⚽ 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.

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.

🌭 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.

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.

🎶 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.

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