Inquirer.com – Zurich DR

Category: Entertainment

  • ⚽ The FIFA World Cup is here | Things to do

    ⚽ The FIFA World Cup is here | Things to do

    This weekend, the opening World Cup match between the Ivory Coast and Ecuador, and the 39-day FIFA Fan Festival is taking over Philadelphia — 100-degree heat and humidity, notwithstanding.

    After months of talking about the much-hyped international sports event and festival, we’re finally living it. I am excited to see how it all unfurls after literal years in the making, and you should be too.

    Not the sporty type? There’s Sunday’s Odunde Festival, which typically draws around 500,000 visitors to the Graduate Hospital neighborhood in celebration of the African Diaspora.

    Also, for lovers of city nightlife, Thursday marks day one under the extended 4 a.m. curfew. It marks the first time Philly bars can stay open past the state’s 2 a.m. cutoff since the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

    There’s a lot more that’s in store this weekend. Read on!

    — Earl Hopkins (@earlhopkins_, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    The FIFA Fan Festival is taking over Lemon Hill

    A rendering of the Philadelphia FIFA Fan Festival’s “vendor village” at Lemon Hill in East Fairmount Park. From June 11 to July 19, the festival will serve as the official fan experience for the 2026 World Cup in Philadelphia.(Courtesy of Philadelphia Soccer 2026)

    Starting Thursday, the Fan Festival opens to 15,000 fans to the festival grounds at Lemon Hill, which has been transformed into an extravaganza of global soccer, writes reporters Henry Savage and Isabel Maney.

    The free daily festival is intended for fans of all ages and promises to be a kid and family friendly affair.

    The main draw will be a 60-foot screen that takes over the main stage.

    What happens when all that cheering gets you hungry? There will be more than 80 local food trucks, serving dishes from the many cultures across Philadelphia, including local faves like cheesesteaks, pretzels, and more.

    More than 50 live acts will take the stage at Lemon Hill, including the opening night concert with headliner Luis Fonsi of “Despacito” fame.

    You can even get some shopping done. The Philadelphia Festival Marketplace will showcase artisans and makers in the region, offering soccer swag, accessories, jewelry, original artwork, and more.

    For a full FIFA Fan Festival guide, read here.

    The best things to do this week

    Scenes from the opening night of Bok Bar — initially called Le Bok Fin — in 2015.Michelle Gustafson

    🌭 Eating good: The most iconic dishes in Philly! Check out The 76 list for must-try bites around the city. Our top 10 drops tomorrow!

    💃🏽 Enjoy Ballers After Dark: A new sports social club in Fishtown is transforming into a nightlife destination this Friday. Stop by to enjoy cocktails and sounds by DJs Quino, TJ Groover, and Shaka Sounds.

    🎉 Meet me at the Bok party: The 10th annual B[L]OK Party is celebrating a decade of Bok and the South Philly creative community. There will be a bouncy castle, live music, face painting, food trucks, art demos, and other family-friendly happenings on Saturday.

    🖼️ An affordable art fair: InLiquid’s annual Art for the Cash Poor returns to South Kensington on Saturday. More than 120 local artists will be at Crane Arts, offering original artwork priced at $250 or less.

    🏳️‍🌈 Karaoke brunch and drag magic: Among the many phenomenal Pride Month events in the region includes Pride on Passyunk. Join the fun this Sunday. There will be food and drink specials, karaoke brunch, drag performances, Pilates sessions, and other fun activities all day.

    📅 My calendar picks this week: Sounds of the World at Records Forever, A Lady Gaga Pride Party at Warehouse on Watts, Northeast Philly Beer and Drink Festival.

    North America’s largest African American street festival has returned

    An image of past iterations of Philly’s Odunde Festival. The free public festival is the largest African American street festival in North America, drawing up to 500,000 attendees each year. This year’s event marks the 50th anniversary of its founding.Courtesy of ODUNDE Festival

    The Odunde Festival, founded in 1975 by Lois Fernandez, makes its welcomed return.

    The weeklong cultural celebration culminates with a daylong celebration on Sunday.

    It begins with a spiritual procession that starts at 23rd and South Streets, and moves toward the Schuylkill, where participants make traditional offerings to Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of the river.

    Participants then return to South Street, where they can enjoy an array of foods, arts and crafts, and musical performances celebrating the African diaspora.

    Legendary band Bel Biv DeVoe is slated to headline this year’s festival. A variety of additional acts will perform across two stages. For more information about this year’s Odunde celebration, read my colleague Dugan Arnett’s story here.

    Spring fun this week and beyond

    🎶 An early Juneteenth celebration: Bartram’s Garden is hosting the Juneteenth Jubilee on Sunday. The event, recognizing the true emancipation of enslaved African Americans, will be a free, family-friendly event at Eastwick Pavilion filled with poetry readings, biking, music, and more.

    🇺🇸 Raise your flags: Flag Day Weekend 2026 is happening at the Museum of the American Revolution. The two-day celebration includes presentations of the original “suit of colors” set to a first-person theater performance.

    🎨 ArtPhilly What Now: An assortment of arts-centered events are taking place for ArtPhilly. Among the dozens of performances, exhibitions, and other events happening during the five-week-long celebration includes John Coltrane En Motion at FringeArts, the Say Yes, Philly! — American Street Dance Battle at the Sedgwick Theater, and more.

    🎭 The key to a new production: Pig Iron Theatre has a new production opening at Plays & Players Theatre this Saturday. It’s the Barrymore Award-winning production, Franklin’s Key, which explores what it would be like to discover Benjamin Franklin’s secret ability to change the weather during the War of Independence.

    Staffer picks

    Here’s pop music critic Dan Deluca’s list of the top concerts this weekend.

    🎸 Thursday: Stereo League, the Philly band that Alex Savoth leads with Dan King, will take the stage at Johnny Brenda’s on Thursday. The group will be joined by openers Max Davey and James Clark.

    🎤 Friday: Surrealist British songwriter Robyn Hitchcock, who mixes psychedelia with garage rock, is touring with an electric band that includes Philadelphia drummer Patrick Berkery. Hitchcock performs at Ardmore Music Hall on Friday.

    🎸 Saturday: Jack Antonoff is producer to the stars, but the New Jersey singer-guitarist also fronts Bleachers. The Antonoff-led band will hit the stage at the TD Pavilion at Highmark Mann this weekend.

    🎤 Also Saturday: Multi-talent Nick Jonas stops into Atlantic City to finish off his “A Night with Nick” tour at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena.

    Look, even if fútbol isn’t you’re thing, there’s plenty of places to kick it this weekend.

    Don’t miss out on all the festivities, and keep an open mind — you may just score a new find.

    — Earl Hopkins

    Courtesy of Giphy.comCourtesy of Giphy.com
  • Artist Miguel Horn’s sculptures will adorn new Avenue of the Arts median

    Artist Miguel Horn’s sculptures will adorn new Avenue of the Arts median

    The Broad Street Avenue of the Arts makeover project, which broke ground in January, is inching its way to completion.

    The remaking of the median on South Broad Street in front of the Kimmel Center, part of the larger AveArts 2.0 project, will now include the installation of a pair of sculptures by artist Miguel Horn.

    The South Philly-based artist, who is behind several public sculptures in the city, including Center City’s ContraFuerte, sought approval for the sculptures’ concept review in a Philadelphia Art Commission meeting on Wednesday.

    The sculptures are scheduled to be installed this fall and remain in place for five years.

    Artist Miguel Horn at Tacony Creek Park, 1101 E. Cayuga St., in the Juniata Park section of Philadelphia on Tuesday, September 13, 2022.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    The Broad Street renovation project involves reconstructing the median into a raised planter, adding landscaping, restoring pavement, and installing pedestals and lighting for the public art. The median construction is scheduled to be completed this month, while Horn’s sculptures will be installed in the fall.

    A Philly artist created a giant sculpture of his father’s head that disappears with the tides. Imagine his father’s surprise.

    Made of bright yellow powder coated steel, Horn’s sculptures will display a blurred image of moving pedestrians. The concept for the design, Horn said, came from him making Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) scans of buildings around Philadelphia. He began to notice something interesting when people walked in front of the scanner.

    “This section of the Reading Terminal Market at Filbert Street was flooded with pedestrians walking by, and these movements of pedestrians across this space created this tapestry of figurative elements, abstraction, and I just fell in love,” Horn said at Wednesday’s meeting.

    A rendering shows the median on South Broad Street in front of the Kimmel Center, part of the larger AveArts 2.0 project, which will include sculptures by artist Miguel HornCourtesy of OJB & Miguel Horn

    He then proceeded to go through the scans and select different movements to create the final sculpture design of walking pedestrians.

    “This Muybridge-like study of movement for me was the most compelling thing sculpturally I’ve seen rendered on a computer screen in years,” he said, referring to the pioneering photographer best known for creating The Horse in Motion (1878).

    Horn’s design did raise some concerns among attendees on Wednesday, including potential sight line blockages for motorists.

    In the meeting, he assured that there was no concern for safety. His presentation to the Arts Commission claimed that the sculptures would still allow for a 215-foot sight line of incoming traffic on either side of the median.

    A rendering shows the median on South Broad Street in front of the Kimmel Center, part of the larger AveArts 2.0 project, which will include sculptures by artist Miguel HornCourtesy of OJB & Miguel Horn

    “There will not be an interruption to any visual sight lines,” he said.

    Design Advocacy Group (DAG) vice-chair David Brownlee, who did not attend Wednesday’s meeting, considers planting trees in the median impractical.

    “No one has ever said to me that the problem with Broad Street is there’s no shade in the middle of the street,” he said. “Or that’s the problem with Broad Street is you get out of the street and you look up and see that tower of City Hall.”

    Rather than placing trees and sculpture in the middle of the road, Brownlee suggested widening of sidewalks and installing art on each side so pedestrians can view them while walking.

    Horn’s concept review for the sculptures was approved by the Arts Commission, with a final review expected at a later date.

    A rendering shows the median on South Broad Street in front of the Kimmel Center, part of the larger AveArts 2.0 project, which will include sculptures by artist Miguel HornCourtesy of OJB & Miguel Horn

    The AveArts 2.0 project aims to beautify Avenue of the Arts into a cohesive streetscape. The plan is to renovate all 10 blocks between City Hall and Washington Avenue at a cost of $15 million per block.

    Funding for the project is expected to be a mix of public money, corporate and individual donations, and foundation support.

    “I find this to be a reclamation of our public space through this figurative artwork,” Horn said. “I’m constantly trying to find opportunities to bring the human experience to the forefront of these public spaces.”

    A previous version of the article misstated the median project’s timeline. It will be completed this month.

  • A new streaming movie showcases McGillin’s Olde Ale House and its 165 years of tipsy memories

    A new streaming movie showcases McGillin’s Olde Ale House and its 165 years of tipsy memories

    Back in 2022, Eric Carosella, 28, was a young South Philly filmmaker searching for inspiration for his debut feature film.

    Bouncing ideas off a friend over beers in the cozy upstairs room of McGillin’s Olde Ale House — he had long been a fan of the storied and timeworn 165-year-old tavern on Drury Street — it hit him.

    History pours from every nook of Philly’s oldest operating public house.

    The sepia-toned ghosts and rogues gallery of tipsy-eyed merrymakers captured in the countless photographs paper the bar’s dark-paneled walls. A blue-collar mentality of survival has kept the suds flowing in an alehouse that has endured a Civil War, two World Wars, prohibition, a Great Depression, and two pandemics.

    Carosella didn’t need an idea. He was sitting in it.

    “It’s been the town hall of Center City for as long as it’s been there,” he said. “It has a history that’s really tangible — and a certain charm that you can’t really find anywhere else.”

    Bella Tierce from New Jersey watches as the Phillies Kyle Schwarber homers against the Padres while watching the game at McGillin’s on Oct. 18, 2022.Steven M. Falk / Staff Photographer

    On Thursday, Carosella’s documentary, McGillin’s: Philadelphia’s Oldest Bar, debuts on WHYY, with a watch party planned in the same paneled parlor where inspiration struck the director. This comes after a showing of the film at McGillin’s in October, when a packed house cheered and toasted the 42-minute documentary that tells the tale of a tavern — but also of a city.

    ‘Everyone has a McGillin’s story’

    Carosella made his four-year passion project through the local production company he founded after college, Clearbound Media, with friends and creative partners, Christopher Gaida, Brendan McCafferty, and Tina Duncan.

    The film quickly evolved into something more than just an ode to colorful characters and a history of the bar that Irish immigrants and husband and wife, William and Catherine McGillin, opened as the Bell in Hand Tavern in a rundown Drury Street trinity in 1860.

    Longtime patrons and employees packed McGillin’s Olde Ale House on Oct. 2, 2025, to watch a screening of “McGillins: Philadelphia’s Oldest Bar,” a documentary about the historic Center City bar.Courtesy of Eric Carosella

    That same year, a fellow named Abraham Lincoln got elected president.

    You can’t tell the story of McGillin’s without telling the history of the city, and its fiercely proud and passionate denizens, said Carosella, who studied film at Pace University and works days at his family’s South Philly building supply store.

    “It’s a place Philadelphians have been coming to connect and have fun and find love and watch sports for more than 150 years,” he said. “Everyone has a McGillin’s story.”

    Interviewees include McGillin’s co-owner, Chris Mullins Jr., whose family has run the bar since 1958; Philly urban historian Stephen Nepa; and famed brewmaster Carol Stoudt, who founded Stoudts Brewing Company in Adamstown in 1987, and whose beer has flowed from McGillin’s 31 taps for decades.

    Staff and proud regulars like Philly sports radio and TV personality Natalie Egenolf also make appearances.

    “There’s that tradition, oral history and family stories that keep people coming back year after year after year,” Mullins Jr. says in the film. “It’s part of my DNA, part of our customer’s DNA, part of our staff’s DNA. Not everyone can tell stories from a hundred years ago. We can.”

    And there are plenty of stories.

    Drunken politicians and late-night ragers

    Over the years, starlets and stars, and working stiffs have rubbed elbows at McGillins.

    Starting out, “Pa” and “Ma” McGillins raised 13 children in the upstairs rooms of their beat-up alehouse, which didn’t look anything like the bar today, even as it quickly expanded into connecting row houses. Reserved and spare, Pa McGillin stubbornly refused the pleas of his wife and customers to spruce up the joint, says Mullins Jr., who serves as the bar’s oral historian in the film.

    South Philly filmmaker Eric Carosella (center) poses with the crew of his debut feature documentary on McGillin’s Olde Ale House. The 42-minute film – McGillin’s: Philadelphia’s Oldest Bar airs on WHYY June 11. Tina Duncan, editor (L), Kyle Henley, second assistant director, Eric Carosella, director, Brenden McCafferty, camera operator, and Chris Gaida, producer.Courtesy of Clearbound Media

    After Pa’s death in 1901, Ma McGillin got to work. She tore the alehouse down and rebuilt it as it looks today. She also renamed Bell in Hand to its nickname, McGillin’s Olde Ale House.

    The iron-fisted alehouse matriarch took no guff. She posted a list of rowdy regulars who could no longer cross the sill, blacklisting even prominent Philly politicians and big-spending swells for breaking house rules.

    During the dry years of prohibition, Ma McGillin shut the front door of the tavern, and then quickly opened a side entrance, says Mullins Jr.

    “There are a lot of theories that we probably did operate through prohibition,” says Mullins Jr. “Being so close to City Hall, it’s quite possible that some of these people were sneaking in here for some of the beer that was left down in the cellar.”

    It was national news when Ma McGillin died in 1936. For a time, her daughter, Mercedes McGillin Hooper, and her husband, William “Doc” Hooper, ran things.

    Christmas decorations at McGillin’s Olde Ale House in a photo from 2024M.Fischetti

    “He was definitely a little wild,” Meg Woody, the Hoopers’ great-great-granddaughter, says of Doc.

    Doc Hooper’s legendary late-night parties at McGillin’s never suffered from a shortage of women.

    “Not like a tawdry house,” she says in the film, with a smile. “But there was definitely some experienced Philadelphia ladies hanging in the pub after hours.”

    Growing more legendary

    McGillin’s has since evolved into a craft beer bar, sports-watching haven, and match-making mecca. In February, the bar hosted a reunion for married couples who met at McGillin’s. It was packed.

    Coincidentally, the bar is also where Martino Picareiello, Carosella’s drinking partner that fateful night four years ago, met his soon-to-be-bride, Aimee.

    That same night when inspiration struck, right before walking out the door.

    What’s at the heart of Carosella’s film is the idea that what makes the bar truly rare is just how special a place it has in so many Philadelphian hearts.

    “We made this movie to showcase their stories,” he said, adding that for weeks after the crowd erupted in cheers at last year’s bar screening, he was flooded with emails from staff and patrons, old and new, who shared their own cherished McGillin’s memories.

    After its debut on WHYY, the documentary will be available to stream on PBS Passport. Carosella hopes to develop it into a larger series on America’s oldest bars.

    The thriving tavern only grows more legendary with each passing year, Carosella said.

    “And it truly deserves it,” he said.

    “McGillin’s: Philadelphia’s Oldest Bar” plays on WHYY-TV (Channel 12) on Thursday, 7:30 p.m. The watch party starts at 6:30 p.m. at McGillin’s Olde Ale House, 1310 Drury St. RSVP at events.ticketleap.com

  • Philadelphia is the birthplace of the nation. It’s also where the U.S. Army was founded.

    Philadelphia is the birthplace of the nation. It’s also where the U.S. Army was founded.

    The first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired in April of 1775 during the Battles of Lexington and Concord. And the colonists were victorious.

    The Second Continental Congress convened at Independence Hall the following month to ignite the pioneers’ fighting spirit and in June, they authorized the formation of the Continental Army, the first branch of the American military.

    “The Continental Army was established to wage war against Great Britain and to fight for the rights and liberties of Americans who still considered themselves a part of the British Empire,” explained Matthew Skic, director of collections and exhibitions at the Museum of the American Revolution.

    Artist Sean Bryant’s No. 1 design reflects discipline, service, and commitment, honoring the Army’s foundational role in the nation’s history and its enduring presence as a symbol of strength and perseverance.Sean Bryant and Colibrí Workshop

    “George Washington was appointed commander-in-chief. Nobody knows at this point the war [was] going to last eight years,” Skic said.

    The Philadelphia Historic District will honor the creation of the U.S. Army this Saturday at the Museum of the American Revolution. This weekend’s fete is the latest “Firstival,” a yearlong series of weekly day parties celebrating American events, places, and things with Philadelphia roots.

    The Revolutionary War escalated quickly, Skic said, and by early 1776, the Founding Fathers were debating sovereignty. In July, the colonists declared their independence. Three months later, Congress issued an official order renaming our young country from the United Colonies to the United States.

    “Now, the Continental Army isn’t fighting to restore the rights and liberties of British Americans,” Skic said. “It is now fighting to secure the independence of a new nation.”

    Historians may be divided over whether Betsy Ross designed the first American flag. But there’s no denying her early feminism.

    The Continental Army was originally made up of troops from New York, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware men quickly joined the fray, marching north and strengthening the Army’s force.

    Some soldiers from Pennsylvania had previously served in the volunteer militia, the Philadelphia Associators, founded by Ben Franklin in 1747 to defend the city against foreign invasion. The seasoned vets would go on to become leaders in the Continental Army.

    The Redcoats tried to capture Philadelphia in 1776, but Pennsylvania army men, led by Washington, held them off.

    The next year, Pennsylvania troops fiercely defended Philadelphia during the Battle of Brandywine in Chadds Ford but lost. The British occupied Philadelphia for nine months, through June of 1778, when they evacuated and reassigned troops to New York. Earlier that year, France formed an alliance with the United States and the British military decided to use its resources to protect New York.

    “The March to Valley Forge” December 19, 1777. The oil on canvas work was painted by William Brooke Thomas Trego in Philadelphia in 1883. It is conserved with funds provided by the Society of the Descendants of Washington’s Army at Valley Forge.Museum of the American Revolution

    “The British leave Philadelphia and they don’t come back,” Skic explained. “The Continental Congress moves back in [to Independence Hall] and Philly becomes the capital of the revolution again.”

    In the winter of 1778, the Continental Army retreated to Valley Forge and under the command of Prussian military officer Baron von Steuben, the Continental Army became a lean, mean fighting machine.

    Realizing that the Union’s alliance with France, combined with its improved military prowess, would likely mean they would lose the war, Britain began to retreat. On Sept. 3, 1783, officials signed the Treaty of Paris, formally recognizing the United States as an independent sovereign nation.

    The American Army fought valiantly during the Revolution, Skic said. Still, it’s important to note the conflict just didn’t impact America, a lesson our military would apply to subsequent wars.

    The American Army was strong, Skic said. “But the global element of the war had an important impact on securing the independence of the United States,” he said.

    This week’s Firstival is Saturday, June 13, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. Third St.

    The Inquirer is highlighting a “first” from the Philadelphia Historic District’s 52 Weeks of Firsts program each week. A “52 Weeks of Firsts” podcast, produced by All That’s Good Productions, drops every Tuesday.

  • Take a look inside the now-complete FIFA Fan Festival opening Thursday

    Take a look inside the now-complete FIFA Fan Festival opening Thursday

    A crowd packed with thousands of cheering fans, the 60-foot-wide screen playing the latest fiery matchup, and dozens upon dozens of food vendors await the FIFA Fan Festival, the cheapest and most immersive way to enjoy the 2026 World Cup in Philadelphia.

    Starting Thursday, the Fan Festival opens daily to 15,000 fans, for free, to roam the million square feet of festival grounds that have transformed quaint Lemon Hill into an almost unrecognizable extravaganza of global soccer.

    Here’s what you need to know before you go:

    Watching the game

    The main spectacle is the 60-foot screen that takes over the main stage in Lemon Hill, where the majority of fans will congregate to watch the match. But, throughout the festival are multiple smaller screens playing the game, so fans don’t miss a moment when they roam for food, fun, or the bathroom.

    “Even if you’re not a soccer fan, you can still come out and have a great time,” said Michael DelBene, executive producer of FIFA Fan Festival for Philadelphia Soccer 2026. “You can come and listen to music or eat delicious food, or shop.”

    The festival is intended for fans of all ages and promises to be kid and family friendly.

    Amenities

    Crew members make final preparations, including work on a 60-foot-wide screen, for a FIFA Fan Fest at Lemon Hill in Philadelphia on Tuesday, June 10, 2026.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    The Fan Festival delivers what many large-scale music festivals offer, with ways to enjoy the main attraction while also having side activities to keep you busy during a lull.

    Food and drink

    More than 80 local food trucks will serve up meals based on dishes from the many cultures across Philadelphia and, of course, the city’s very own, like cheesesteaks, pretzels, and more.

    Outside of food trucks, there will also be vendors selling beverage basics, such as water, soda, and beer, to the small bites like tacos and sandwiches. Pricing varies. Some vendors have beer and beverage prices at $10 or less. Many will also sell food menu items in the $15 to $25 range.

    A Michelob Ultra beer garden will welcome those 21 and over to a variety of brews, and the Coca-Cola corner has all the tasty carbonated beverages a fan could ask for.

    No outside food or beverage are permitted besides a reusable water bottle that can be filled at hydration stations. For a full list of what you can’t bring, visit phillyfwc26.com/fifa-fan-fest.

    Live music

    Throughout the festival, more than 50 live acts will grace the stage at Lemon Hill, including the opening night concert with headliner Luis Fonsi of Despacito fame. Festival showrunner DelBene said that while they’ll kick off the event with one of the biggest global artists, many local Philadelphia musicians and acts will rotate through the 39-day event.

    “It’s a really cool juxtaposition of global talent and the juxtaposition of local talent and culture,” DelBene said.

    Crew members make final preparations, including work on a 60-foot-wide screen, for a FIFA Fan Fest at Lemon Hill in Philadelphia on Tuesday, June 10, 2026.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Shopping and giveaways

    The Philadelphia Festival Marketplace will showcase the best artisans and makers the region has to offer with distinctive soccer swag, accessories, jewelry, original artwork, and more.

    Philly’s fan festival will also host the largest World Cup retail space across all 11 U.S. host cities. Sitting at 10,000 square feet, the Fanatics World Cup shop has everything a soccer fan needs for official tournament gear.

    Outside of shopping, many sponsors have built elaborate exhibits with interactive games and chances to win giveaways. Some of those sponsors include Kia, Bank of America, and The Home Depot.

    Accessibility

    ADA-accessible ramps are located throughout the festival and accessible public transportation is available entering and departing the venue. A golf-cart shuttle will also be available from the welcome center.

    Attendees have access to nursing stations, sensory booths, prayer booths, and meditation booths. ASL interpreters will be present throughout the event. Any questions can be directed to the welcome center booth or to staff with shirts.

    Inclement weather

    The festival will run rain or shine and will be canceled in case of any dangerous weather (thunder, lightning, high winds, or very high temperatures.)

    Getting around

    Crew members make final preparations, including work on a 60-foot-wide screen, for a FIFA Fan Fest at Lemon Hill in Philadelphia on Tuesday, June 10, 2026.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Location: East Fairmount Park’s Lemon Hill

    To enter the venue, go to the secured entry point at Kelly and Sedgley Drives.

  • Philly Music this week with Bleachers, Nick Jonas, Ryan Bingham, Indigo Girls, Tyler Childers, and more

    Philly Music this week with Bleachers, Nick Jonas, Ryan Bingham, Indigo Girls, Tyler Childers, and more

    This week in Philly music features Bleachers at the Highmark Mann, the Wayne Music Festival on the Main Line, the Indigo Girls in King of Prussia, Ryan Bingham in Fishtown, Tyler Childers in Hershey, Audrey Hobert at the Met, and Nick Jonas, Devo, and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie in Atlantic City.

    Wednesday, June 10

    Ryan Bingham

    Ryan Bingham has been making rough-cut traditional-leaning country music going back to his 2008 Mescalito debut, but it took him years playing a singing ranch hand on Yellowstone for him to gain a wide audience. Now that the show has run its course, the New Mexico-born singer and actor is back out on the road with his band, the Texas Gentlemen, touring behind his seventh album, They Call Us the Lucky Ones. 8 p.m., The Fillmore, 29 E. Allen St., thefillmorephilly.com

    Jobi Riccio opens for Deer Tick at Underground Arts on Wednesday. Her new album is “Face the Feeling.”Rett Rogers

    Audrey Hobert

    Audrey Hobert co-wrote six songs on Gracie Abrams’ 2024 album The Secret of Us. And the former writer for Nickelodeon sitcom The Really Loud House — which was developed by her father, Tim Hobert — wrote or co-wrote all 12 songs on her 2025 Who’s the Clown? debut, which was produced by Ricky Gourmet. It features a song called “Phoebe” that is not about Phoebe Bridgers but Lisa Kudrow’s character in Friends. 8:30 p.m., Met Philly, 858 N. Broad St., themetphilly.com

    Deer Tick

    Providence, R.I., roots rock quartet Deer Tick digs into the history of its hometown on its stylistically varied new Coin-O-Matic. The album is named after the vending machine company that was the headquarters for notorious mobster Raymond Patriarca. Colorado-born opener Jobi Riccio’s sophomore album, Face the Feeling, is one of the best albums of the first half of 2026. Deer Tick also plays a WXPN Free at Noon on Friday. 8 p.m., Wednesday, Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill, undergroundarts.org and noon, Friday, World Stage, 3025 Walnut St. xpn.org

    Tyler Childers sings Sept. 24, 2025, at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden. He plays Hersheypark Stadium on Thursday.David Hernandez / For The Inquirer

    Thursday, June 11

    Tyler Childers

    Country star Tyler Childers put on a thrilling show at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion last September, and the “Snipe Hunt Tour” — for the Kentucky songwriter’s 2025 album, Snipe Hunter — is making one last pass through the area with a show in Hershey. “IDK S— About Cars” singer Evan Honer opens. 8 p.m., Hersheypark Stadium, 100 Hershey Park Drive, Hershey, hersheyentertainment.com

    Philly songwriter Alex Savoth’s new album is “Midnight Sun.”Courtesy of the Artist

    Alex Savoth

    Stereo League, the Philly band that Alex Savoth leads with Dan King, is still a thing. But Savoth’s songwriting takes a more personal approach on Midnight Sun, his first solo album, which finds him moving in a warm-hearted, ruminative country-tinged songs direction, is produced by bassist Brendan McGeehan. Savoth stretches himself impressively as a vocalist on “Wild Sweet Love,” steel guitarist Mike “Slo-Mo” Brenner is all over the album, and the accordion on “Bound to Be” is played by Rob Hyman of the Hooters. Max Davey, who impressed at last month’s Bob Dylan Birthday Bash, opens, along with James Clark. 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com

    Friday, June 12

    Indigo Girls

    In April, the Indigo Girls’ Emily Saliers announced that she’s been diagnosed with two movement disorders that have had a significant effect on her singing, making it impossible for her to hold the long clear notes that are a hallmark of her harmonizing with musical partner Amy Ray. The announcement made by Saliers, who made her entry into musical theater with Starstruck (which premiered at the Bucks County Playhouse this winter), has been met with support from fans, including Brandi Carlile. “To say that we have Emily’s back is the understatement of the century,” Carlile posted on social media. Brian Dunne of Fantastic Cat opens. 7 p.m., Concerts Under the Stars, 175 Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia, concertsunderthestarskop.com

    Robyn Hitchcock

    Surrealist British songwriter writes clever and catchy songs that put his vivid imagination into play, and he mixes psychedelia with garage rock and a fixation on fish. His most recent album is 2024’s 1967: Vacations in the Past, a collection of covers from that year. He’s touring with an electric band that includes Philadelphia drummer Patrick Berkery. Emma Swift, whose set will likely include some Bob Dylan songs from her 2020 album, Blonde on the Tracks, will open and sing with Hitchcock. 8 p.m., Ardmore Music Hall, 23 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, ArdmoreMusicHall.com

    FILE – Gerald Casale, (from left), Josh Hager, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Bob Mothersbaugh of Devo perform Jan. 22, 2024, in Park City, Utah. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)Chris Pizzello

    Devo

    Devo is one of those bands that keep threatening to retire, and happily haven’t done so. Two years after the Mark Mothersbaugh-led Ohio band known for “Whip It” and “Wonderful World” kicked off their “50 Years of Devolution” farewell tour, the band known for wearing jumpsuits and flower pots on their heads is back in Atlantic City. 8 p.m., Event Center, Borgata, borgata.mgmresorts.com

    Saturday, June 13

    Wayne Music Festival

    This year’s headliner at the free fest in downtown Wayne is Cracker, David Lowery, and Johnny Hickman’s rock band, which scored hits with “Low” and “Euro-Trash Girl” in the 1990s. Music will happen on three outdoor stages, plus inside 118 North. Highlights are likely to include John Faye, viral a cappella sensations the Tonics, and Philly bands Nik Greeley & the Operators, Roberta Faceplant, and Lazy Villains. Plus, Oklahoma hotshot guitarist Johnny Mullenax. 1 p.m., North Wayne Avenue, Wayne, waynemusicfestival.com

    FILE – Jack Antonoff from the band Bleachers performs on NBC’s “Today” show on July 4, 2024. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)Charles Sykes

    Bleachers

    Jack Antonoff is producer to the stars — Taylor Swift, Lorde, Sabrina Carpenter, Lana Del Rey, St. Vincent, and Kendrick Lamar among them. The New Jersey singer-guitarist and former member of Fun also fronts Bleachers, whose fifth album Everyone for Ten Minutes, was released last month. Their song “The Van” contains a sample of Philly soul band Blue Magic’s “Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely.” In March, Antonoff charmed in a one-man Bleachers Free at Noon show. Hovvdy open. 8 p.m. TD Pavilion at Highmark Mann, 5201 Parkside Ave., highmarkmann.org

    Sun Ra Arkestra

    In the Orbit of Ra, a new Mural Arts Philadelphia artwork, will be unveiled Saturday between noon and 3 p.m. at 6353 Greene St. in East Germantown. That’s not far from the Morton Street house where Sun Ra moved the Arkestra in 1968 and where 102-year-old bandleader Marshall Allen still resides. Then on Saturday night, the band will celebrate with a show at City Winery. Noon, 6353 Greene St., muralarts.org and 8 p.m., City Winery Philadelphia, 990 Filbert St., citywinery.com/philadelphia

    Marshall Allen (second from right), performs with Sun Ra Arkestra at the Union Transfer on Friday, May 24, 2024.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    A Boogie Wit da Hoodie

    A Boogie Wit da Hoodie was born to be an artist. Quite literally: The Bronx rapper’s given name is Artist Julius Dubose. He’s the Father’s Day weekend main hip-hop attraction at the Shore, where he’ll headline Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in support of his new EP, Before Artistry. Openers are Hunxho and JI the Prince. 8 p.m., Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, 2301 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, boardwalkhall.com

    Nick Jonas in New York, May 19, 2026. With a starring role in “Power Ballad” and ambitions across mediums, the 33-year-old is carving a singular path. (OK McCausland/The New York Times)OK MCCAUSLAND

    Nick Jonas

    Last weekend, due to an interruption in Amtrak service, Nick Jonas made an unexpected stopped at Bardea in Wilmington for a meal. On Saturday, he’ll make a planned visit to Atlantic City to finish off his “A Night With Nick” tour in support of his new album, Sunday Best. 8 p.m., Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, 1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, casino.hardrock.com/atlantic-city

    Philly band Flight of Mavis play 118 North in Wayne on Saturday. Their new album is “Mavis Sings Mavis.”Courtesy of the Artist

    Flight of Mavis

    Frank Brown has been writing jangly, wistful, and immediately memorable power-pop songs for a variety of Philly bands for decades now. That list includes the likes of Buzz Zeemer and Travel Lanes. The first of those, Flight of Mavis, last released an album in 1989. But now there’s a terrific new one called Mavis Sings Mavis, with an album cover that nods to Harry Nilsson’s 1970 Nilsson Sings Newman. It reunites Brown with drummer Ken Buono, bass player Dave McElroy, plus guitarist John Cunningham. The quartet plays a show — it’s a matinee! — in Wayne ln Sunday. 2 p.m., 118 North, 118 N. Wayne Ave., Wayne, 118NorthWayne.com

  • Amy Poehler was cursed out at PHL once and she told Colman Domingo all about it

    Amy Poehler was cursed out at PHL once and she told Colman Domingo all about it

    Amy Poehler had somewhat of a rude welcome when visiting Philadelphia.

    “The only time I’ve ever been called a c-word to my face [was] at the Philadelphia airport [with Tina Fey],” the Parks and Recreation actor said, laughing, on the latest episode of her podcast, Good Hang.

    Poehler’s crime? Saying no to an autograph flipper.

    “Tina turned to me and she goes, ‘Welcome to Philly,’” Poehler added, referring to her close friend, the Upper Darby native and collaborator on last year’s “Restless Leg” comedy tour.

    Her guest on the podcast, West Philly native Colman Domingo, seemed to empathize but also rose to the defense of his hometown.

    “[Philly’s] a city of underdogs. Tina and I, we always talk about that,” said Domingo, who stars in Netflix’s The Four Seasons, on which Fey is a showrunner. “We’re like, there’s something, that Philly in us.”

    Fey, who grew up taking trips to Wildwood, has the characters in Season 2 of The Four Seasons taking their summer vacation at the Jersey Shore, as a nod to her Philly roots. Domingo, who attended Temple University, also vacationed down the Shore, frequenting Margate and Cape May.

    Domingo also recalled several Philly-specific memories from his childhood on the podcast, claiming that his parents “used to always throw the best parties.”

    “We lived in a rowhome in Philadelphia, and [in] the basement, we had a bar down there,” he said, adding that dancing was a big part of those house parties.

    “We dance like, do you remember that show Dancin’ on Air? With Kelly Ripa? They don’t move like that anymore. We moved like we were trying to hurt somebody.”

    Tina Fey as Kate and Colman Domingo as Danny in Season 2 of the Netflix comedy series “The Four Seasons,” premiering May 28.Emily V. Aragones/Netflix

    And just in case Poehler needed more convincing that Philly is largely a decent and fun city, Domingo made sure to name-check another famous West Philadelphian: Will Smith.

    “He was actually very friendly, everybody really liked him,” said Domingo of his fellow Overbrook High School alum.

    Domingo, whose latest release is Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, definitely has more convincing to do.

    “Philly makes Boston look like London, England,” said Poehler, referring to her Massachusetts hometown. “Philly is wild. [The Phillie Phanatic] is an insane person.”

  • Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Philly’s Stonewall Awards celebrating LGBTQ icons

    Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Philly’s Stonewall Awards celebrating LGBTQ icons

    Former President Joe Biden made a surprise appearance at the annual Stonewall Awards in Philadelphia on Sunday, delivering a 20-minute speech to a packed crowd in Center City.

    The award ceremony, started in 2022 by Philadelphia Gay News founder and publisher and participant in the 1969 Stonewall rebellion Mark Segal, recognizes those in the region advancing the LGBTQ rights in Pennsylvania. This year’s speakers, including Biden, took a moment to celebrate the decades of civil rights battles that led to Philadelphia becoming a cultural hub for queer people, but warned that the fight is only getting harder.

    “What I don’t think straight people understand is that you have risked a hell of a lot and it’s taken enormous courage to stand here today. You risk your jobs, your families, and your very lives for the cause of equality,” Biden said. “We need that courage today more than ever before. The fellow we have as president right now is not having a very positive impact on anything.”

    State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who is a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, surprised the crowd made up of LGBTQ organizations, media, and community members at the Arts Ballroom in the heart of the Gayborhood when he walked up to the stage with a trail of Secret Service agents and the 46th president. The ballroom erupted with cheers as the audience gave the duo a standing ovation. “I decided to bring a friend with me,” Kenyatta said to the crowd.

    State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta at the Capitol in Harrisburg on May 13, 2025.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Biden delivered prepared remarks but wasn’t shy about speaking from the heart, said Segal, who witnessed the police assault on the Stonewall Inn in 1969, a moment credited for spurring the modern queer civil rights movement.

    “I think that’s the magic of the Stonewall Awards. You’re in a room with people who want to feel unified and it’s a struggle out there these days thanks to the current administration,“ Segal said. ”This is the day that we get to celebrate ourselves and celebrate where we are and to say, ‘We’re never going back.’”

    The president shared stories of his granddaughters fearing for their gay friends as the White House pushes policies that strip rights from LGBTQ people.

    “Even though we made enormous progress, as we continue to make the final run here, progress is going to get tougher and the other team’s going to get rougher,” Biden said.

    Segal said the Stonewall Awards have brought local leaders and celebs like Gov. Josh Shapiro, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, and Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph to its stage in prior years. But Biden was a big surprise, said Jacen Bowman, the president of Philly Black Pride.

    “We didn’t know Biden would be there, but once we saw Secret Service, we knew something was up. After his speech, he walked right over to our table and spoke to my mom about the award I won and it was amazing,” Bowman said, whose mother is still elated over meeting the former president.

    Bowman received his second Stonewall Award on Sunday as he and his fellow organizers grow the organization’s cultural impact on the city and beyond. Bowman’s work hopes to not only bolster the community in a time of increased threats, but also highlight those who may get left out of the picture through murals like creating Finally on 13th, a celebration of Philadelphia’s underground ballroom culture, and remembering icons like the late Stacey Blahnik, a transgender woman and icon in the local ballroom scene whose murder is still left unanswered more than a decade later.

    “I love Philadelphia and being honored for my work in the city that has made me, broken me, and uplifted me — I’m so grateful,” Bowman said.

    Councilmember Mark Squilla and the Philadelphia Visitor Center received awards for their contributions to LGBTQ advocacy. Alex Niedbalski-Sykes and Ashley K. Lunkenheimer were also recognized for their contributions, including the work of Philadelphia Sisters, an organization that has vowed to bring more professional women’s sports teams to the city, especially after a WNBA team arrives by 2030.

  • The Weccacoe Playground is living proof of Philadelphia’s macabre history of grave robbing. Now it’s inspired a surprisingly funny play.

    The Weccacoe Playground is living proof of Philadelphia’s macabre history of grave robbing. Now it’s inspired a surprisingly funny play.

    The bodies of poor and Black Philadelphians have long been exploited in the name of medical progress — even after death.

    Grave robbing was a common practice among medical schools like the one at the University of Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the cholera outbreak created great demand for cadavers. Medical schools paid people to steal freshly buried corpses for medical students to conduct research in the hope of developing cures.

    Very often, a wealthy white population benefited from the cures derived from experimentation on these bodies.

    Black Philadelphians were denied burial in the city’s cemeteries, so many of these bodies were buried in potter’s fields without tombstones.

    In 1794, after being denied worship at Old City’s St. George’s Methodist Church, the formerly enslaved Richard Allen founded the Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, considered the world’s first AME congregation. In 1810, he purchased what today is called the Bethel Burial Ground.

    A statue of Bishop Richard Allen outside Mother Bethel AME Church.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    The minister, who would go on to become one of America’s most influential Black leaders, wanted Black Philadelphians to receive a dignified final resting place, with tombstones.

    Through her 2024 play The Great Privation (How to Flip Ten Cents Into a Dollar), Harlem-raised playwright Nia Akilah Robinson seeks to offer audiences a peek into this macabre history with Philadelphia roots.

    “This topic of grave robbing is a subject in which I had conversations around the dinner table with my parents,” Robinson said. “It is a practice that has a long and storied history in Philadelphia, especially institutions like University of Pennsylvania medical school, and these crimes continue today.”

    The play, set at Mother Bethel in 1832 and the present, is now being staged at Theatre Exile.

    It explores the history of grave robbing in America in the name of medical progress, through the story of a Black American mother and daughter who keep vigil over their recently buried loved ones’ graves to protect their bodies from grave robbers or “resurrectionists,” who were often white.

    Andre G Brown, Rayne, Aidan McDonald, and Semaja Murphy in “The Great Privation (How to Flip Ten Cents Into a Dollar)”Paola Nogueras

    “I saw the description of a play, talking about an African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1832 graveyard in South Philadelphia,” the Rev. Carolyn C. Cavaness of Mother Bethel said. “That’s Mother Bethel! That’s me.”

    “We can never divorce ourselves from where we come from and our roots,” said Cavaness, who was appointed the church’s first female pastor in 2024.

    The church sold the graveyard in 1889, and the plot of land became a playground, today called Weccacoe Playground.

    In 2014, amid a playground remodel, historian Terry Buckalew raised concerns about the human remains underground. These concerns were validated by a subsequent archaeological dig, and remodeling plans were halted until a plan for a re-memorialization of the Weccacoe/Bethel Burial Ground could take place.

    The Rev. Carolyn Cavaness celebrates worship service Nov. 11, 2024 after Mother Bethel AME appointed her the first woman pastor in its history. CAVANESS-TBDTom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Robinson first drove past Weccacoe Playground and Bethel Burial Ground during rehearsals for Theatre Exile’s production. Philadelphia-based director Ontaria Kim Wilson wanted her to see the place that she had been writing about.

    “When I was crossing into that block with Ontaria, as she was driving, I felt something, I can’t even explain it,” Robinson said.

    “In Philly, there is a lot of respect paid toward talking about the history through those signs of what happened here. Sometimes when I go past those [historical markers], I see a tribute, and I feel a sadness. I get why it’s there and I also [think] maybe we need more plays doing that, too.”

    Today, members of the Mother Bethel congregation, families visiting Weccacoe, and the thousands of Philadelphians and tourists walking past this small playground hold the juxtaposition of young life and centuries-old resting souls at once.

    Philadelphia-based director Ontaria Kim Wilson has directed Nia Akilah Robinson’s 2024 play “The Great Privation (How to Flip Ten Cents Into a Dollar),” which is now playing at Theater ExileCourtesy of Theater Exile

    Theatre Exile is partnering with Mother Bethel to offer the production crew a more real-world context to the story of the play. Cavaness met with Wilson and attended the first rehearsal and will participate in post-show discussions during the run of the production.

    “You always have the contesting and the non-acceptance of Black bodies being fully human,” Cavaness explained. “‘You’re not fully human, so I can do with your pieces, I can do with your body, as I see fit.’”

    Cavaness can’t help but think of Allen, who was initially buried in front of Mother Bethel.

    “They would have people guarding his body. Again, this notion of protecting the dignity and of having to reinforce that and to show that,” she said.

    Playwright Nia Akilah Robinson’s 2024 play “The Great Privation (How to Flip Ten Cents Into a Dollar),” is now playing at Theatre Exile.Courtesy of Theater Exile

    Organizations like the Mütter Museum and Penn Museum hold the remains of Black people and Native Americans in their collections and in recent years have faced significant public backlash over their acquisition and display. The Mütter has engaged in extensive community programming regarding its background as a medical history museum while receiving criticism that its efforts to repatriate the remains of Indigenous people have moved too slowly. Penn has embarked on internment and repatriation processes that some critics and families argue have been flawed and rushed.

    “We are the caretakers of this history. We are entrusted,” Cavaness said. “We have a responsibility to care for and uplift and to say their names and their stories. They just can’t go away.”

    These real-world, very local connections continue to inspire Wilson’s direction of the play in preparation for sharing it with the descendants of those buried in the Bethel Burial Ground. The Great Privation could rely on its inherent didacticism, but Wilson’s direction is focused on uplifting the love story of a mother and daughter, and Robinson’s surprisingly humorous writing.

    Robinson hopes the play can be received as a comedy, even as it holds so much grief.

    Semaja Murphy and Rayne in “The Great Privation (How to Flip Ten Cents Into a Dollar)”Paola Nogueras

    “I hope that [the audience] find themselves laughing. And I hope that Philly audiences feel like this play was written with care,” said Robinson.

    “It’s Philadelphia. It’s the birthplace. It’s another chapter in who we are as a nation,” said Wilson. “And I think it’s important that, especially during this time, we grab onto any information that we can learn about this American experiment.”

    “The Great Privation (How to Flip Ten Cents Into a Dollar)” runs through June 14, Theatre Exile, 1340-48 S. 13th St., theatreexile.org/tgp25

  • The Visitor Center is adding new locations and pop-ups at PHL, Reading Terminal Market, and the Parkway

    The Visitor Center is adding new locations and pop-ups at PHL, Reading Terminal Market, and the Parkway

    Big things are happening in Philadelphia this summer.

    With the FIFA World Cup, MLB All-Star Game, and the nation’s 250th birthday celebration expected to draw millions of tourists this summer, the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation is gearing up to offer an even warmer welcome to tourists.

    The visitor center’s nearly $600,000 expansion includes new locations at the Philadelphia International Airport and Reading Terminal Market, plus two pop-up resource tents along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

    “For visitors, we want them to see a visitor center for every five to seven minutes on their walk from the Historic District to the Parkway,” said Kathryn Ott Lovell, president and CEO of the Visitor Center.

    America 250 signage in Independence Visitor Center in Independence National Historical Park March 12, 2026.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    The PHL outpost will be located at the airport’s Terminal AL West, dedicated to international and trans-Atlantic travelers. A former MAC Cosmetics retail space will be temporarily transformed into a 1,000-square-foot visitor center, complete with maps, attraction tickets, itinerary planners, and Commonwealth-branded souvenirs and merchandise. Incoming and departing visitors will also be able to send postcards with images from notable Pennsylvania sites.

    The Reading Terminal visitor center will be stationed near the entrance at 12th and Filbert Streets, at the site of a now-closed Visitor Center.

    The new one, Lovell said, will be larger and have dedicated staff and volunteers running the kiosk. The hope, she said, is to make it a permanent resource for visitors.

    The two visitor centers are under construction. Lovell said the plan is to open at least one by June 15, and have both fully operational within the next two weeks.

    The PHL Visitor Center will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the Reading Terminal Market location will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

    The organization is also adding an air-conditioned Visitor Center tent at LOVE Park, and another across from the Oval at the end of the Parkway. These tents will be filled with souvenirs and retail items, flash tickets, transportation information, and other offerings. There will also be a water station and public restroom trailers that will be open to all visitors.

    President and CEO of Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation Kathryn Ott Lovell speaks at the Bells Across PA event in celebration of America’s 250th Birthday in Philadelphia, on Jan. 16, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Starting Thursday, the resource tents will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. throughout the 39 days of the FIFA Fan Festival Philadelphia, ending July 19.

    Along with paid Visitor Center staff, the nonprofit will position hundreds of volunteer greeters at these new Visitor Center locations. The bulk of these volunteers have already signed on as Phambassadors, who’ll act as the city ambassadors and connect visitors to the area’s many attractions. The program, launched in 2025, has already recruited more than 10,000 members.

    Volunteers will include 26 high school students from Saints Neumann Goretti High School and the Girard Academic Music Program. These students are part of the newly-launched Youth Phambassador Program, designed in partnership with Temple University’s Lenfest Center for Community and Workforce Partnerships. It is aimed at training aspiring hospitality professionals on customer service, visitor engagement, and civic leadership.

    Tiphanie White (center), chief of staff in Council President Kenyatta Johnson’s district office, joins Michelle Freeman (left), CEO of Witty Gritty and Kathryn Ott Lovell (right), president & CEO of the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation and Philadelphia250, during a pep rally in LOVE Park Tuesday, Apr. 29, 2025, to kick off the city’s recruiting of 10,000 “Phambassadors” to serve as Philly champions, advocates, and storytellers ahead of America’s 250th birthday in 2026. The event featured pom-poms, foam fingers, a giant pledge card, all five Philly pro sports mascots (plus Temple’s owl), a DJ, cheerleaders, drum lines, and pep bands.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    The volunteers will be tasked with providing directions, offering recommendations, and other on-the-ground assistance throughout their six-week, paid summer work experience.

    Lovell said the cost to build out and operate the two visitor centers for six months will total an estimated $400,000. The tents will cost roughly $200,000 to operate for six weeks.

    This investment, she said, is made possible through fundraising and support from funders such as Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, Visit PA, and the Connelly Foundation.

    The expansion, Lovell hopes, will not only raise the profile of the city as a global tourism destination for 2026, but for many years beyond this summer.

    “This is our Super Bowl,” Lovell said. “We’re the Visitor Center. We’re the welcome wagon. We’re the ones that help connect visitors to their amazing experiences throughout our city.”

    This article has been updated to reflect that the Reading Terminal visitor center kiosk will be run by staff and volunteers.