Experience the Light You Can Hear
After a successful first edition, the Light Art Festival returns to Trenčín. During two April evenings, the city centre will host nine light installations and a special opening event that connect light with sound. Familiar places will once again transform into unconventional artistic scenes, inviting visitors to experience the city in a different way.
The Light Art Festival shows how culture can enliven public spaces and change the way we perceive places we pass through every day.
During the Light Art Festival, you can also use the Považský kultúrny pas – let it guide you, collect points, and exchange them for rewards.
When and where?
10–11 April 2026
Trenčín city centre
The festival route will lead approximately from the FOR MAAT gallery near the railway station to Hviezda. All stops will be located within the compact city centre, allowing visitors to comfortably explore several locations in a single evening.
Programme highlights
One of the main moments of the festival will be the Friday opening near the ODA building, where a special audiovisual project by Slovak producer FVLCRVM will take place. The show is created specifically for the architecture of the space and will be part of the festival only during the opening event.
The programme will also feature prominent Slovak and international names. Among the anticipated works is Flux, a kinetic light installation by the French collective Collectif Scale, in which light moves to the rhythm of music. The FOR MAAT gallery will host a site-specific installation created in collaboration with the Norwegian Factory Light Festival.
The festival will also present a new installation by Slovak artist Veronika Šmírová. A special guest will be Japanese artist Chida Yasuhiro, known for his delicate work with light fibres, space and architecture.
Children will also find something to enjoy. In M. R. Štefánik Park, there will be an interactive installation Plašidlá by Slovak illustrator Matej Mazák, which visitors will be able to influence with their own voice or sound.
Come and experience the city differently
Light Art Festival is an invitation to discover familiar places in a new way, pause in the rhythm of the city and be guided by light, sound and curiosity. During two April evenings, Trenčín will shine, resonate and feel different from how you know it.
Opening – Friday, April 10
19:00 – 19:45 Warm-up in front of the House of the Army (ODA)
19:45 – 21:00 Opening & audiovisual show by FVLCRVM and Odyssea Studio (site-specific production)
21:00 – 23:00 Collectif Scale (FR) – FLUX
Main programme – Friday, April 10 & Saturday, April 11
19:30 – 23:00 Light installations across various locations
Factory Light Festival (Norway) – FOR MAAT Gallery – site-specific installation in underground industrial spaces
Matej Mazák (SK) – Scarecrows – interactive installation suitable for children, Park of M. R. Štefánik, outdoor
Chida Yasuhiro (JPN) – Analemma, Matúšova Street, outdoor
Lukáš Matejka, Štefan Oliš, Pavol Soukal (SK, Trenčín) – interactive site-specific installation, Mierové Square, outdoor
Tadej Droljc (SI) – Dinner with a Hyperobject, Synagogue, indoor
Ondřej Puchta (CZ) – Artikulón – interactive sound installation, Park M.R.Štefánika, outdoor
Collectif Scale (FR) – FLUX – kinetic light installation, ODA, outdoor (on Friday, launched after the audiovisual show)
Jan Hladil (CZ) – Resonator, ODA – Universal Hall
Veronika Šmírová (SK) – Interference – immersive installation that visitors can enter, KKC Hviezda, Mirror Hall
Accompanying programme – Friday, April 10 & Saturday, April 11:
19:00 Children’s vernissage of Scarecrows by Matej Mazák, Park of M. R. Štefánik
19:00 Guided tour of the installations in collaboration with the Miloš Alexander Bazovský Gallery
(Registration via the form on the website will open on March 26.)
Special light-themed gastro offer available on Friday and Saturday
Curiosity Labs Trenčín 2026
Curiosity Labs in Trenčín
During the Light Art Festival in Trenčín, the popular Curiosity Labs will once again appear, offering a playful and creative experience for visitors of all ages. These interactive spaces invite the public to explore the world of light, colors, and imagination with their own hands.
One of the Curiosity Labs will be located at Mierové Square near the Plague Column. Visitors will be able to try painting with UV colors and create original glowing artworks that come to life under light with a unique atmosphere.
The second lab can be found near the well by the District Office. This space will offer the opportunity to play with light and shadow and create your own shadow theatre performance. Everyone can become the creator of a small light story and prepare an original show for their audience.
The Curiosity Labs are part of the Light Art Festival programme as a place for discovery, play, and collective creation. They connect art, light, and experience into a form that not only entertains visitors but also draws them into actively co-creating the festival atmosphere.
