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Way back on July 4, 1776, the United States of America was born right here in Philadelphia.
The very next year, newly minted Americans threw a giant party to commemorate the anniversary in the place where it happened. Fireworks, bonfires, lights, decorations, music and joyful gatherings filled the streets of Philadelphia. “American Independence was celebrated here with a festivity and ceremony becoming the occasion,” recalled Founding Father John Adams.
Over the next two-and-a-half centuries, Philadelphians continued to celebrate Independence Day much the same … just a lot bigger every year.
But as 2026 approaches, America — and Philadelphia in particular — is poised to take that celebration to the next level as the nation commemorates its Semiquincentennial. (That’s fancy talk for the United States’ 250th birthday.)
Milestone anniversaries only come around a few times in one’s life, and in Philly, we’re gonna party like it’s, well, you guessed it, 1776. Huzzah!
Independence Hall — Photo by M. Edlow for Visit Philadelphia
While the Fourth of July is always big in Philadelphia, Independence Day 2026 for America’s 250th is going to be a year-long party you’re not going to want to miss.
Over the course of the Semiquincentennial (a word you’ll start hearing a lot, so get used to saying it), concerts, parades, exhibitions, events, festivals, sports, celebrities, food, drink and all sorts of good times will be waiting here for you.
As we inch closer to that magic date of July 4, 2026, more and more details and announcements will emerge about what to expect. In the meantime, here’s a little primer on what we know now and what you need to know to party with us.
It comes in many names — Semiquincentennial, Sestercentennial, Quarter Millennial, the Big Two-Five-Oh — but they all refer to the same thing: 250 years since that historic Fourth of July moment in 1776, exactly two-and-a-half centuries since America’s birth, when the Founding Fathers declared independence right here in the heart of Philadelphia.
From sea to shining sea, Americans from the tip of Florida to the Alaskan archipelago will be gearing up to celebrate this milestone birthday. But as many already know, there’s no better place to celebrate America than in its birthplace.
Independence Hall — Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia
Each year, tens of thousands of visitors and residents descend upon Philadelphia to experience Independence Day, Philly style. But for the Semiquincentennial, Philly will truly be the place to be … and not just during the first week of July, but all year long.
Philadelphia and its historic countryside are prepped to throw a year-long party of the century with a slew of festivities and fun events as the city welcomes America and celebrates Philly’s singular role in the founding of the nation.
Obtained by city “founder” William Penn in the early 1680s, Philadelphia is the ancestral homeland of the Lenape — Indigenous people who reside in the city to this day. Penn strove to make Philadelphia — his “holy experiment” in freedom — a place of inclusion by opening up his colony to all faiths, offering safety from persecution. But in a lesson of how far the young nation still had (and has) to go, Penn, a slaveowner himself, would only go as far as promoting what he considered “good treatment” and schooling for enslaved people and pledging to release his own slaves upon his death.
William Penn statue on top of Philadelphia City Hall — Photo courtesy Elevated Angles
Over the next 300 years, Philadelphia has often found itself in the civil rights spotlight, with local leaders, activists and allies striving to meet the moment for diversity, inclusion and equal justice. Through the trials, tribulations, protests and more, the city — long a place where Americans of all walks of life and ideologies gathered to celebrate the best our nation has to offer — has taken, and continues to take, steps toward better equality and tolerance.
It’s that variety of cultures, backgrounds and perspectives that Philadelphia — and the nation as a whole — embodies that will be on full display as America comes together to celebrate the Semiquincentennial, along with our similarities, shared hopes and common goals.
Now that you understand why Philadelphia is hosting America’s big birthday, what exactly can you expect to see and do (and eat) here during the celebration?
Although the planning for America’s 250th is very early in the process, rest assured there will be a ton to experience for the Fourth of July and throughout the year, including parties, parades, festivals, concerts, sporting events, exhibitions and more.
More events will be announced as we get closer to the big day, but plenty of events have already been scheduled, from supersized versions of some of Philly’s fave annual celebrations to one-time-only happenings you won’t want to miss.
An important note: All events are subject to change.
The cornerstone of Independence Day festivities in Philadelphia is the annual multi-week-long Welcome America festival, one of the region’s most popular annual events.
The 2026 version will be bigger than ever, including the free nighttime party on the Ben Franklin Parkway with live music from big-name pop stars (past performers include Demi Lovato, Ed Sheeran, Mary J. Blige and Pitbull) and a massive fireworks show above the Philadelphia Museum of Art with thousands lined up along the Parkway to take it all in.
Celebration of Freedom Ceremony
The morning of Fourth of July brings the annual Celebration of Freedom Ceremony, the day’s formal kickoff at Independence Hall.
The patriotic ceremony celebrates everyday Americans locally and throughout the country, and features special celebrity and VIP speakers, presentations of national humanitarian and service awards and, of course, a public reading of the Declaration of Independence nearly 250 years to the day after it was first read aloud, on this very spot on July 8, 1776.
Salute to America Independence Day Parade
Philadelphia loves a parade.
While Philly’s Thanksgiving Day parade is the oldest in the nation, its Salute to America Independence Day Parade is its largest Fourth of July procession, annually convening thousands of dancers, marching bands, drum corps, color guards, drill teams, acrobats and celebrities along the nearly one-and-a-half mile route from Old City to Center City.
While the nation gathers in Philadelphia for the Semiquincentennial, the world of sports is also converging on the City of Brotherly Love in 2026.
— Photo by Visit Philadelphia
Philly, one of America’s great sports towns, will be in the spotlight all year as some of the biggest stars in the world hit local courts, fields, pitches and fairways.
2026 FIFA World Cup
The eyes of the world will quite literally be on Philadelphia as Lincoln Financial Field (usually home to the NFL’s Eagles) becomes one of just 11 U.S. stadiums to host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, with five pool play matchups in June plus a July 4th Round of 16 knockout tilt at what Philadelphians affectionately call “The Linc.”
Philly’s group stage games, where qualified teams initially compete against other countries in their semi-randomly assigned groups, take place at the Linc on the following dates:
For more about the World Cup in Philadelphia, click the button below.
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
Play ball! The 96th annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game comes to Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia in July 2026 as the Midsummer Classic returns to Philly for the first time in 30 years (and first ever at “The Bank”). Bonus: Home run derby!
Citizens Bank Park — Photo courtesy Philadelphia Phillies
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
A college basketball hotbed for a century, Philadelphia will feel the March Madness firsthand in 2026. Philly’s Wells Fargo Center was the first site named to host six games during the First and Second rounds of the 87th NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
2026 PGA Championship
The 2026 PGA Championship, one of professional golf’s four major tournaments, will crown its champion at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Delaware County in May. Past winners have included Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.
The National Semiquincentennial Convention, the primary civic kickoff event for the week of the Fourth of July, will take place over two days, as both citizens and celebrities from across the nation gather in state-by-state delegations to discuss social and political issues of the day in an Olympic Village-style jamboree.
The massive cultural festival will be accompanied by forums, panels, concerts, film screenings, art exhibitions and much more. Think of it like IndependenceCon.
Museums across the city will offer special exhibits and programming surrounding the 250th celebration.
One of 2026’s expected highlights will be the opening of a brand-new museum dedicated to the history of the American economy in the historic First Bank of the United States at Independence National Historical Park. Built in 1797 under the leadership of Alexander Hamilton, the building was the home of the nation’s first centralized national bank and the precursor to the Federal Reserve. The new museum, which will make the building publically accessible for the first time in over a half-century, will focus on the bank’s important role in the development of the U.S. economy in the country’s earliest days.
First Bank of the United States — Photo courtesy Independence Historical Trust
Philly’s Museum of the American Revolution (which opened its doors in 2017) will host special programming for the 250th, including a new exhibition entitled The Declaration’s Journey: 250 Years of America’s Founding Document. The exhibit, which explores how the Declaration of Independence influenced similar documents in over 100 other nations and its implications on modern society, will open in 2025 and run throughout the Semiquincentennial year.
Museum of the American Revolution — Photo by C. Smyth for Visit Philadelphia
And the Please Touch Museum — which first opened during the Bicentennial year of 1976 and whose current Fairmount Park building was constructed for the 1876 Centennial — will open Discovering Democracy, a kid-focused nearly $2 million dollar exhibit for 2026 introducing children to the concept of democracy and its role in their lives.
More museum commemorations will be announced as 2026 approaches.
The United States armed forces kick off America’s Semiquincentennial with two of their own celebrations.
Leading up to the big year, the U.S. Navy celebrates its 250th birthday with Homecoming 250 in October 2025, which includes a historic gathering of ships on the Delaware River representing every major military conflict in which the Navy has participated.
Not to be outdone, the very next month the U.S. Marine Corps will then celebrate its 250th birthday with another assemblage of ships on the Delaware, as well as christening a recreation of historic Tun Tavern, the former watering hole near Penn’s Landing where the Marines were founded in 1775.
America’s Semiquincentennial doesn’t just look backward — it’s looking to the future as well. Like way in the future.
If you’re up for an interesting diversion on Independence Day 2026, brave the crowds to watch the burying of a special time capsule on Independence Mall that won’t be opened until July 4, 2276, America’s 500th anniversary or Quincentennial. (Mark it on your Google calendar.)
The capsule will include a number of items related to the Semiquincentennial like books, manuscripts, relics and other documents. (No word yet on how to put a TikTok in a time capsule.)
Tree planting ceremony at Independence Hall — Photo courtesy Daughters of the American Revolution
But if you’re seeking a quieter moment in the present among nature, take time to visit the 76 saplings planted around Independence Hall and the Independence National Historical Park by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The trees — which include oaks, dogwoods and sycamores, all historically accurate to 18th century Philadelphia — represent the spirit of 1776 as symbols of “life and strength,” and will be planted in phases between now and the Semiquincentennial.
The DAR also donated 13 trees (representing the 13 colonies) in the park for the 1926 Sesquicentennial.
Almost every schoolkid across the nation knows the importance of Philadelphia to the founding of the nation, with the city earning its title of America’s birthplace by hosting the First Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, as well as serving as the nation’s first capital. Stories of Ben Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Betsy Ross and the events that occurred in colonial Philadelphia are typically standard curriculum from social studies class to Schoolhouse Rock.
Equally important are the stories of those revolutionary Philadelphians from succeeding generations who, following the city’s founding, did the hard and dangerous work to help bring the dream of equality and equity to all. That includes diverse leaders, educators, activists and advocates such as Octavius V. Catto, William Still, Paul Robeson, Barbara Gittings, Gloria Casarez and many others.
Liberty Bell — Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia
And by playing the primary role in the nation’s first Fourth of July, Philadelphia has gone on to be an important piece of every July Fourth celebration from that moment on, including every milestone anniversary:
Benjamin Franklin Parkway — Photo by F. Moraleda
LOVE Park — Photo by Visit Philadelphia
Volunteering is the best way to bring the community together and be part of the organizers that will ensure the millions of visitors have the best time possible. And the best way to get into the action is with PHILADELPHIA250, the independent nonprofit organization tasked to get the community involved in creating a “commemoration that is truly by the people, for all people.”
While the organization is still ramping up its initiatives and infrastructure, you can still start volunteering your time now. Visit PHILADELPHIA250’s website to find out how to volunteer, spread the word, join an event or donate.
Oh man, you already have plans for July 4, 2026? Bummer.
Well, the good news is Philly isn’t going anywhere and will be around all year long for you to enjoy on your schedule. Events for the Semiquincentennial (both official and unofficial) happen throughout the year. From the FIFA World Cup and MLB All-Star Game to historical reenactments, museum days, concerts and community-based events, great experiences are ready for your visit across 2026.
July Fourth in Philly — Photo by S. Ramones for Visit Philadelphia
But between us, you don’t need an event or scheduled activity to experience the Semiquincentennial year in Philly with everything there is to do and see (and eat and drink). If you’ve always wanted to visit (or return to) Philadelphia, what better time than 2026 for America’s birth year? We’re always open.
In addition to all the great events listed here (and more to come), let us be your personal concierge for your Semiquincentennial visit. These guides on where to eat, where to stay and what to do are updated regularly.
There’s already so much scheduled for America’s Semiquincentennial, but that’s just scratching the surface.
— Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia
As details emerge about more events, parties, concerts and celebrations, this page (and others throughout Visit Philadelphia) will be updated and amended, so smash that bookmark and come back regularly, sign up for the Visit Philly newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and more.
The only way to fully experience Philly? Stay over.
Book the Visit Philly Overnight Package and get free hotel parking and choose-your-own-adventure perks, including tickets to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Franklin Institute, or the National Constitution Center and the Museum of the American Revolution.
Or maybe you’d prefer to buy two Philly hotel nights and get a third night for free? Then book the new Visit Philly 3-Day Stay package.
Which will you choose?
How to experience two of Philly's most iconic attractions...