GLOW 2026: How to Enjoy Eindhoven's Light Festival

Every year in November, Eindhoven lives up to its nickname, the City of Light. For one week, GLOW turns the city centre into an open-air gallery of light art, with installations on squares, in parks, against churches and in unexpected corners of the city. In 2026 GLOW runs from Saturday 7 to Saturday 14 November, and the theme is CONNECT: encounters, collaboration and connection.

GLOW is free, open every evening and needs no ticket. That also means it can get very busy. Here is how to make the most of it.

The basics

• Dates: Saturday 7 to Saturday 14 November 2026, every evening.
• Times: 18:30 to 23:00 in Eindhoven. The regional locations in Best, Oirschot, Veldhoven, Lieshout and Helmond are open from 18:30 to 22:00.
• Route: a walking route of about five kilometres through the city centre, with around 30 light artworks.
• Price: free. Only the new drone show at the Philips Stadion requires a ticket (see below).

There is no official starting point: you can join the route anywhere. This year it passes, among other places, the 18 Septemberplein, the Victoriapark, the Emmasingel, the Stadhuisplein, the Catharinakerk, the Smalle Haven and the Markt. An interactive map is published online before the festival, and you can buy a printed map for €2 at the information points along the route.

New this year: a drone show at the Philips Stadion

For the first time, GLOW brings a drone show to Eindhoven. The Breathing Collective, by the Eindhoven studio TWOFIFTYK, combines drones, light and sound in the Philips Stadion, the home of PSV. It is also GLOW's first return to the stadium since 2019.

The show lasts about fifteen minutes and is performed four times every evening, at 18:30, 19:15, 20:00 and 20:45. Tickets cost €2 per person plus transaction fees, and children up to and including three years old go free on a parent's lap. Capacity is limited, so book early. Note that the show uses flashing lights and is not suitable for people with photosensitive epilepsy.

When to go

GLOW attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, and the busiest moments are the weekend evenings, especially the first Saturday. If you can, go on a weekday evening, and start either right at 18:30 or later in the evening. The route takes about two hours at a relaxed pace, longer if you stop to watch the bigger installations.

Our tip: start at the quieter end of the route and walk against the main flow of people. And combine GLOW with dinner, but book a table in advance; restaurants in the centre fill up fast during festival week.

Getting there

Driving into the centre during GLOW is not a good idea. Several streets are closed to traffic in the evening, and a number of city-centre car parks can't be entered during festival hours. Instead:

• Train. Eindhoven Centraal and Eindhoven Strijp-S are both close to the route.
• Bus. Regional buses arrive at Eindhoven Centraal. You can pay with your bank card, credit card or phone (OVpay).
• Bike. There are bike parking facilities at the 18 Septemberplein, the Heuvel, Eindhoven Centraal (north side) and the Genneper Parken.
• Car. If you must drive, use one of the pre-bookable parking locations on the edge of the centre, such as the Evoluon, from where buses run into the city.

With children

GLOW is wonderful with children, and it is mostly outdoors, so dress warmly. This year's programme includes Fabellicht by Hugo Vrijdag, a light project at the Catharinakerk and in the region in which children's stories and fantasies come to life. The whole route is wheelchair-accessible, which also makes it easy with a pushchair. Accessible toilets are available along the route. For more family ideas, see Eindhoven with kids.

More light in November

GLOW isn't the only reason to visit the city centre in November. During the GLOW evenings, the Muziekgebouw Eindhoven opens its free exhibition Wall Stories from 18:30 to 23:00 (except on 11 November), and its prize-winning mural by Studio Giftig gets a new dimension in light and sound.

Good to know

• Photosensitivity. GLOW uses flashing lights and fast colour changes. People with photosensitive epilepsy are advised not to visit.
• Accessibility. The route is fully wheelchair-accessible.
• No ticket needed. Except for the drone show, you can simply walk in.
• Weather. GLOW goes ahead in the rain. A raincoat is more practical than an umbrella in the crowds.

GLOW is one of those events that makes you understand why people fall for Eindhoven. Want to see everything else on in November? Have a look at the calendar for November 2026, or the free events in the city.