GLOW Eindhoven 2026: Light Art Festival

Every November, Eindhoven lives up to its nickname, the City of Light. From Saturday 7 to Saturday 14 November 2026, GLOW turns the city centre into a free walking route of light art, with around 30 installations on squares, in parks, against buildings and in unexpected corners of the city.

What is GLOW?

GLOW is an international light art festival that has been held in Eindhoven since 2006. Artists, designers and students from the Netherlands and abroad use the city as their canvas, with projections, light sculptures, interactive installations and performances. Founding partners are Signify (the former Philips Lighting) and the Municipality of Eindhoven, a fitting combination in a city built on light bulbs. The festival attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

The theme of 2026 is CONNECT: encounters, collaboration and connection. It is also the first edition under the artistic leadership of the new festival director, Philip Ross.

The route

The route is about five kilometres long and runs through the city centre, past places such as the 18 Septemberplein, the Victoriapark, the Emmasingel, the Stadhuisplein, the Catharinakerk, the Smalle Haven and the Markt. There is no official starting point: you can join the route anywhere. An interactive map with all the artworks is published online before the festival, and a printed map costs €2 at the information points along the route.

Some highlights announced for this year:

• Macchina by Tom and Lien Dekyvere on the 18 Septemberplein.
• A large installation by Nohlab on the Stadhuisplein.
• Fabellicht by Hugo Vrijdag at the Catharinakerk, a light project in which children's stories and fantasies come to life.
• GLOW Dance Collective by Jolie Smets and Robin van Soelen, selected from more than forty entries to GLOW's first Talent Call.
• The Breathing Collective, the first drone show of GLOW, at the Philips Stadion (ticket required).

GLOW also has locations in the region: Best, Oirschot, Veldhoven, Lieshout and Helmond.

Opening hours and price

• Dates: every evening from Saturday 7 to Saturday 14 November 2026.
• Eindhoven: 18:30 to 23:00.
• Regional locations: 18:30 to 22:00.
• Price: free, no ticket needed. Only the drone show at the Philips Stadion requires a ticket (€2).

Tips for your visit

• Go on a weekday evening. Weekends, especially the first Saturday, are the busiest. A weekday evening is more relaxed.
• Plan about two hours for the full route at a relaxed pace.
• Book dinner in advance. Restaurants in the centre fill up during festival week.
• Dress warmly. GLOW is outdoors and goes ahead in the rain. A raincoat works better than an umbrella in the crowds.
• Photosensitive epilepsy: the festival uses flashing lights and fast colour changes. GLOW advises people with photosensitive epilepsy not to visit.

Getting there

Driving into the centre is strongly discouraged. Several city-centre streets are closed to traffic from 18:00 to midnight, and a number of car parks in the centre cannot be entered from 18:30. Instead:

• Train: Eindhoven Centraal and Eindhoven Strijp-S are both close to the route.
• Bus: pay with your bank card, credit card or phone (OVpay).
• Bike: bike parking at the 18 Septemberplein, the Heuvel, Eindhoven Centraal (north side) and the Genneper Parken.
• Car: pre-book a parking spot on the edge of the centre, for example at the Evoluon, from where buses run into the city.

Accessibility

The route is fully wheelchair-accessible, which also makes it easy with a pushchair. Accessible toilets are available at several points, such as the Heuvel.

With children

GLOW is one of the best evenings out with children in Eindhoven. Projects such as Fabellicht are made especially for young visitors. Read more in our guide to GLOW 2026, and see everything else in the calendar for November 2026.