On July 4, 1776, the United States of America was born here in Philadelphia. 2026 marks the landmark 250th anniversary of the country — and the year-long celebration is well underway in Philly.
The Semiquincentennial in Philadelphia is centered around Independence Day, featuring the 16-day, Juneteenth-to-July-Fourth Wawa Welcome America festival.
Several enormous sporting events come to Philly in 2026, including FIFA World Cup 26, the MLB All-Star Game and the PGA Championship.
Additional big events include the yearlong 52 Weeks of Firsts celebration and the all-day TED Democracy Philadelphia: Founding Futures event, plus citywide art showcases A Nation of Artists at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and ArtPhilly’s five-week-long What Now festival.
And like every milestone national anniversary before, new institutions will open, including the First Bank of the United States museum, the Philly Pride Visitor Center in Midtown Village, the Pennsylvania Hospital Museum, two new permanent galleries at the National Constitution Center and much more.
Read on for a comprehensive guide to special/one-of-a-kind/only-in-2026 events, festivals and exhibitions in Greater Philadelphia — and check back often! New announcements and event updates are added regularly.
Feeling scroll fatigue? We’ve got you covered. To help you navigate the long list of events, we’ve added a filter below to sort by date or category.
Want to learn about the city’s major annual events, exciting exhibitions, can’t-miss festivals and more in 2026? Check out our big roundup here.