CLEVELAND, Ohio — It looks like Brite Winter is packing up its snow boots and heading east.
The city’s beloved midwinter music and arts festival — which has long made its home in the Flats — will make a major move in 2026, landing in the heart of the Waterloo Arts District on Saturday, Feb. 21.
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For a festival built on the idea of turning frigid weather into an excuse to celebrate local music, art and community, the shift feels like a natural evolution.
Waterloo has always thrived on a natural kismet that emerges from its neighborhood creativity—from its string of indie art galleries to its beloved shops and eateries. Add in stalwart venues like The Beachland Ballroom and Tavern and The Treelawn, and you’ve got a ready-made, indoor-outdoor playground for Brite Winter’s eclectic, lake-effect energy.
Of course, Brite Winter isn’t just stages and amps — it’s about the streets. Organizers plan to activate outdoor spaces up and down Waterloo, turning the district into a kind of open-air carnival of sound and spectacle.
If you’ve been to Brite before, you know the drill: this means bundled-up crowds, interactive art, food, fire pits and serendipitous moments that only happen block party-style when you stumble into a band you’ve never heard before and end up staying for their whole set.
The Flats were good to Brite Winter, no doubt — the riverside backdrop gave the festival a rugged, urban charm. But moving to Waterloo brings a different kind of magic, one that’s more closely tied to Cleveland’s grassroots creative scene.
It’s a neighborhood where DIY culture has thrived for a generation and now it’ll have a chance to host one of the city’s signature cultural events.
So, mark it down: Saturday, Feb. 21, and be sure to wear layers, gloves and bring a flask of a little something to keep the chill at bay. Brite Winter is headed east — which feels like a perfect fit.
Organizers are accepting artist applications now.