Blue Man Group at Immerse
Credit: Grizzlee Martin/courtesy Creative City Project

Dive in headfirst as Creative City Project’s downtown arts takeover Immerse kicks off a vibrant spring of performing arts in Orlando.

The free festival takes over downtown all weekend, uniting artists and performers in a celebration of the City Beautiful’s creative culture. 

This year, Immerse features performances and installations from Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil’s Drawn to Life, Architects of Air, Orlando Vocal Collective (taking on the works of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston) and hundreds of local visual artists and performers taking to the streets. (And, yes, that does include experimental sounds from a La-Z Boy ensemble led by one Patrick Greene.)

All told, Immerse spans over 10 city blocks in downtown Orlando this weekend, from City Hall up to Central Boulevard. All of the entertainment on offer is completely free, as always — though VIP ticket upgrades are available.

“It’s such a fun experience seeing these artists come together to push themselves to create on such a large and compelling scale. And they rise to the occasion. I can’t wait for our community to come together for another amazing Immerse,” Creative City Project executive director Cole NeSmith tells Orlando Weekly.

The singular Blue Man Group will be one of the headliners at Immerse, bringing their bold, bald and blue energy to the streets of downtown Orlando.

Appearing at Immerse for a third time, Blue Man Group strives to keep their set fresh and remain true to the oddball rhythmic artistry for which the group is known. 

Captain of Blue Man Group Orlando Bhurin Sead — for this is a very in-demand franchise — tells Orlando Weekly that this year’s Immerse main stage event is bigger and perhaps even better than previous years. 

“Audiences can expect something that’s high-energy and really interactive,” Sead says. “Expect the Blue Men to be out and about on the street as well. The Blue Men will be around to keep up the connection with the audience.”

They’re always up for a healthy dose of audience interaction, but this year’s Blue Man Group performance involves the audience on a whole new level. Sead says, “We’re excited about finding ways to get the audience to be a part of our performance.” He explains that the audience will play an integral role in advancing their show’s storyline.

Since their inception in 1987 with New York City street spectacles, the Blue Man Group has captivated audiences with paint-splattered performances of rhythmic innovation. Sead emphasizes that Immerse draws on the group’s origins by engaging with the local culture. 

“The original three founders of Blue Man Group were just experimenting on the streets,” Sead says. “[Immerse] is definitely a callback to those times for the Men to be out and experiencing the community.”

In the 39 years since those embryonic street performances, Sead explains that character and connection remain the group’s heart. Sead says, “Whatever we do as Blue Man Group, it is about connection,” emphasizing that the group, at its core, centers the audience. “We often talk at our shows that we’re building these small communities.” 

The outdoor setting of Immerse provides a uniquely interactive experience for both audience members and Blue Man Group performers. “With our shows, a lot of it’s contained,” Sead says, “so when we bring anything from the show to an outside festival, especially Immerse, it offers [our characters] a lot to take in.”

Immerse creates a heightened potential for spontaneity for Sead. The precise, rehearsed set is also very malleable in response to audience reaction and proximity. “The way we interact with the audience is different at an outdoor festival,” Sead says. “It feels more open and free, and especially when we’re out with the audience, we really don’t know what’s going to happen.” 

The outdoor staging of Immerse creates a lively environment where audiences are engaged, and the performers can feel the energy radiating from the crowd. “We know that at immerse, the audiences are incredibly open and incredibly welcoming,” Sead says. “They are up to participate, and so that really informs us of how we want to perform or present ourselves.”

Sead, still somewhat new to the Orlando area, thinks back to how he was struck by the city’s vibrant arts and culture scene when performing at his first Immerse festival.

“Immerse was one of my first encounters with the Orlando audience,” Sead says. “I remember being on stage and looking out at people and just watching everyone look back. They were so welcoming. They had this incredible, generous energy. They were open, walking around and experiencing.”

Just “walking around and experiencing” is, in the end, the best advice for getting the most out of Immerse. Even the experts leave themselves open to happy arts accidents.

“Last year at Immerse, I was standing at one of the stages waiting for Blue Man Group to perform. This group goes on just before them — an incredible mix of live music, dance, acrobatics, effects. The audience was all dancing together and having the best time. It was a group called MESH. I knew they would be the perfect artists to collaborate with on something larger in 2026,” remembers NeSmith. “So they are bringing together all those elements again this year, plus massive visuals, four aerialists performing from a crane all at the same time and even BMX bike riders.”

In the end, though, Immerse is not just a one — or even three — man show; there are truly new experiences around every corner of the festival for both audience and performer. 

“[Immerse] brings a heightened sense of anticipation, a sense of awareness and excitement for us as performers,” Sead says. “So hopefully that translates to the audiences.”

IMMERSE: Friday-Sunday, Feb. 20-22, various locations throughout downtown Orlando, immersefest.com, free

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This article appears in Feb. 18-24, 2026.