illumine II — Immersive Light Art Experience

Atlanta’s illumine returns this week, turning Oakland Cemetery into a nighttime art walk with light installations, live music and guided experiences from April 23 to 26. (oaklandcemetery.com) Historic Oakland Foundation says admission begins at 7:30 p.m. each night and the event closes at 11 p.m., with tickets also sold at the gate. The 2026 edition adds Premium Tickets, Artist Spotlight Tours and Pick Your Price Nights. (oaklandcemetery.com) The event is staged at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta and is curated again with Cat Eye Creative, the local gallery and studio that helped shape last year’s production. Discover Atlanta and ARTS ATL both list the four-night run beginning Thursday, April 23. (discoveratlanta.com) (artsatl.org) This year’s artist roster includes Vanna Black, Marcia R. Cohen, Jordan Graves, Christina Kwan, The Neon Company, Eddie Farr, VAYNE and Fabian Williams. A presentation of work by photographer Ralph Eugene Meatyard is included in partnership with the High Museum of Art. (oaklandcemetery.com) Illumine is not a new pop-up. Rough Draft Atlanta reports the exhibition is now in its 19th year, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said this spring’s run is presented in partnership with the High Museum of Art. (roughdraftatlanta.com) (ajc.com) The format mixes a public art show with a preservation fundraiser. Historic Oakland Foundation says ticket sales support its work to preserve, restore and maintain the cemetery, one of Atlanta’s best-known historic sites. (oaklandcemetery.com) Cat Eye Creative said the 2026 version keeps the after-dark walk but layers in interactive experiences and live performance across the grounds. Oakland’s own event page says visitors can also expect multiple bars and an Oakland pop-up shop. (cateye-creative.com) (oaklandcemetery.com) The broader Atlanta festival guides are listing illumine as one of the city’s main late-April arts events, but the official details are narrower than some roundup sites suggest: the current public schedule shows Oakland Cemetery, not multiple neighborhoods, and four nights, not a longer open-ended run. (festivalguidesandreviews.com) (oaklandcemetery.com) For visitors, the pitch is simple: arrive after sunset, walk the historic grounds under large-scale light works, and leave knowing the ticket helped fund the place hosting the show. (oaklandcemetery.com)