The city’s revamped July 4 concert is impeding on World Cup fans’ Rocky time
For most, this is a minor inconvenience. For Croatian fans, it forced them to relocate their pre-game rally and march.
As soon as international soccer fans arrived in Philadelphia for the World Cup, they continued a time-honored tradition of gathering en masse at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps, thrusting their fists to the sky as Sly Stallone did 50 years ago, and rallying for their team to victory.
From the thousands of Ecuadorian fans draping soccer jerseys on the Rocky statue, inadvertently cursing the Ecuador national team before it lost to Ivory Coast, to Brazilian fans staging security guards to deter fans from doing the same, and Iraqi fans waving their flags at the top of the steps — Rocky and its picturesque views of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway have been a staple of Philly’s World Cup.
However, last week, a stage spanning the width of the steps was erected in front of the Rocky statue, leaving two narrow walkways to access the iconic landmark. Metal fencing ushers tourists through a walkway behind the under-construction stage, which will soon host the One Philly: Unity Concert for America on July 4 — the city’s revamped Fourth of July concert, which had been known as the Wawa Welcome America July 4th Concert for more than a decade.
“Because of the magnitude of this year’s event, organizers needed to properly position the stage back to where they’ve done large scale events before at the Art Museum,” a spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office of Communications said about the placement of the stage.
For most, this is a minor inconvenience. For Croatian fans, it forced them to relocate their pre-game rally and march.
“People did want to start the parade at the Rocky steps, and some people were upset by it,” said Croatia supporters organizer, Daniel Pedisich. “But, some of our fans went to Rocky on their own, and in some ways, maybe we avoided that Rocky curse?”
Before the Croatian fan delegation would go on to cheer the checkered-clad team to a win against Ghana on Saturday, Pedisich said the city encouraged them to relocate their parade elsewhere along the Pakway. They settled for Con Murph’s Irish Pub on 17th Street.
Before the fan parade Friday, Bosko Katic, known to friends as “Coach Bosko,” was sporting red and white checkered overalls and a Croatia-themed cowboy hat as he waited for the fan parade to start at the new location. Croatians know how to bring joy to everyone they meet, Katic said, so while the delegation didn’t begin their march with Rocky, they still found ways to make memories — including crashing a wedding photoshoot at City Hall.
“We couldn’t gather at Rocky because there is something happening there, so we changed the parade route,” Katic said. “But it does not matter anyway — we always bring party, happiness, and love to everybody who is around us.”
Later that weekend, as tourists made their way to the Art Museum steps, squeezing by each other in the walkways, El Salvadorian World Cup fan Stephanie Rodriguez took photos of the steps while standing behind the stage. While Rodriguez admits she’s never seen a Rocky film, the site is “one of those things in pop culture that’s so iconic that you have to see it — like you can’t go to Philly and not see the Rocky steps," she said.
While the large stage perplexed her, she said she was able to eke out some great photos with Rocky, as the statue itself was accessible and not blocked from view.
“I mean it was surprising because I wasn’t expecting to see such a big stage in front of the Rocky Steps, but I think the photos are coming out great,” Rodriguez said.
The concert will turn the Parkway into a festival on July 4 from 3 p.m. until midnight, when a fireworks finale caps the night. Some of Philadelphia’s most prized musical acts will headline, from The Roots and Jill Scott to Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, plus Meek Mill, Beanie Siegel, and Freeway are scheduled to perform starting at 5 p.m.
