The nation’s largest immersive art event, BLINK, lights up the Cincy Region for 4 days every other year. This engaging celebration of art and light is family-friendly, free, and welcomes everyone to bask in its glow.
BLINK is for the people. By the artists.
BLINK is a radically accepting celebration that nurtures community and connection through public art. The 2026 festival features 92 artists from 20 different countries that will create a living, breathing event that you really have to see to believe. Spanning 30+ city blocks through the urban core of Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky, BLINK brings the region to life in unexpected ways.
See familiar murals, buildings, and other landmarks in a new light when they are suddenly animated and aglow. Organized into easily navigated zones, you’ll be able to journey through a zone to explore installations, walk (or take transportation like the streetcar) to and from zones and traverse bridges to move between Covington and Cincinnati to see all that BLINK has to offer.
BLINK
BLINK: Run The Night
Get early access to BLINK when you join Pig Works (the organization behind the Flying Pig Marathon) for 2026 BLINK: Run The Night. On Tuesday, Oct. 6th, join the 2.6 mile, nighttime run though Cincinnati where you will experience BLINK in a way few people will. You will have the opportunity to collaborate on an interactive display along the route, and get a commemorative finisher medal at the finish line. Find all the needed details on this limited event on their website.
BLINK Kickoff Event
New this year is "Ready, Set, BLINK!", an evolution of the traditional parade kick-off. On Thursday, Oct. 8th from 4-9pm the area around TQL Stadium will transform into an immersive block party with live music and activities. There will be interactive installations and opportunities to create your own wearable light art.
Madison Walls
Park of BLINK's purpose is to create "leave behind" art to enhance the region. This is most evident in the Market Walls area in Over-The-Rhine near Findlay Market. New this year is the Madison Walls area in Covington, with almost a dozen new murals. You can also experience a live painting experience on Saturday, October 10th from 9a-2p.
Secret Menus and Deals
The free Artswave App will once again be your source for everything BLINK. In addition to maps available at your fingertips, the ArtsWave App is a comprehensive events calendar to find everything to do before the lights come on. If that wasn't enough, the ArtsWave Pass inside of the ArtsWave App will be FREE to all users during BLINK and the entire month of October. Normally available after a donation of $100/year, the pass gives you access to discount tickets for arts experiences around the region, free and last minute ticket offers, restaurant deals, and for BLINK find hidden menus for restaurants throughout the festival and a special app-user only speakeasy experience! Download the free ArtsWave App today!
A free calendar for the region's arts, entertainment, special savings, and more.
Experience BLINK
BLINK is a pedestrian event where you can walk as much or as little as you would like. Strollers are strongly recommended with little ones, and the organizers request that your pets are left at home. You’ll have 4 nights to explore the installations and enjoy all the experiences BLINK brings. The best way to plan your course through BLINK is to keep it loose. We recommend picking out a zone or two for a night, parking somewhere centrally located to those, and then wandering with the crowd! This is a freeform event, with surprises around every corner. Walk the city at your own pace, and soak in the beauty that is BLINK Cincinnati.
Maps and Zones
The Full Official Map for BLINK 2026 is live! View the zones, see where installations will be, find hospitality zones, and plan your routes. On Thursday night the drone show will be at the Ready.Set.BLINK! Opening Ceremony. Then, it will return to the river Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for twice nightly shows. Otherwise, each night will feature the same shows and art installations, which allows the freedom to pick the nights and zones that work best for you.
New in the Covington Zone this year will be the Entertainment Destination Center, or EDC. The EDC will allow festival goers to walk through the designated area with an open container, served in a specially marked cup, from participating establishments.
Asianati's Night Market returns to the Court St. Plaza this year during BLINK. This beloved experience brings the tastes, sounds, and smells of Asia's night markets to Cincinnati. There will be food vendors, daily performances, shops, games, activities, and more!
More information will also be released about additional hospitality and food truck locations throughout the festival footprint.
Clive the Alien, Covington KY
BLINK Parking and Transportation
An important step in preparing for BLINK is figuring out how you will get there. There will be street closings and crowds impacting traffic flow. Since BLINK is so walkable, plan to park your car and leave it where it is for the night.
The Connector Streetcar in Cincinnati is fare free every day and a great option for navigating to the event.
TANK (Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky) and Cincinnati’s Metro bus services are another great option for getting around during BLINK. The Southbank Shuttle runs a loop through Covington, Cincinnati and Newport.
GEST Carts offer FREE transportation in a limited radius. Bring cash to tip your driver! Uber and Lyft also operate in the Cincy Region.
Now that you are a BLINK expert it's time to start planning your trip. Begin by booking your home base for all your BLINK adventures. Then check out some of our other exciting arts and cultural experiences to see during the day.
