Powered by major bookings such as the 40th edition of WrestleMania, the most successful live event in the brand’s history, and the Alzheimer's Association’s International Conference, which brought in more than 12,000 attendees from 100-plus countries, Philadelphia enjoyed record-breaking visitation last summer.
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day 2024, Center City Philadelphia sold more than 1.6 million room nights, the highest ever recorded in the city.
Delivering these winning results at the bureau’s annual luncheon last November at The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia CVB President and CEO Gregg Caren praised the 850-plus local hospitality professionals for “bringing the city to life” for conventioneers and international visitors.
“This city is a tapestry of history, culture, art and innovation—and every single one of you plays a part… Philly is more than just a city—it's an experience that calls people back time and again,” Caren said.
Like the church bells that rang across the city on July 4, 1776, as word of the Declaration of Independence spread, Philadelphia has been summoning people for major events for 250 years, with the siren call extending to the neighboring Countryside Region.
All Hands on Deck for 2026
Teamwork makes the dream work in Philadelphia, where more than 80,000 people support tourism, conventions and events.
As Larry Needle, executive director of the bureau’s PHL Sports vertical, shared following the WrestleMania success, “Our venue partners and hospitality community are willing hosts that step up every time to host new events.”
That mentality bodes well for the two years ahead as Philadelphia readies to welcome the world with an epic run of major events starting this summer with FIFA Club World Cup action. Eight matches are scheduled for Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL Philadelphia Eagles, including a quarterfinal contest on July 4.
Philadelphia’s blockbuster 2026 starts next January with the 70th anniversary edition of PCMA Convening Leaders. Founded here in 1956, PCMA is the world’s largest community for meeting and event planners.
Sporting competitions retake the field with first- and second-round March Madness NCAA basketball action at the Wells Fargo Center, followed by the 97th MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in April.
The following month, the PGA Championship returns to the Aronimink Golf Club in nearby Delaware County after first hosting the event in 1962. The banner year culminates in early June when FIFA World Cup soccer lands in Philadelphia for the first time.
Renamed “Philadelphia Stadium” in accordance with FIFA’s corporate naming rules, Lincoln Financial Field hosts six matches, five in the group stage and one in the knockout round. Scheduled for July 4, 2026, the latter coincides with Philadelphia’s starring role in the national celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
In 1976, Philadelphia hosted the MLB All-Star Game to celebrate America’s bicentennial. The Midsummer Classic remains a big draw, with more than 100,000 fans expected to attend the 2026 edition. With international visitor spending up 27% last year over 2023, the World Cup is poised to send those numbers soaring.
Soccer, or football outside of the U.S., has long scored big in Philadelphia. Lincoln Financial Field, capacity 69,328, opened in 2003 with a sold-out match between Manchester United and FC Barcelona. The stadium has hosted major global competitions including the CONCACAF Gold Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup and international friendlies. Last July, Liverpool bested English Premier League rival Arsenal in a 69,879-person sellout, a record soccer turnout for the venue.
Those were warm-ups for the FIFA Men’s World Cup, the planet’s premier sporting event. Host committee Philadelphia Soccer 2026 anticipates upwards of 500,000 people for the six matches, with a total economic impact of $770 million. Add the other 2026 events and Philadelphia can expect hundreds of thousands of overseas visitors alongside domestic travelers.
The planning logistics for 2026 are as voluminous and complex as the FIFA bid book. With 250 years of proactively considering and coordinating every facet of hosting and executing events, Philadelphia’s tightly knit tourism and hospitality community, government and business partners, and other stakeholders are ready to roll.
[Related: Inspiration Is Around Every Corner in Philadelphia and Valley Forge]
Meeting and Exceeding Group Goals
Philadelphia has been synonymous with history-making events since 1776. Celebrating 100 years of American independence, the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufacturers, and Products of the Soil and Mine of 1876 (or Centennial Exhibition), attracted 10 million paying visitors.
Modern benchmarks include the 2015 visit of Pope Francis and 2016 Democratic National Convention. Hosting readiness of late has centered on continuing investment in expanding infrastructure, including the Philadelphia Sports Complex, Pennsylvania Convention Center and the city’s hotel package, to create an integrated, extended single-event campus.
“Our accessibility and our compact footprint are major advantages for supporting major single-day or multi-day bookings,” Needle said. “Easy to reach and navigate once you’re here, Philadelphia itself essentially becomes the venue, which speaks to our strengths as a destination and the package we’re able to deliver for large-scale events.”
Increasing international airlift support includes five new American Airlines’ nonstop seasonal routes. Launched in 2024, Copenhagen; Nice, France; and Naples, Italy; return this year, along with Milan and Edinburgh, Scotland.
Last June, USA Today readers named Philadelphia the nation’s “Most Walkable City to Visit” for the second consecutive year. Credit city founder William Penn’s grid system for this ambulatory advantage, which he purposefully laid out for navigational ease. Penn also realized his vision of a “Green Countrie Towne” in 9,200-acre Fairmont Park, the largest landscaped city park in the nation.
In its 2024 ranking of the nation’s top 30 convention venues, The Wall Street Journal named the centrally located Pennsylvania Convention Center first for walkability.
Offering 1.1 million-plus square feet of total space, the center has made $78.8 million in capital investments over the past four years. Aligned with Philadelphia’s goal of becoming a zero-waste city by 2035, numerous upgrades went to reducing the building’s carbon footprint. Last June, the center opened a new 1,000-square-foot onsite training center to “provide team members with the training and skills needed to deliver the best possible experience to customers.” The venue is within walking distance of 14,400-plus hotel rooms, with nearly 60,000 rooms area-wide.
In another potential event infrastructure boost, plans were announced last February for the phased $2.5 billion transformation of the Philadelphia Sports Complex, including a 5,000-square-foot concert venue and hotel. With a combined capacity of 133,000-plus seats, Lincoln Financial Field, the Wells Fargo Center and Citizens Bank Park host approximately 380 events and around 7 million fans each year.
Reflected by the higher tourism spend, visitors are staying longer to experience the city. For event attendees, mixing pleasure with business is a breeze, with a comprehensive product set across all categories.
[Related: Meet Mike Kunda: Philadelphia’s Ambassador to Rockyland]
A Mosaic of Inspiration
Originated as “The Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts” in 1824, The Franklin Institute opened in 1934 as a "Wonderland of Science.” Turning 200 last year, the nationally preeminent science center was a fitting stage for Caren’s homage to Philadelphia’s “tapestry of history, culture, art and innovation” at the PHLCVB luncheon. Versatile rentals include the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Hall, featuring a 20-foot statue of Franklin under an 82-foot domed ceiling.
Evoking the Champs-Élysées in Paris, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, or Museum Mile, is a world-class cultural corridor. Lined with international flags, this grand boulevard stretches from Lenfest Plaza, home of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Facing the Pennsylvania Convention Center, PAFA dates to 1805 as the nation’s first school and museum of fine arts. Visual highlights at the event-capable Victorian Gothic landmark include artist Claes Oldenburg’s 51-foot-high outdoor Paint Torch sculpture, honoring the act of painting.
Originated in 1874 as the Art Gallery of the Centennial Exposition, charted in 1876 as the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art, and relaunched as a museum in 1877, the hilltop Philadelphia Museum of Art commands the cityscape and captures the imagination like a Greek temple airlifted from antiquity. Completed in 2021 following two decades of planning and four years of construction, the Frank Gehry-led “Core Project” reimagined the institution’s interiors while preserving the main building’s classical 1928 facade.
Housing 200 galleries of world-class art and hosting intimate affairs up to 6,000-person conventions, the museum also attracts up to 4 million visitors annually who come from around the globe to run its famed 72 “Rocky” front steps. As Sylvester Stallone’s iconic movie franchise approaches its 50th anniversary in December 2026, commemorative events include the newly inaugurated Rocky Day and RockyFest.
Groups can also book the museum’s nearby Perelman Building and Rodin Museum. Neighboring the latter is the Barnes Foundation. Relocated in 2012 from his Merion, Pennsylvania, mansion to its new $150 million home on Museum Mile, collector Albert Barnes’ ensemble of Renoirs, Cézannes, Picassos and other Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early Modern masterworks sets a breathless backdrop for classes and events in the 800-capacity Annenberg Court and other exquisite spaces.
Taking the art outside is the world-renowned Mural Arts Program. In 1984, former Mayor Wilson Goode hired muralist Jane Golden to tackle the city’s widespread graffiti issue through the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network. Inspiring local street artists to redirect their creative energies, Golden embarked on a bold plan of transforming buildings in neglected neighborhoods into works of art.
Forty years and 4,000-plus murals later, the organization, still led by Golden, is the nation’s largest public art program and a global model for transforming public space and community through art. Groups can book private guided tours and make their mark by helping to paint a mural.
Mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar is another local hero who rescued Philadelphia through art. Part of an activist coalition that defeated plans to run an expressway through South Street in 1974, Zagar and his wife Julia later began transforming properties in the neighborhood into mosaic wonderlands of glass, tile, figures and other found items. Today, his labyrinthine Magic Gardens is the centerpiece of a neighborhood-wide art installation. Group programs include guided tours and mosaic workshops. Zagar’s works are also part of the permanent collections at PAFA and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.Main stages along the Avenue of the Arts, running south of City Hall on Broad Street, include the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the Academy of Music, home to the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Ballet. Built by Oscar Hammerstein in 1908 north of City Hall on Broad, the Metropolitan Opera House was reborn in 2018 as the Met Philadelphia concert venue following a $56 million renovation. Inaugurated by Bob Dylan, the restored landmark hosts 50- to 3,800-capacity events.
In 2015, the Quebec City, Quebec-based Organization of World Heritage Cities named Philadelphia the first World Heritage City in the U.S.
Crowned by tour-capable Independence Hall, the UNESCO World Heritage Site where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were signed, Philadelphia has 67 National Historic Landmarks, with 600-plus properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
With much more in the group portfolio, including a dynamic dining scene that is a story unto itself, high impact events are a way of life in Philadelphia that find a more leisurely speed in the neighboring four-county Countryside region.
Creating a classic town-country balance, the quartet of destinations includes Montgomery County, where popular group venues include Valley Forge Casino Resort and the landmark IACC-certified Normandy Farm Hotel and Conference Center. In 1777, the Continental Army straggled into Valley Forge for its winter encampment, emerging with renewed determination for their eventual defeat of the British. Established in 1893 as Pennsylvania’s first state park, Valley Forge National Historical Park, open year-round, never fails to inspire.
Alluring draws in Bucks County include the Andalusia Historic House, Gardens and Arboretum, and Doylestown’s “Mercer Mile” trio of the Mercer Museum, Fonthill Castle and Moravian Pottery and Tile Works. Diverse venues in Delaware County range from the Wayne Art Center and Drexelbrook Event Center to the circa-1927 Media Theatre and Tyler Arboretum.
Plus: Midsummer Nights and Other Dreams in Chester County’s Brandywine Valley
Regaled as “America's Garden Capital” for its deep-rooted horticultural history, the pastoral Brandywine Valley unfolds across southeastern Pennsylvania’s Delaware and Chester counties, extending into Delaware’s New Castle County. Signature group coordinates include Longwood Gardens.
George Pierce, a Quaker, originated the property as a farm in 1700. His descendants later added an arboretum. By 1850, the trees of “Pierce’s Park” were nationally renowned. The Brandywine is du Pont country, dotted with the family’s mansion-estates. In 1906, Pierre S. du Pont purchased the park to save the trees from the lumber mills and began fashioning gardens after those in Italy and France.
Today, this Chester County charmer is North America’s most-visited paid public garden. Encompassing 1,100 acres of dazzling outdoor gardens, woodlands and wild meadows, Longwood features a magnificent Grand Conservatory, giant topiary figures and unrivalled fountain system.
Unveiled last November, “Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience” is an unprecedented revitalization project that expanded 17 acres of public space with new buildings and landscapes. Highlights include a new 32,000-square-foot glasshouse housing an immersive Mediterranean Garden and new outdoor gallery for Longwood’s preeminent bonsai tree collection.
Group venues include a new home for 1906, Longwood’s fine-dining restaurant. The former space features an outdoor section facing a forest. Housed in a vaulted space behind the Main Conservatory’s original retaining wall, the new space overlooks the iconic Fountain Garden and its spectacular summertime water shows. The 18-capacity private dining room comes with an exclusive view of the culinary team at work. Evocative, too, is the new 500-capacity Fountain Room event space, and Main Conservatory, accommodating up to 1,000-person receptions.
The Brandywine’s idyllic beauty also captured the hearts of artists including Howard Pyle. Renowned as the “Father of American Illustration,” Pyle established The Brandywine School, describing his style and the local artist colony that emerged in the 1800s. His students included Massachusetts-born N.C. Wyeth, who achieved equal fame as an illustrator along with his son Andrew and grandson Jamie.
Renowned for the Wyeth family works that distinguish its outstanding six-gallery collection of American art, The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art in Chadds Ford is a world-class institution dedicated to preserving the art and natural environment of Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Housed in a restored 19th-century mill with a steel and glass addition by the Brandywine River, the museum’s spiraling interior, evoking the Guggenheim in NYC, sets an evocative stage for after-hours dinners and receptions, docent-led gallery tours included. Overlooking the river, the brand-new, 30-capacity Waterview Room is available for full-day and half-day rentals.
Groups of up to 40 can book seasonal visits to the nearby Andrew Wyeth Studio and N.C. Wyeth Home and Studio. Both convey a powerful sense of time, place, and creative energy, as if the Wyeths themselves were present. The docents are first-class storytellers.
The spirit of visionary artist Wharton Esherick is also strong at his namesake museum (Wharton Esherick Museum) in Malvern. Set on 12 wooded acres atop Valley Forge Mountain, this wonderland campus includes Esherick’s fantastical studio-home, which he hand-crafted over 40 years, incorporating Arts and Crafts, Expressionist and organic designs. Primarily an ingenious wood sculptor, Esherick worked in many forms and is regarded as the leader of the studio furniture movement. Guided tours are available by advance reservation from March through December, along with programs and exhibitions: www.brandywinevalley.com.
