From November 8 to 15, 2025, Lieshout will experience a brand-new event: GLOW Laarbeek. For the first time, the municipality will have its own version of the internationally renowned light art festival from Eindhoven. This first edition deliberately starts on a small scale, featuring a number of surprising light art installations in the heart of Lieshout. The ambition is to make the light festival an annual tradition. With accessible art for everyone, GLOW Laarbeek aims to invite residents and visitors to discover their familiar surroundings in a new light.

More than just light
During the first edition, visitors can expect several unique projects that combine art, heritage, and local stories. For example, Droomstad (“Dream City”), a regional children’s project by artist Hugo Vrijdag in collaboration with primary schools in Mariahout and Lieshout, in which children are encouraged to think about their ideal place to live. There will also be a projection transforming De Heuvel into a play of light and color, and of course, the iconic Bavaria malt towers will be illuminated especially for the occasion. This will be done in collaboration with local artist Fren Klomp.

By combining art, technology, and local stories, a unifying experience is created for residents and visitors. “GLOW fits perfectly with the development of Lieshout’s town center, where livability and social encounters take center stage. It’s wonderful that Laarbeek can contribute to the international success of GLOW in this way,” says Ron van den Berkmortel, alderman of the municipality of Laarbeek. In addition to Laarbeek and Eindhoven, GLOW can also be found in the municipalities of Best, Oirschot, Helmond, and Veldhoven.

Building a new tradition together
With this first edition, GLOW Laarbeek is laying the foundation for an annually recurring event in the region. In the coming years, the organization aims to further develop a widely supported light festival that combines local collaboration, artistic innovation, and international appeal. The ambition is to establish GLOW Laarbeek as a permanent fixture on the cultural calendar of Laarbeek and its surroundings. The festival is organized in collaboration with the GLOW in the Region foundation and made possible thanks to financial support from the municipality of Laarbeek, Royal Swinkels, the Bavaria Brewery Café, and Centramanagement Laarbeek.