GLOW Eindhoven 2026: explore the city together after dark
by 
Babylon Radio
Listen nowA familiar street can feel completely different when its buildings become part of a light show. From 7 to 14 November, GLOW gives Eindhoven residents and visitors eight evenings to explore the city together, with installations across the centre and neighbouring towns.
The 2026 theme is Connect. Artists, schools and local communities have helped shape a programme built around encounters between people, technology and the places they share. For anyone new to the Netherlands, it offers a simple invitation: meet a friend, choose part of the route and see where the lights take you.
What to look out for
At Catharinakerk, Fable Light turns children’s stories into a shadow play. Artist Hugo Vrijdag’s project involves 15,000 children across the region. Their handmade spiral lanterns help bring the stories into the church, connecting a large public event with the creativity of local classrooms.
At the Hooghuis, Antoine Goldschmidt’s Triple Point uses a curtain of mist and light to transform the building’s 55-metre-high façade. Rather than treating the city as a backdrop, the work makes its architecture part of the experience.
Another community project, MACHINA by BOBOLITO&Co, brings together portraits and voices submitted by participants. The organiser’s current project page places it at Het College. The submission period has ended, but visitors can still discover the completed installation during the festival.
Plan an evening around the route
The main Eindhoven route is around five kilometres. Its light artworks run from 18:30 to 23:00 each evening. The public route is free and does not require a ticket, so you can choose a few stops rather than treating the whole circuit as a checklist.
There are also GLOW routes in Best, Oirschot, Helmond, Veldhoven and Lieshout. These run from 18:30 to 22:00. That gives residents outside Eindhoven another way to join in closer to home.
Use the organiser’s route map to plan your start and finish. Parts of Eindhoven’s centre will close to traffic during the festival, so check the city’s travel guidance before leaving. If you come by train, plan the return journey as well as the outward trip.
The stadium experience needs a separate ticket
The Breathing Collective, a drone and light work by TWOFIFTYK at Philips Stadion, is separate from the free public route. The organiser lists tickets at €2 plus transaction costs, booked online for a fixed time slot. Check the current booking page for availability.
Strong wind or heavy rain may affect the stadium show. Tickets can be moved to another available slot under the organiser’s conditions, but are not refundable, including after cancellation. The organiser also warns that the work uses flashing lights.
You do not need the stadium experience to enjoy GLOW. An evening on the public route is a chance to look up, pause together and discover a different side of the city.
Photo: Faces | Connecting people, ASML & Community by Onda Studio, at GLOW 2025. Bart van Overbeeke, supplied through GLOW’s press image collection.