Philadelphia brings to thoughts many issues: cheesesteak, Rocky Balboa and the Liberty Bell, simply to call a couple of. It additionally witnessed the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, making it a terrific place to rejoice America’s 250th birthday and certainly one of TPG’s 17 greatest locations to go to in 2026.
Past celebrations for the nation’s anniversary, Philly can also be the place to be for sports activities followers this yr, with main occasions in basketball, golf, soccer and baseball coming to town in 2026. And that is not together with Philly’s already-packed schedule of annual occasions, from music and meals festivals to carnivals and Christmas markets.
Here’s a season-by-season information to 12 occasions price planning a visit round in 2026 to the Cradle of Liberty.
Associated: One of the best new lodges, eating places and extra in Philadelphia
Spring 2026
March Insanity
When: March 20 and 22, 2026
March Insanity will kick off (or tip off) Philly’s spectacular calendar of main sporting occasions this yr. Six video games of the primary and second rounds of the NCAA Males’s Basketball Event will happen at Xfinity Cell Area (previously Wells Fargo Middle) in South Philadelphia, hosted by Saint Joseph’s College.
Should you gather IHG One Rewards factors, the close by Vacation Inn Philadelphia Airport-Stadium Space has rooms ranging from $270 or 50,000 factors per evening that weekend.
“A Nation of Artists” exhibition
When: April 12 to Sept. 5, 2026
In mid-April, head to the Philadelphia Artwork Museum and the Pennsylvania Academy of the High-quality Arts for the groundbreaking “A Nation of Artists” exhibition, a group of over 1,000 works by American artists like Horace Pippin, Mary Cassatt and Mark Rothko.
Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day publication
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
Spanning the 18th, nineteenth, twentieth and twenty first centuries, this large exhibition throughout two museums consists of every thing from work and ceramics to wooden carvings and style.
Manayunk StrEAT Meals Competition
When: April 19, 2026
Philly’s riverside Manayunk neighborhood — christened with a Lenape phrase which means “the place we go to drink” — has lengthy been a well-liked spot for meals lovers. However on Sunday, April 19, dozens of meals vans and different distributors will be part of Fundamental Avenue’s plethora of eating places, bars and cafes in the course of the annual Manayunk StrEAT pageant. Come for the meals, keep for the procuring and dwell musical performances.
Associated: Greatest eating bank cards of January 2026
PGA Championship
When: Could 11-17, 2026
This yr’s PGA Championship will likely be held at Aronimink Golf Course in Newtown Sq., Pennsylvania, lower than an hour’s drive exterior of Philadelphia. It is solely the second time the placement has hosted the lads’s occasion (the primary was again in 1962); it hosted the Girls’s PGA Championship in 2020.
Tickets can be found on StubHub (amongst different locations). Should you maintain the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and charges), you possibly can use your $150 biannual StubHub credit score to avoid wasting on tickets (activation is required; this credit score is out there by Dec. 31, 2027).
Summer time 2026
Summerfest
When: Could 23 to Sept. 1, 2026
One among Philadelphia’s perennial favourite festivals, Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest brings the Delaware River waterfront to life from Memorial Day to Labor Day. You may discover family-friendly actions like rides, curler skating, arcade video games and minigolf, plus the same old sips and snacks you’d anticipate from a carnival.
Summerfest is open day by day all through the summer time. Admission is free; actions and concessions are pay-as-you-go.
Associated: Summer time journey guidelines: 12 issues to do now to make your journey nice
Odunde Competition
When: June 14, 2026
Odunde Competition, the nation’s largest avenue pageant celebrating African and African-American tradition, is held in South Philadelphia on the second Sunday in June. Annually, a whole lot of hundreds of tourists flock right here to immerse themselves in African artwork, music, meals and extra.
Highlights embody an genuine African market that includes distributors from throughout Africa, the Caribbean and Brazil, in addition to a colourful parade culminating with an providing of fruit and flowers to Oshun, a Nigerian river goddess, within the Schuylkill River.
Wawa Welcome America
When: June 19 to July 4, 2026
Wawa Welcome America, the nation’s largest Independence Day celebration, is again and higher than ever for America’s 250th anniversary.
This citywide pageant celebrates freedom in all its types from Juneteenth to July 4th. You possibly can anticipate 16 days of free, family-friendly actions like fireworks, block events, dwell music, Wawa Hoagie Day and an enormous July 4th parade representing each state and territory.
FIFA World Cup
When: Varied dates in June and July
The Metropolis of Brotherly Love will host six matches of this yr’s FIFA World Cup at Philadelphia Stadium (also referred to as Lincoln Monetary Discipline). That features 5 group matches in June and a knockout-stage match on Independence Day:
- Sunday, June 14: Côte d’Ivoire versus Ecuador (Group E)
- Friday, June 19: Brazil versus Haiti (Group C)
- Monday, June 22: France versus Intercontinental Playoff Winner 2 group (Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname, to be decided in March) (Group I)
- Thursday, June 25: Curacao versus Côte d’Ivoire (Group E)
- Saturday, June 27: Croatia versus Ghana (Group L)
- Saturday, July 4: Spherical of 16
Is it too late to get tickets? Not precisely.
The newest ticket lottery ended on Jan. 13; profitable candidates will likely be notified on or after Feb. 5. Should you do not handle to snag tickets throughout this part, you will have one other shot in the course of the Final-Minute Gross sales Part and on resale platforms, although costs could also be exorbitant.
MLB All-Star Week
When: July 11-14, 2026
The sporting occasions proceed with MLB All-Star Week, to be held at Philly’s Residents Financial institution Park. The MLB Draft’s first spherical will happen on Saturday, July 11 — a primary for the occasion, which has traditionally been held on a Sunday — adopted by the All-Star Futures Recreation on July 12, the Dwelling Run Derby on July 13 and the All-Star Recreation on July 14.
Rooms on the nearest lodges are already reserving up, so it’s possible you’ll need to keep farther out and catch a trip to the stadium. If in case you have the correct bank card, you should use your Amex Uber advantages or Chase Sapphire Reserve Lyft credit to offset among the value of a ride-hailing service.
Associated: 5 the explanation why each sports activities fan ought to have the Chase Sapphire Reserve
Fall 2026
Philly Music Fest
When: October
In accordance with this pageant’s web site, “Our Style is Philly.” Not like most music festivals, Philly Music Fest is a homegrown, nonprofit occasion that circumvents producers and promoters in favor of supporting the native music neighborhood. Over the week-long pageant, you may see roughly two dozen native artists at independently owned venues across the metropolis, realizing your ticket {dollars} will go on to the musicians and venues — and the income will likely be donated to native music packages to coach Philly’s subsequent era of artists.
This yr’s dates have not been introduced but, however Philly Music Fest is usually held in October.
Associated: One of the best bank cards for concert events and music festivals
Winter 2026
Christmas Village
When: Late November to Dec. 24, 2026
Philly’s Christmas Village in LOVE Park is among the many greatest vacation markets within the U.S., providing conventional timber cubicles with each domestically made and European merchandise.
You may get nice worth on your factors at Hyatt Centric Metropolis Middle Philadelphia, a 10-minute stroll from the Christmas Village. Room charges begin at $223 or 12,000 World of Hyatt factors per evening in December.
Winterfest
When: Late November by February
The Delaware River waterfront will get a cold-weather makeover every November for Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest. Guests can skate on the huge ice rink in entrance of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, then heat up and refuel inside a ski chalet-style lodge. Keep tuned for the 2026 dates.
Associated studying:
