What to know about IMMERSE 2026, the three-day interactive arts festival in downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando’s arts footprint expands across 10 blocks
IMMERSE 2026 is scheduled for Feb. 20–22, 2026, turning the downtown core into a multi-venue arts environment built around live performance, interactive installations and pop-up creative encounters. The public-facing portion of the festival is concentrated on 10 city blocks, with activity centered along Orange Avenue between Central Boulevard and Anderson Street and extending to nearby streets and plazas.
Festival hours are listed as 5–11 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 20) and Saturday (Feb. 21). Sunday programming (Feb. 22) shifts to daytime, with a fireworks event scheduled for 1 p.m. at Lake Eola.
Free public access remains central, with select ticketed experiences
IMMERSE is designed as an open, street-level festival with most programming free and accessible to the public. At the same time, organizers have continued a model that includes ticketed components for certain “elevated” or capacity-limited experiences. The festival’s ticketing materials indicate that timed-entry options apply to some attractions, reflecting crowd-management needs and venue constraints.
Architects of Air returns with “Arborialis” ahead of the main weekend
One of the most prominent ticketed features is the return of Architects of Air, an arts group known for large-scale walk-through inflatable environments. For IMMERSE 2026, the installation is identified as “Arborialis,” staged at the Frontyard/Seneff Arts Plaza area outside the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
The installation’s public run spans Feb. 5–22, 2026, overlapping with—but also preceding—the core festival weekend. Event listings show multiple timed-entry dates in early and mid-February, positioning the attraction as an extended pre-festival draw rather than a single-weekend-only feature.
Street closures begin Feb. 18 as Orlando prepares for a high-traffic weekend
Drivers and downtown visitors should plan for phased road closures starting Wednesday, Feb. 18. Initial closures begin on Orange Avenue (South Street to Anderson Street), with additional closures on Thursday, Feb. 19, expanding to Orange Avenue from Central Boulevard to South Street.
The festival weekend also coincides with other major downtown events, which city event updates have flagged as likely to increase traffic and parking demand. Visitors should expect changing access patterns for vehicles, rideshare drop-offs and pedestrian movement as staging and safety perimeters are set.
How the festival selects artists and what to expect in programming
Organizers describe IMMERSE as a curated mix of disciplines, including performing arts (music, dance, theatre and spoken word), interactive installations, media arts and visual arts. The artist-application materials indicate that stipends may be offered for selected projects depending on scope and available funds. Programming is structured to encourage movement between sites, with multiple performances and installations operating across the footprint rather than a single central venue.
Dates: Feb. 20–22, 2026 (core weekend); Architects of Air installation Feb. 5–22
Main hours: Fri/Sat 5–11 p.m.; Sunday includes 1 p.m. fireworks at Lake Eola
Location: Downtown Orlando core, including Orange Avenue corridor and Dr. Phillips Center area
Plan for timed tickets where required, arrive early for peak evening hours, and anticipate road closures beginning Feb. 18.