Blink Cincinnati, the nation's largest art, light and projection mapping festival, will once again illuminate downtown Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky in a kaleidoscope of lights and sounds for its fifth iteration.
The festival, which will feature art from over 90 artists worldwide
, is set to take place Oct. 8-11. According to a press release, this year's event features the latest technology and digital art techniques and a record number of women artists.It also plans to kick the festivities off in a new way: with a celebration outside TQL Stadium rather than its traditional opening parade.
Here's everything you should know ahead of Blink Cincinnati 2026.
When is Blink Cincinnati? What time does it start?
Blink takes place 7-11 p.m. Oct. 8-11. A drone show will kick off the festival at TQL Stadium
at 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 8. A Dimensions of Wonder drone show will also take place over the Ohio River Oct. 9-11 at 8 and 10 p.m.
Do I need tickets? Does Blink Cincinnati cost money?
No, Blink is free and open to the public.
Where to park for Blink Cincinnati 2026
Several public and private parking garages and surface lots are open in areas surrounding the event, including the Findlay Market North Garage, Washington Park Garage and Memorial Hall surface lot. Parking garages outside of Blink's footprint will operate at event pricing during the festival.
LAZ Parking also offers reserved parking spaces at select locations, which you can book at blinkcincinnati.com/reserve-parking. Note that if your car is parked past the end of your reservation, you will be charged for additional time.
In Covington, festivalgoers can park in several surrounding garages, such as the River Center Parking Garage, Kenton County Parking Garage, Midtown Parking Garage and City Center/Hotel Covington Parking Garage. Reserved parking is available through ParkWhiz.
However, festival organizers encourage visitors to carpool and use public transportation due to anticipated traffic and limited parking availability.
Metro and TANK offer direct rides to Blink. Metro riders can purchase a discounted Blink pass through the Transit app. Tickets go on sale Oct. 5.
As for TANK, the bus service will also shuttle festivalgoers. TANK is also offering a special Blink Park and Ride service from Northern Kentucky University Oct. 9-10. There will be multiple park-and-ride locations available. Attendees will be dropped off at the Riverfront Transit Center.Here are the Blink Cincinnati park-and-ride locations:
- Metro: From 6 p.m. to midnight each night of Blink.
- Cincinnati State, 3658 Central Parkway, Clifton.
- Crossroads Oakley, 3500 Madison Road.
- TANK: From 6 to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday only.
- Northern Kentucky University, 1 Louie B. Nunn Drive, Highland Heights (Lots K, L and M).
- BCRTA: CincyLink to Blink transit service from 4:30 p.m. to midnight each night.
- Meijer, 3651 Towne Blvd., Middletown.
- Meijer, 7390 Tylersville Road, West Chester.
Park-and-ride return service concludes at midnight. The last trip from NKU to Covington leaves at 9 p.m.
Government Square closes nightly at 6 p.m., and service will relocate to the Riverfront Transit Center until 12:30 a.m. Do not leave vehicles parked overnight at the park-and-ride locations.
Will there be a Blink app?
There is no Blink app this year. Festival organizers encourage visitors to use the map at blinkcincinnati.com instead.
Will there be guided tours?
Yes. This year, Urban Hikers will offer a guided walking tour. There will be five departure hubs throughout the Blink footprint; guests can start their walk where it's most convenient. The hubs correspond to LAZ Parking reserved parking spot locations, with tours leaving every 20 minutes.
Visit urban-hikers.com/blink-walks to reserve your walk. It costs $10 per person.
Is there a Blink Cincinnati map?
Check out the official map for Blink Cincinnati 2026 at blinkcincinnati.com.
Can pedestrians cross the Roebling Bridge?
Attendees can cross back and forth from Cincinnati to Covington using the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, according to the city of Covington's website.
Are pets allowed at Blink Cincinnati 2026?
Blink organizers do not recommend bringing your furry friend due to the large crowd size and the time of the event, per the event's FAQ page. However, trained service animals are welcome to attend with their handlers.
Will there be food vendors at Blink?
Food and beverages are available in multiple locations of the festival, per the Blink website. According to Findlay Market's website, the Findlay Market zone will host an outdoor night market, featuring several local food vendors.
A nightly food market produced by the local Asian food and cultural association, Asianati, is also taking place on Court Street Plaza from 5-11 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 5-10 p.m. on Sunday.
Findlay Night Market vendors:
- Braided (Saturday only).
- Bri's Barket.
- Candy's Nuts.
- Chino's.
- Creative House of Art & Design.
- Don't Fret Guitars (Friday and Saturday only).
- Lotus Street Food.
- Makers Bakers Co.
- Mis Sabores (Saturday and Sunday only).
- Sabor Alaniz (Thursday and Friday only).
- Spanky's Sauces.
- Tilita Peruvian Treats.
- Wendigo Tea Co. (Friday-Sunday only).
Asianati Night Market food vendors:
- Neko Sushi.
- Bridges Nepali Cuisine.
- Mizu Sushi & Sake Lounge.
- Tikka Xpress.
- Tea 'n' Bowl.
- Pho Lang Thang.
- Chino's Street Food.
- Dine-In Hawaiian.
- Nittha Siam Kitchen.
- Boba Cha.
- Chiz's Bakery.
- Emerald.
- Lotus Street Food.
- Little Chef Medy.
- Mahope.
- Symphony Grill.
- S.E.A. Cuisine.
The Asainati Night Market will also feature local artists and makers: Dharp's Creations, MeSseD Comixs and Art by Kyoko.
When is the Blink opening ceremony?
Instead of a parade, this year's festival will kick off its opening ceremony with a block party Oct. 8 from 4-9 p.m., surrounding TQL Stadium in the city's West End neighborhood.
The five-block party marks the evolution of Blink's traditional opening parade into a larger, more immersive opening gathering. The party will feature live music from local DJs, interactive and collaborative art installations, hands-on light art creation stations, community activations and food and beverage vendors throughout the event.
The evening will center around an activated stage built over the steps of TQL Stadium. Then, as the sun sets, the event transitions into Blink's opening ceremony.
At sundown, there will be a collective moment to "turn the lights on," officially launching the 2026 festival, followed by a drone and pyrotechnic show set to illuminate the stadium and the surrounding skyline, a press release reads.
Where to enjoy Blink in Cincinnati Parks
Cincinnati Parks will be hosting multiple installations. Here are the best places to enjoy Blink from Cincinnati Parks:
- Smale Park: East of Roebling, 3 installations.
- Smale Park: West of Roebling, 2 installations.
- Great Lawn in Smale Riverfront Park: View the drone show.
- Great Lawn in Smale Riverfront Park: Hospitality station with food trucks and beer booths.
- Schmidlapp Event Lawn: 1 installation.
- Brady Outdoor Lawn: 3 installations.
- Piatt Park: 2 installations.
- Lytle Park: 4 installations.
- Washington Park: 2 installations.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Blink Cincinnati is back! Everything you need to know before you go
