12 events worth planning a trip around during Philadelphia’s epic 2026
Philadelphia brings to mind many things: cheesesteak, Rocky Balboa and the Liberty Bell, just to name a few. It also witnessed the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, making it a great place to celebrate America's 250th birthday and one of TPG's 17 best places to visit in 2026.
Beyond celebrations for the nation's anniversary, Philly is also the place to be for sports fans this year, with major events in basketball, golf, soccer and baseball coming to the city in 2026. And that's not including Philly's already-packed schedule of annual events, from music and food festivals to carnivals and Christmas markets.
Here is a season-by-season guide to 12 events worth planning a trip around in 2026 to the Cradle of Liberty.
Related: The best new hotels, restaurants and more in Philadelphia
Spring 2026
March Madness
When: March 20 and 22, 2026
March Madness will kick off (or tip off) Philly's impressive calendar of major sporting events this year. Six games of the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament will take place at Xfinity Mobile Arena (formerly Wells Fargo Center) in South Philadelphia, hosted by Saint Joseph's University.
If you collect IHG One Rewards points, the nearby Holiday Inn Philadelphia Airport-Stadium Area has rooms starting from $270 or 50,000 points per night that weekend.
"A Nation of Artists" exhibition
When: April 12 to Sept. 5, 2026
In mid-April, head to the Philadelphia Art Museum and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for the groundbreaking "A Nation of Artists" exhibition, a collection of over 1,000 works by American artists like Horace Pippin, Mary Cassatt and Mark Rothko.
Spanning the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, this huge exhibition across two museums includes everything from paintings and ceramics to wood carvings and fashion.
Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival
When: April 19, 2026
Philly's riverside Manayunk neighborhood — christened with a Lenape word meaning "where we go to drink" — has long been a popular spot for food lovers. But on Sunday, April 19, dozens of food trucks and other vendors will join Main Street's plethora of restaurants, bars and cafes during the annual Manayunk StrEAT festival. Come for the food, stay for the shopping and live musical performances.
Related: Best dining credit cards of January 2026
PGA Championship
When: May 11-17, 2026
This year's PGA Championship will be held at Aronimink Golf Course in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, less than an hour's drive outside of Philadelphia. It's only the second time the location has hosted the men's event (the first was back in 1962); it hosted the Women's PGA Championship in 2020.
Tickets are available on StubHub (among other places). If you hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees), you could use your $150 biannual StubHub credit to save on tickets (activation is required; this credit is available through Dec. 31, 2027).
Summer 2026
Summerfest
When: May 23 to Sept. 1, 2026
One of Philadelphia's perennial favorite festivals, Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest brings the Delaware River waterfront to life from Memorial Day to Labor Day. You'll find family-friendly activities like rides, roller skating, arcade games and minigolf, plus the usual sips and snacks you'd expect from a carnival.
Summerfest is open daily throughout the summer. Admission is free; activities and concessions are pay-as-you-go.
Related: Summer travel checklist: 12 things to do now to make your trip great
Odunde Festival
When: June 14, 2026
Odunde Festival, the country's largest street festival celebrating African and African-American culture, is held in South Philadelphia on the second Sunday in June. Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors flock here to immerse themselves in African art, music, food and more.
Highlights include an authentic African marketplace featuring vendors from across Africa, the Caribbean and Brazil, as well as a colorful parade culminating with an offering of fruit and flowers to Oshun, a Nigerian river goddess, in the Schuylkill River.
Wawa Welcome America
When: June 19 to July 4, 2026
Wawa Welcome America, the nation's biggest Independence Day celebration, is back and better than ever for America's 250th anniversary.
This citywide festival celebrates freedom in all its forms from Juneteenth to July 4th. You can expect 16 days of free, family-friendly activities like fireworks, block parties, live music, Wawa Hoagie Day and a huge July 4th parade representing every state and territory.
FIFA World Cup
When: Various dates in June and July
The City of Brotherly Love will host six matches of this year's FIFA World Cup at Philadelphia Stadium (also known as Lincoln Financial Field). That includes five 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 team (Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname, to be determined 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: Round of 16
Is it too late to get tickets? Not exactly.
The most recent ticket lottery ended on Jan. 13; successful applicants will be notified on or after Feb. 5. If you don't manage to snag tickets during this phase, you'll have another shot during the Last-Minute Sales Phase and on resale platforms, though prices may be exorbitant.
MLB All-Star Week
When: July 11-14, 2026
The sporting events continue with MLB All-Star Week, to be held at Philly's Citizens Bank Park. The MLB Draft's first round will take place on Saturday, July 11 — a first for the event, which has historically been held on a Sunday — followed by the All-Star Futures Game on July 12, the Home Run Derby on July 13 and the All-Star Game on July 14.
Rooms at the nearest hotels are already booking up, so you may want to stay farther out and catch a ride to the stadium. If you have the right credit card, you can use your Amex Uber benefits or Chase Sapphire Reserve Lyft credits to offset some of the cost of a ride-hailing service.
Related: 5 reasons why every sports fan should have the Chase Sapphire Reserve
Fall 2026
Philly Music Fest
When: October
According to this festival's website, "Our Genre is Philly." Unlike most music festivals, Philly Music Fest is a homegrown, nonprofit event that circumvents producers and promoters in favor of supporting the local music community. Over the week-long festival, you can see roughly two dozen local artists at independently owned venues around the city, knowing your ticket dollars will go directly to the musicians and venues — and the profits will be donated to local music programs to educate Philly's next generation of artists.
This year's dates haven't been announced yet, but Philly Music Fest is typically held in October.
Related: The best credit cards for concerts and music festivals
Winter 2026
Christmas Village
When: Late November to Dec. 24, 2026
Philly's Christmas Village in LOVE Park is among the best holiday markets in the U.S., offering traditional timber booths with both locally made and European products.
You can get great value for your points at Hyatt Centric City Center Philadelphia, a 10-minute walk from the Christmas Village. Room rates start at $223 or 12,000 World of Hyatt points per night in December.
Winterfest
When: Late November through February
The Delaware River waterfront gets a cold-weather makeover each November for Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest. Visitors can skate on the massive ice rink in front of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, then warm up and refuel inside a ski chalet-style lodge. Stay tuned for the 2026 dates.
Related reading:
- How to spend the weekend in Fishtown, Philly's coolest neighborhood
- 4 reasons it's worth booking a suite at the W Philadelphia
- What it was like on Amtrak's new Acela 'NexGen' trains
- Inside Chase's gorgeous new Sapphire Lounge in Philadelphia
- First look: American's new Flagship Lounge and Admirals Club in Philly shine in big debut