Sep 8–27, 2026
Philadelphia Fringe Festival
Citywide venues
The 30th Fringe: 330+ independent theater, dance, and immersive performances over three weeks.
Verified August 2026 · Updated as Dates Are Announced
What's coming to Philadelphia.
The conventions, festivals, exhibitions, and games headed to Philadelphia from now through early 2028 — every date checked against the organizer's own site, the not-yet-announced ones labeled honestly, and the events that aren't happening called out so you don't plan around a ghost. Written by the hosts of an 8-bedroom house two blocks from Rittenhouse Square, because event weeks are exactly when a whole house beats six hotel rooms.
Mark These First
Five dates that will book out the city.
Dec 11, 2027
Army–Navy Game returns
America's Game comes back to Philadelphia for the 91st time, at Lincoln Financial Field — the city's biggest hotel-demand weekend. (In 2026 it's at MetLife Stadium in NJ — don't be fooled by stale pages.)
Jun 7–10, 2027
BIO International Convention
The world's largest biotech gathering — 20,000+ attendees. Expect citywide hotel compression all week.
Nov 20–22, 2026
Philadelphia Marathon weekend
One of the largest fall marathons in the US; the 2026 race is already sold out, so the lodging demand is locked in.
Mar 13–21, 2027
PHS Philadelphia Flower Show
The nation's largest horticultural event, back at the Convention Center — historically one of the city's top hotel weeks.
May 28–31, 2027
Memorial Day double-header
NCAA men's lacrosse championships at the Linc (May 29–31) and FAN EXPO Philadelphia (May 28–30, ~50,000 expected) at the Convention Center — stacked on one weekend.
Fall 2026
September through Thanksgiving.
Sep 18–20, 2026
Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show
Rittenhouse Square — 2 blocks from the house
The fall edition (22nd annual) of the juried outdoor show around the park — ~145 artists, collectors from across the Northeast. The original spring edition, which the organizers date to 1928, returns each June.
Sep 2026 concerts
Stadium season at the Linc
Lincoln Financial Field
Bruno Mars (Sept 1–2), Ed Sheeran (Sept 19), and AC/DC (Sept 29) — three stadium acts in one month, per the stadium's own calendar.
Oct 1–25, 2026
Philadelphia Film Festival / REEL October
Three Philadelphia Film Society theaters
The 35th festival (Oct 15–25) inside a month of repertory programming. Screenings run at the Philadelphia Film Center (1412 Chestnut, an eight-minute walk from Rittenhouse Square) plus PFS Bourse and PFS East in Old City — check your ticket for the venue.
Oct 2 – Nov 7, 2026
Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary
2027 Fairmount Ave
Five haunted houses inside a real abandoned prison — the successor to Terror Behind the Walls draws weekend trips from NY to DC.
Oct 9–11, 2026
Rittenhouse Square Fall Fine Craft Show
Rittenhouse Square — 2 blocks from the house
150+ fine-craft artisans around the Square, the same weekend as the Made in Philadelphia fall market at Dilworth Park.
Nov 6–8, 2026
PMA Contemporary Craft Show — 50th edition
Pennsylvania Convention Center
The Philadelphia Museum of Art's national juried craft show turns 50; serious collectors fly in (preview gala Nov 5).
Nov 20–22, 2026
Philadelphia Marathon Weekend
Start/finish at the Art Museum
Marathon (Sun), half marathon + 8K (Sat), expo at the Convention Center — the fall's single biggest visitor weekend. The 2026 marathon and half are sold out; the 8K and Kids Run were still open at last check.
Nov 26, 2026
6abc Thanksgiving Day Parade
Benjamin Franklin Parkway
The oldest Thanksgiving parade in the country — held since 1920, four years before Macy's started theirs.
Holidays & New Year
Holiday season 2026 into January.
Nov 13 – Jan 1
Holiday markets at City Hall
LOVE Park & Dilworth Park
Christmas Village (Nov 21 – Dec 27) and the Made in Philadelphia holiday market (Nov 13 – Jan 1) — the German-style Christkindlmarkt circuit, plus the Rothman ice rink.
Nov 14 – Dec 3, 2026
RockyFest 50
Citywide, centered on the Rocky Steps
The film's 50th anniversary, opening with the Rocky Run on Nov 14 and closing on the city's designated “Rocky Day,” Dec 3. (Some listings still show a December-long festival — the organizer's run is these three weeks.)
Dec 4–6, 2026
PAX Unplugged
Pennsylvania Convention Center
One of the country's two largest tabletop-gaming conventions — tens of thousands of attendees, and groups of six-to-eight gamers sharing a house is the signature booking pattern.
Dec 4–31, 2026
Balanchine's The Nutcracker
Academy of Music
Philadelphia Ballet's four-week run spans the whole holiday travel season, ten minutes' walk from the house.
Dec 12, 2026
Penn Museum's new Egypt Galleries open
Penn Museum, University City
The first phase of the largest renovation in the museum's history — including the tomb chapel of Kaipure.
Jan 1, 2027
Mummers Parade
Broad Street, City Hall to Washington Ave
America's oldest continuous folk parade, since 1901 — and the Broad & Pine free viewing stop is four blocks straight down Pine Street from our door.
Winter & Spring 2027
Auto Show to Memorial Day.
Jan 16–24, 2027
Philadelphia Auto Show
Pennsylvania Convention Center
Nine days, hundreds of vehicles — note it moves earlier in 2027 than recent editions.
Feb 13, 2027
Star Wars: The Experience — world premiere
The Franklin Institute
Philadelphia is the exclusive world-premiere city for the 50th-anniversary exhibition — 18,000 square feet of artifacts from the Lucasfilm archives, running into early September 2027 per press coverage. Tickets on sale November 2026.
Mar 13–21, 2027
PHS Philadelphia Flower Show
Pennsylvania Convention Center
The nation's largest and longest-running horticultural event, in PHS's 200th-anniversary year — garden clubs book multi-night trips.
Mar 13–14, 2027
Ivy Madness at the Palestra
The Palestra, Penn campus
The Ivy League's basketball championship weekend comes to the Palestra for the arena's 100th anniversary.
Mar 26–29, 2027
NCAA Women's Basketball Regional
Xfinity Mobile Arena
Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight — one of only two regional sites in the country, hosting six games and eight teams' fan bases across four days.
Apr 1, 2027
Phillies Home Opener
Citizens Bank Park
The 2027 home opener vs. Washington — note the season itself opens Mar 25 in D.C. 81 home dates in all, through the Sept 24–26 closing series.
Late April 2027 · dates TBA
Penn Relays
Franklin Field, University of Pennsylvania
The oldest and largest track meet in the country, with a famously international crowd — typically the last full weekend of April.
Apr 24, 2027
Luke Combs stadium show
Lincoln Financial Field
The one stadium concert announced for 2027 so far, per the stadium's calendar.
Early May 2027 · dates TBA
Broad Street Run
Broad Street, north Philly to the Navy Yard
The largest ten-mile race in the US (~40,000 runners, lottery entry) — typically the first Sunday in May.
May 28–31, 2027
NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships + FAN EXPO
Lincoln Financial Field + Convention Center
Lacrosse's championship weekend (May 29–31, ninth time in Philadelphia) stacked with the city's comic con (May 28–30) across one Memorial Day weekend.
Summer 2027 & Beyond
Festival season to Army–Navy.
Late May / early June 2027 · dates TBA
Roots Picnic
Venue TBA (2026 was Belmont Plateau)
The Roots' hometown festival, curated by Questlove and Black Thought — a fly-in festival that sells out. It moved to Belmont Plateau in 2026; the 2027 date and venue are both unannounced.
Jun 7–10, 2027
BIO International Convention
Pennsylvania Convention Center
The global biotech industry's premier gathering — the largest citywide convention of the window, in the field's hometown.
Jun 13, 2027
Odunde Festival
23rd & South Street — a 10-minute walk from the house
The largest African American street festival in the country, celebrating the Yoruba new year across ~15 blocks; festival week runs June 6–12.
Late June 2027 · dates TBA
Manayunk Arts Festival
Main Street, Manayunk
The tri-state's largest outdoor juried art festival — ~300 artists, typically the last full weekend of June.
Juneteenth – July 4, 2027 · dates TBA
Wawa Welcome America
Benjamin Franklin Parkway & citywide
The city's official Independence Day festival, ending with the Parkway concert and fireworks — July 4 in the city where it happened. Recent editions have opened on Juneteenth and run to the Fourth; 2027 dates aren't posted yet.
Jul 28 – Aug 8, 2027
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Academy of Music
The touring production lands ten minutes' walk from the house — a strong family-trip anchor for late summer.
Sep–Nov 2027 · dates TBA
The fall classics return
Citywide
Fringe (Sept), the Rittenhouse art and craft shows (Sept/Oct), Eastern State's Halloween Nights, the Film Festival (Oct), marathon weekend (Nov), and the Thanksgiving parade — 2027 dates land through spring and summer.
Dec 11, 2027
Army–Navy Game
Lincoln Financial Field
America's Game returns to its historic home for the 91st time — the Corps of Cadets and the Brigade of Midshipmen both march on, a citywide military-alumni weekend, and the strongest single booking date on this page. Plan Thursday-to-Sunday.
Conventions
Who's bringing thousands to town.
Major meetings at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (12th & Arch — about 20 minutes' walk from Rittenhouse Square), verified with each organizer. When these are in town, Center City hotel blocks fill first.
| Dates | Event | Why it matters for lodging |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 14–17, 2026 | ACI-NA Annual (airports industry) | 200+ North American airports' leadership in town |
| Sep 14–17, 2026 | Fierce Pharma Week | ~3,000 pharma commercial leaders |
| Sep 29 – Oct 1, 2026 | NRPA Annual Conference | Parks & recreation professionals nationwide |
| Oct 25–28, 2026 | LeadingAge Annual Meeting | 6,000+ aging-services professionals |
| Nov 12–15, 2026 | Society for Neuro-Oncology | The leading international brain-tumor meeting |
| Nov 19–22, 2026 | NCTE Annual Convention | Thousands of English teachers; Margaret Atwood keynotes |
| Dec 4–6, 2026 | PAX Unplugged | The premier US tabletop-gaming con |
| Jan 8–10, 2027 | Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention | Hundreds of visiting artists, multi-night stays |
| Feb 4–6, 2027 | APTA Combined Sections Meeting | 14,000+ physical therapists — hotel blocks overflow |
| Feb 11–13, 2027 | SPSP Annual Convention | 3,500+ social psychologists |
| Feb 20–24, 2027 | Biophysical Society Annual Meeting | ~5,000 scientists, five-day stays |
| Mar 1–5, 2027 | ASCE 2027 (civil engineers) | National convention, first combined edition |
| May 3–7, 2027 | ASGCT Annual Meeting | Gene & cell therapy's leading meeting; Philadelphia is a center of the field |
| May 28–30, 2027 | FAN EXPO Philadelphia | ~50,000 expected — comics, anime, gaming, cosplay |
| Jun 7–10, 2027 | BIO International | 20,000+ — the biggest citywide of the window |
| Jul 17–20, 2027 | AALL Annual (law libraries) | Legal information professionals nationwide |
| Oct 23–27, 2027 | ASRM Scientific Congress | Reproductive medicine, worldwide attendance |
| Nov 7–10, 2027 | APHA Annual Meeting | ~11,000 public-health professionals |
| Dec 4–8, 2027 | Cell Bio 2027 (ASCB|EMBO) | Several thousand cell biologists, five-day stays |
The Convention Center's public calendar under-lists citywide meetings — several of the largest above appear only on the organizers' own sites. We re-check quarterly.
Exhibitions
Shows worth planning a trip around.
Through Jan 3, 2027
The Declaration's Journey
Museum of the American Revolution
The flagship America250 exhibition — 120+ artifacts tracing the Declaration's global influence.
Sep 20, 2026 – Jan 10, 2027
Noguchi to Asawa: Designing Postwar America
Barnes Foundation
Two generations of Japanese American sculptors and designers, about a 20-minute walk from the Square.
Oct 10, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027
Marcel Duchamp
Philadelphia Museum of Art
The first North American Duchamp retrospective in over 50 years — in the city that holds the world's greatest Duchamp collection.
Through Jul 5 / Sep 5, 2027
A Nation of Artists
Philadelphia Museum of Art + PAFA
The two-museum, 1,000-work America250 blockbuster — PMA through July 5, PAFA through September 5, 2027.
Feb 13 – early Sep 2027
Star Wars: The Experience
The Franklin Institute
The exclusive world premiere: the Franklin Institute calls it the only place on Earth to see it first. A North American tour follows, but no second city has been announced.
Through Jan 3, 2028
Seeking Profit and Power
Independence Seaport Museum
Philadelphia and the China trade after independence — the longest-running show in this window, per the exhibition's announcement.
Season Rhythms
The schedules you can set a watch by.
The teams
Eagles home Sundays run September into January at Lincoln Financial Field (the 2027 schedule drops each May). The Phillies play 81 home dates April–September at Citizens Bank Park; the Sixers and Flyers share Xfinity Mobile Arena October–April. All three venues sit in the same South Philadelphia sports complex.
The stages
The Broadway series runs September into August (2026–27 highlights: The Great Gatsby, Hell's Kitchen, Maybe Happy Ending, Phantom in June 2027, Cursed Child that July); the Philadelphia Orchestra plays Marian Anderson Hall from late September into early June. Broadway plays the Academy of Music, Forrest, and Miller theaters — all a short walk from the house — and 2027–28 seasons are announced in early 2027.
Getting to all of it
From Rittenhouse Square: the Convention Center is a ~20-minute walk; the Academy of Music ten minutes; the stadiums a straight ride down SEPTA's Broad Street Line from Walnut-Locust to NRG Station, with express sports service on event days.
The Honest List
What's not happening.
Stale pages and fake listings cost travelers real money. These are the events people still search for that are not on Philadelphia's calendar in this window:
- Made in America Festival: not held since 2022 and not scheduled — ignore the fake September 2026 listings with recycled 2021 lineups circulating on ticket-aggregator sites.
- The Army–Navy Game in December 2026 is at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, not Philadelphia. It returns to Lincoln Financial Field on December 11, 2027.
- The Wanamaker Building's Christmas Light Show is dark for 2026 and 2027 while the building is renovated — its farewell season was 2025, and it's expected back around 2028.
- No NCAA men's March Madness games in Philadelphia in 2027 (the men's rounds here were March 2026). Philadelphia's 2027 tournament event is the women's regional.
- The America250-scale layer of programming winds down at the end of 2026 — what carries into 2027 is the museum exhibitions above. Philadelphia's regular festival calendar (Welcome America, Odunde, Roots Picnic and the rest) continues as normal.
Common Questions
Event-trip planning, answered.
When is the Army-Navy Game in Philadelphia again?
Saturday, December 11, 2027, at Lincoln Financial Field — the game's 91st time in Philadelphia and its first here since December 2022. The December 2026 game is at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, not Philadelphia. Expect Philadelphia lodging to book out for the December 9–13, 2027 window.
When is the Philadelphia Flower Show in 2027?
March 13–21, 2027, indoors at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (the outdoor FDR Park editions were pandemic-era only). 2027 is also the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's 200th anniversary.
Is the Made in America festival happening?
No. It has not been held since 2022 and no edition is scheduled. Listings for a 2026 edition on ticket-resale sites recycle old lineups and are not real — check the festival's own site before planning a trip around it.
When is the Philadelphia Marathon?
November 20–22, 2026: the half marathon and 8K on Saturday the 21st and the marathon on Sunday the 22nd, starting and finishing at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The 2026 marathon and half marathon sold out (charity-partner bibs may remain); the Rothman 8K and Kids Run were still open at last check. The 2027 edition typically lands the weekend before Thanksgiving; dates come from the organizer.
Where do visitors stay for Pennsylvania Convention Center events?
The Convention Center sits at 12th & Arch in Center City, about a 20-minute walk or a 5-minute ride from Rittenhouse Square. Groups attending PAX Unplugged, FAN EXPO, or academic meetings often prefer a whole house in Rittenhouse over splitting into convention-block hotel rooms — our 8-bedroom house two blocks from the Square sleeps 16.
How do you get to Eagles games and the stadiums from Center City?
SEPTA's Broad Street Line (the B) runs straight down Broad Street to NRG Station at the South Philadelphia sports complex — home of Lincoln Financial Field, Citizens Bank Park, and Xfinity Mobile Arena — with express sports service on event days. From Rittenhouse Square, board at Walnut-Locust, four blocks east of the park.
Sources
Where these facts come from.
Every historical claim on this page traces to the sources below. If you find an error, tell us and we will correct it.
- 1Organizers' own sites, linked per event
Every dated entry above links to its organizer or venue; each date was checked there on August 27, 2026.
- 2Army-Navy Game — future sites announcement
Philadelphia hosts the 91st Philadelphia edition in 2027; 2026 is East Rutherford, NJ.
- 3Pennsylvania Convention Center — events calendar
Venue listings for the Flower Show, Auto Show, and many conventions above.
- 4NCAA — championship host site selections
The 2027 women's basketball regional and men's lacrosse championships in Philadelphia.
- 5Visit Philadelphia — festivals & events
Secondary confirmation for citywide traditions and America250 programming.
- 6SEPTA — sports express service
Broad Street Line (B) service to NRG Station at the sports complex.
- 7The Franklin Institute — Star Wars: The Experience
World-premiere run opening February 2027; tickets on sale November 2026.
- 8Wanamaker Light Show status
6abc: the building is under construction during the 2026 and 2027 holiday seasons.
Event Weeks Are Group Weeks
When the city fills up, stay together.
Marathon crews, lacrosse families, PAX gaming groups, wedding parties, Army–Navy alumni contingents — event travel is group travel, and hotel blocks split groups across floors at peak rates. 1822 Pine Street sleeps 16 across 8 bedrooms, two blocks from Rittenhouse Square, with two kitchens and one table that seats everyone. For the big dates above, book early — we hold only one calendar.
How this page stays honest
Every date above was verified against the organizer's own site on August 27, 2026. Entries marked “dates TBA” are reliably annual events whose next edition hasn't been announced — we'd rather say that than guess. Spot an error or a new announcement? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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