Illumine is an annual after-dark arts event that takes place at Oakland Cemetery this spring. If you missed the popular light show last
year, you have another chance — the 2020 event is expanded and better than ever.
Illumine is one of those events that’s hard to explain. It’s a self-guided experience spread across the cemetery grounds, using light, shadow, sound, and projections to create an experience and tell a story.
You’ll see dozens of artistic displays throughout the cemetery, including lanterns, light-boxes, illuminated headstones and mausoleums, and projections of archival images and film. The cemetery’s gardens and oldest trees become part of the light show as well.
Illumine will also feature live music, craft cocktails at pop-up bars, and an Oakland pop-up shop.
You may also be interested in:
- 2020 Atlanta Spring Festival Guide (with rescheduled dates!)
- Atlanta Dogwood Festival will take place in August
The events take place on select nights in April and May from 7:30 to 10 p.m.
The events sometimes sell out, so it’s best to buy an advance ticket through Eventbrite.
Tickets are $20 for adults; and $15 for kids (age 4-17), students, and seniors. Sales tax and an Eventbrite fee of about $2.25 is added.
The 2020 dates for Illumine are:
- Friday, April 24
- Saturday, April 25
- Thursday, April 30
- Friday, May 1
- Saturday, May 2
- Sunday, May 3 (Regular admission or Illumine + Behind-the-Scenes Tour)
The slide show on this page features scenes from the 2019 event, courtesy of our friends at Hi Five Digital Productions.
Dusk settles in during the 2019 Illumine event.
About the 2020 event
This year’s expanded event will focus on the cemetery’s newly restored historic African American Burial Grounds. It will share the stories of Black Atlantans who built and shaped the city from its origins as a railroad crossing to its arrival as a global city.
