Frequency 26 – Lincoln's celebration of light, play and discovery returns in February to light up the winter nights

Running daily from 5:30pm–9.30pm, this year’s expanded programme features dazzling light trails, immersive experiences, and playful moments designed to spark joy and curiosity for all ages.

Now in its eighth edition and with a brand new format, Frequency will transform Lincoln’s historic streets, with three nights of light, play and discovery The 2026 festival fuses Frequency’s creativity and community spirit with the magic of Lincoln Lights, creating a city-wide celebration of light, art, and innovation that’s bigger, bolder and brighter than ever.

Expect spectacular illuminated installations, interactive digital works, and sensory experiences that will make your winter nights unforgettable.

Some of the city’s most iconic places will be part of the festival - Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle will be reimagined after dark, while the Cornhill, City Square, High Street and spaces across the city will be buzzing with creative surprises.

Families can meet Lincoln Castle’s resident dragons in an animated show of light, sound and special effects by ITHACA Studio, known for designing the visuals for Coldplay’s ‘Sea of Light’ at Glastonbury festival.

Follow an illuminated walkabout performance on the High Street inspired by the viral CCTV footage of a fox and an otter who unexpectedly befriended each other, with glowing puppet lanterns bringing their story of unlikely friendship to life at both 6:15pm - 7:00pm and 8:00pm - 8.45pm on every evening of the festival.

Learn how to paint with light as imagination and technology combine in open-to-all workshops exploring colour, movement and long-exposure photography.

For older children and adults (16+), award-winning company DARKFIELD presents ARCADE, an immersive ‘choose your own adventure’ experience inspired by the nostalgia of 1980s video games. Visiting Lincoln for the first time, Arcade is a chance to try out a piece from creators at the forefront of technology and theatre, and to challenge your friends to a game in complete darkness.

Trek to the top of Lincoln’s famous Steep Hill and celebrate with an interactive installation that will applaud you for making the climb.

To learn more about Lincoln’s history, visitors of all ages can follow a free, immersive audio-visual trail shining a light on the region’s under-represented voices and Lincolnshire’s significant role during WWII. Launching on 19th February, the trail will takes place across the city and starts at the train station opposite the Barbican Creative Hub.

This is only a taste of Frequency’s colourful programme this year, which also includes an interactive music bar, premiers of new digital artworks and what’s been called the slowest ride on earth. Further information about these events and more can be found on Frequency’s website.