What's new in Philadelphia in 2026: Landmark hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants and blockbuster exhibitions
With world-class museums, an ever-growing slate of lauded restaurants and that famously scrappy energy, there's never a bad time to visit Philadelphia. But 2026 brings a whole new set of reasons to plan a trip, which is why it's one of TPG's 17 best places to visit this year.
On July 4, the U.S. marks its Semiquincentennial (250th birthday), and the city where the Declaration of Independence was first adopted becomes the stage for a celebration.
Philadelphia will also host six FIFA World Cup matches, including one July 4, alongside Wawa's Welcome America Celebration, with concerts, events and parade programming. The party won't be confined to one fireworks-filled weekend, though. Philadelphia's 52 Weeks of Firsts program drops a new neighborhood "Saturday First-ival" each week, turning the city's long list of civic, cultural and delightfully random firsts (first bubblegum, first Slinky) into an excuse to visit in any season.
Beyond the weekly "first-ivals," the city has plenty of reasons to turn any long weekend into a full itinerary. Read on for the best things to eat, see and do in Philadelphia in 2026. It's anchored by a new Michelin spotlight on the dining scene, blockbuster exhibitions at major museums and fresh reasons to book a stay right in the heart of the action.
Exciting restaurant openings and new Michelin stars
Philadelphia has long been home to a buzzy dining scene, and in 2026, there are even more reasons to plan your days around where to eat. One of the year's most anticipated openings is Emilia, beloved Philadelphia chef Greg Vernick's restaurant that highlights the cuisine of Italy's Emilia-Romagna region. It opens in early 2026 in a contemporary East Kensington-Fishtown space.
Related: How to spend the weekend in Fishtown, Philly's coolest neighborhood
James Beard Award-winning chef Phila Lorn and Rachel Lorn, the power couple behind Cambodian BYOB noodle house Mawn, are expanding their restaurant empire to South Philadelphia with Sao; it's an oyster and crudo bar on East Passyunk with a full bar program and a menu that includes dishes like aged hamachi crudo and scallops with chili jam. Also in South Philadelphia, Joey Baldino, the chef behind members-only Palizzi Social Club, revived old-school neighborhood spot Bomb Bomb Bar with Italian seafood classics. (Don't miss the "Lobster and Shells" and "Mom's Stuffed Calamari.")
Tequila's, a Philadelphia landmark since 1986, recently reopened after a fire, and it added La Jefa, a bright daytime cafe that morphs into an agave-forward cocktail bar and restaurant at night. For other recent hits, check out Dancerobot, Jesse Ito and Justin Bacharach's ode to Japanese-Western comfort food, and Manong, Chance Anies' Filipino-American steakhouse.
Make time to stop for a snack at Mighty Bread's new grab-and-go outpost, stocked with seasonal sweets and sandwiches made on fresh baguettes, or head for the Korean-inspired pastry counter at Seaforest Bakeshop for a gochujang cheese scallion roll. And don't miss the weekend Southeast Asian Market at FDR Park — a spring-through-fall gathering of vendors offering a joyful feast of street food.
If you're using the Michelin Guide as a compass, start with Friday Saturday Sunday, Her Place Supper Club and Provenance — all of which earned stars in Philadelphia's first appearance in the new Northeast Cities guide. Also, book Pietramala, the city's first Green Star, where chef Ian Graye runs a serious fermenting and preserving program that turns local plants into a vegan feast. Don't skip the guide's recommended and Bib Gourmand designations, including Royal Izakaya for classic Japanese fare, El Chingon for Puebla-style cemitas on house-baked rolls, and Pizzeria Beddia for gourmet pies and natural wine. And be sure to queue up for a cheesesteak at Angelo's — preferably with fried onions and long hot whiz.
A brand-new sculpture museum and can't-miss cultural happenings in 2026
Most America 250 programming will crescendo around July 4, but in Philadelphia, there is much happening outside that one week. Visitors can expect major cultural openings, a packed festival calendar and recurring neighborhood programming that makes it easy to plan a trip in any season.
Start on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway with Calder Gardens, a new art-and-landscape destination devoted to Alexander Calder, the American sculptor best known for pioneering the modern mobile. The cultural institution is more than a traditional museum: The Herzog & de Meuron-designed building, set within gardens envisioned by Piet Oudolf (of New York City's High Line fame), houses a rotating selection of Calder works that shifts gradually over time, mirroring the seasonally changing plantings.
For blockbuster cultural exhibitions, head to the Philadelphia Art Museum for "A Nation of Artists" (on view from April 12, 2026, to July 5, 2027): It's an expansive, three-century overview of American art organized with the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Pair it with "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments," also at PhAM (from April 25 to Aug. 2, 2026), timed to the film's 50th anniversary. Nearby, at the Barnes Foundation, catch "Henri Rousseau: A Painter's Secrets" (through Feb. 22, 2026) — the first major U.S. Rousseau exhibition in decades.
Beyond art museums, see the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's "Philadelphia Flower Show" (Feb. 28 to March 8, 2026) and the world premiere of "Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition" at The Franklin Institute (Feb. 14 to Sept. 7, 2026). History buffs should check out the National Constitution Center, which debuts two new permanent galleries: one about America's founding in February and one on the separation of powers that's slated for May. Finally, the Penn Museum's Native North America Gallery opened in late 2025, built around Indigenous perspectives and living traditions.
A wave of new points hotel openings
Just in time for the influx of America 250 and summer visitors, Philadelphia's hotel scene has a few headline additions. In Old City, The Bourse Hotel, a Hilton Tapestry Collection property, is slated to open early 2026 with 152 rooms, just steps from Independence Mall. For classic Center City grandeur, The Bellevue — an Unbound Collection by Hyatt property in the storied Broad Street landmark that first opened in 1904 — has completed a major restoration of its public spaces and 184 rooms and suites; guests get full access to the adjacent Sporting Club. The sprawling club includes a four-lane lap pool, basketball and pickleball, sauna and steam rooms, an indoor track and more.
For lofty luxury, Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia recently debuted its new Sky Garden floor. It features a collection of rooms and suites (plus a two-bedroom penthouse), with residential touches like kitchens and in-suite laundry — some with private terraces with prime views of the city skyline. Also on the horizon is The Waylen at the Navy Yard: It's planned as a 223-key Unbound Collection by Hyatt hotel in a converted historic naval building offering multiple food and drink concepts as well as a spa that has six treatment rooms.
Related: 4 reasons it's worth booking a suite at the W Philadelphia
How to get to Philadelphia
If you have American Airlines AAdvantage miles, getting to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is easy, as American Airlines serves as the airline's primary hub in the Northeast. But if you are loyal to Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines or Southwest Airlines, you'll be able to make simple connections through their hubs as well. From PHL, it's a 20-minute drive to Center City. PHL is also accessible via SEPTA, the city's public transit system. The airport line connects travelers directly to Center City in about 30 minutes.
For those visiting Philadelphia from other cities on the East Coast, consider taking Amtrak to Philadelphia's William H. Gray III 30th Street Station for a cheaper — and sometimes faster — option than flying.
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