illumine II: Immersive Light Experience Atlanta
- Immersive light installations and interactive art experiences with DJs and visual artists. - Runs Apr 23–26 across Atlanta with evening shows and walk-through exhibits. - Full event listing and details: festivalguidesandreviews.com
Atlanta’s illumine event opens Thursday, April 23, for four nights of after-dark art and light installations at Oakland Cemetery. (oaklandcemetery.com) The 2026 run goes from Thursday, April 23, through Sunday, April 26, with admission starting at 7:30 p.m. and the event ending at 11 p.m. each night. Historic Oakland Foundation says tickets will also be sold at the gate. (oaklandcemetery.com) The event is staged inside Atlanta’s historic Oakland Cemetery and is presented by Historic Oakland Foundation with artist curation from Atlanta gallery and studio Cat Eye Creative. The foundation says the grounds will include live entertainment, multiple bars, and an Oakland pop-up shop alongside the installations. (oaklandcemetery.com) This year is the 19th edition of illumine, and the 2026 program spans two weekends, from April 16–19 and April 23–26. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported this week that the event is again partnered with the High Museum of Art. (ajc.com) Historic Oakland Foundation says the 2026 artist list includes Vanna Black, Marcia R. Cohen, Jordan Graves, Christina Kwan, The Neon Company, Eddie Farr, VAYNE, Fabian Williams, and Daniel Phelps on the MAP Rover provided by Downtown Atlanta, Inc. The site also lists work by photographer Ralph Eugene Meatyard, presented in partnership with the High Museum of Art. (oaklandcemetery.com) The foundation says this year’s ticketing adds Premium Tickets, Artist Spotlight Tours, and Pick Your Price Nights. It describes illumine as a fundraiser that supports preservation, restoration, and upkeep at the cemetery. (oaklandcemetery.com) Oakland’s artist preview says the exhibition turns the 175-year-old cemetery into a temporary outdoor gallery, with light-centered and interactive works spread across the grounds. Rough Draft Atlanta reported that the installations are set against views of the downtown skyline. (oaklandcemetery.com, roughdraftatlanta.com) Festival Guides and Reviews lists illumine II: Immersive Light Experience Atlanta in its 2026 Georgia festival guide, placing the event on a statewide calendar as Atlanta heads into a busy spring festival stretch. For this weekend, though, the main details are simple: gates open after sunset and the art stays on until 11 p.m. (festivalguidesandreviews.com, oaklandcemetery.com)
