CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati night sky is just one week away from a special glow that only comes around once every two years.
BLINK 2026 is set to begin on Thursday, Oct. 8. The art festival combines murals with light shows, art pieces and installations across parts of downtown Cincinnati, Over-The-Rhine and Northern Kentucky.
Thursday morning, elected officials and organizers across the Tri-State gathered to preview all the festivities planned, some of which start well before BLINK's kickoff date.
“We are once again set up for a magical weekend," Mayor Aftab Pureval said.
BLINK's executive director Leslie Mooney told the crowd that dozens of new pieces and features will be on display.
WATCH: Here's what's new for BLINK 2026
“Different light-based installations, projection mapping pieces and activations, new murals all around the city. All the things that you’ve come to love about what BLINK is," Mooney said.
The event also has a massive kickoff event planned for the opening ceremony at TQL Stadium, which is new in 2026.
BLINK has continued its growth as a global event since it's inception back in 2017.
“Practically every continent has been represented," Mooney said.
More than 2 million visitors attended in 2024, and organizers expect similar attendance in 2026, according to Mooney.
“We’re expecting well over 2 million people," Mooney said.
Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reese said there will also be a special musician attending as a special guest.
“Penny Ford, who will be coming in from Germany to experience BLINK and be the VIP guest for the entire weekend," Reese said.
But before BLINK gets going, there will be a full week of local art festivities, with the inaugural Cincinnati Art Week.
"We are opening up 10+ exhibitions, transforming empty storefronts, led by local artists, to turn them into art galleries," said Billy Thomas, one of the founders of the new art week event.
Artists are still working on the finishing touches before Saturday, and details were being raised along windows on Liberty Street.
“I just want a chance to celebrate our creative community and show the world that we truly are an art city. I think we know it and I want the world to know it as well," Thomas said.
For visitors planning their BLINK visit, ArtsWave has an online app that can help connect your experience. You can view BLINK's official map here.
“I cannot wait for us to show the world once again why BLINK is the kind of experience you literally cannot get anywhere but in Cincinnati," Pureval said.
The festival ends on Sunday, Oct. 11.
