What to know about the NYE concert in Philly
From security to road closures, here's how Philly is managing its first-ever New Year's Eve concert.
Philadelphia, get ready to party in 2026.
City officials want New Year’s Eve to set the tone for what’s slated to be a year of blockbuster celebrations for the country’s 250th birthday.
“We want the city to feel the excitement, and quite frankly, the potential of 2026 from the very beginning,” said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker in a Monday news conference that laid out the details of the New Year’s festivities and hyped up the public for other events such as the FIFA World Cup and the 2026 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
The city will host its first-ever New Year’s Eve concert featuring LL Cool J, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Los Angeles rock band Dorothy, and Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts graduate Adam Blackstone — no tickets required and free.
The Ben Franklin Parkway will open at 6 p.m. so people can have enough time to get through security scanners before the concert kicks off at 8 p.m. In all, some 25,000 people are expected to fit in the secure perimeter, according to event planners.
Blackstone will premiere his new song, “Brotherly Love,” and the music will keep going until the countdown and fireworks.
The Delaware River Waterfront Corp., which has operated a barge full of fireworks for approximately 30 years, will be kicking up the pyrotechnics a notch with three barges. As usual, there will be two fireworks shows along the river, one at 6 p.m. and another at midnight.
“From Spruce Street Harbor Park to Cherry Street Pier, from Pennsport to Port Richmond, from the Parkway to the waterfront, we are going to light up the Philly sky for 2026,” said DRWC president and CEO Joseph Forkin.
People can take part in an assortment of family-friendly activities at Cherry Street Pier and Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest, which are ticketed experiences. A replica of the Liberty Bell will leave the National Liberty Museum for the night to ring in the new year at the pier.
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said police will be out in full force — as is the norm, specific numbers of officers deployed were not disclosed — and reminded the public to celebrate safely, and leave the weapons at home if they’re going to the concert. Bethel also encouraged people to ditch the dangerous tradition of celebratory gunfire.
Bethel noted the 1999 case of Joe Jaskolka, only 11 years old at the time, who was struck in the head by so-called celebratory fire.
“Get your pots and pans and bang the pans,” Bethel said, reminding residents that what goes up must come down.
Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson offered a similar safety warning regarding fireworks: Leave it to the professionals. Even sparklers aren’t safe, he said. Though often seen as a safe alternative for young people, Thompson said they are not, burning at 1,500 degrees.
Still, officials feel confident that New Year’s Eve celebrations will be a boon for Philadelphia’s spirits and ideally the economy, though Parker said the final price tag was not yet available — a report on the cost and return on investment will be available after the event is done, she said.
Yet New Year’s Eve is only the beginning and a bit of a test run for the rest of the year.
The very next day, the Mummers strut on Broad Street with plumes and satin with a brass accompaniment.
After that, it’ll be a spate of sporting events and conventions, on top of already scheduled events like Wawa Welcome America.
Jennifer Nagle, with the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the year is already looking to be a busy one for hotels and that new traditions, such as the New Year’s Eve concert, along with external recognition from places like the Michelin Guide, are placing the city on the “national and global stage.”
Nagle said 1.5 million room nights are set to be booked in Philadelphia. Visitors are additionally projected to spend $950 million, which will result in $1 billion in economic impact.