return

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Blink Cincinnati 2019 — Source: Jason Koerner / Getty

The nation’s largest light and art show is coming back to light up Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Organizers announced that BLINK will return October 8–11 2026, for its fifth installment.

The biannual BLINK festival, which debuted in 2017, will stretch across Downtown Cincinnati, Over-the-Rhine, Newport and Covington. The 2026 return follows record-setting editions in 2019, 2022 and 2024. In 2022 alone, more than 2 million people attended, generating $126 million in local economic impact and supporting more than 1,600 jobs, according to the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.

This year’s announcement also came with an official call to artists. Creatives from around the world (from muralists, projection mappers, sculptors to light artists and more) are invited to submit their ideas for the 2026 show. Submissions are open through October 8, 2025.

“BLINK has always been about pushing creative boundaries and bringing people together through awe and wonder,” said Leslie Mooney, Executive Director of BLINK. “We’re looking to collaborate with visionaries locally and globally who want to help us tell bold, unexpected and meaningful stories.”

BLINK 2024 featured more than 80 installations, including 37 projection mapping projects and nearly 20 new murals. Organizers expect even higher attendance and greater reach in 2026, as the festival continues to expand and earn recognition.

For more information on BLINK or to submit an artist proposal, visit blinkcincinnati.com.