{"id":465092,"date":"2025-12-22T20:34:18","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T20:34:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/465092\/"},"modified":"2025-12-22T20:34:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T20:34:18","slug":"philly-preps-for-first-time-new-years-eve-concert-extra-fireworks-and-mummers-parade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/465092\/","title":{"rendered":"Philly preps for first-time New Year\u2019s Eve concert, extra fireworks, and Mummers parade"},"content":{"rendered":"

Philadelphia\u2019s supercharged New Year\u2019s Eve festivities next week will set the stage for a banner year of special events in 2026 while aiming to give all residents, and a host of visitors, ways to celebrate the holiday, Mayor Cherelle Parker and city officials said Monday.<\/p>\n

Parker touted the first-ever, free New Year\u2019s Eve concert and fireworks show on the Parkway, which will be followed by simultaneous midnight fireworks shows both there and at the Delaware River waterfront. An earlier, family-friendly fireworks show over the river will take place at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we stand on the eve of our nation\u2019s 250th birthday, here in the birthplace of American democracy, we also carry a special responsibility at this moment that I also don\u2019t want us to forget,\u201d Parker said. \u201cThat\u2019s a responsibility to celebrate in ways that not only uplift our city, but that honor our history and bring people together while ensuring that all of these moments are safe, respectful and welcoming for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"From left, Mayor Cherelle Parker, Jennifer Nagle of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Jazella Jones, City Representative and director of special events, spoke at City Hall about Philadelphia\u2019s New Years celebrations. Dec. 22, 2025. (Quinton Davis\/City of Philadelphia)<\/p>\n

The four-hour concert will feature performances by LL Cool J<\/strong>, Philadelphia DJ Jazzy Jeff<\/strong>, musician and music director Adam Blackstone<\/strong> \u2014 who will perform a new song about Philly called \u201cBrotherly Love\u201d \u2014 the hard rock band Dorothy<\/strong>, and Technician the DJ<\/strong>. It\u2019s the headliner\u2019s return to the city after cancelling his Wawa Welcome America concert<\/a> on July 4 in support of the then-striking municipal workers.<\/p>\n

The evening will conclude with \u201cthe largest fireworks show the city of Philadelphia has ever seen,\u201d said Joseph Forkin, CEO of the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation. Rockets will launch from three river barges rather than the usual single barge.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom 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. That means more places across the city for everybody to gather, celebrate and enjoy the magic,\u201d he said at the City Hall press conference Monday.<\/p>\n

The #1 tourist destination<\/p>\n

The mayor and other officials described the amped-up celebration next week as another example of Philadelphia\u2019s rising profile as a tourist destination. Parker noted that USA Today this month declared the New Year\u2019s Day Mummers parade as the best holiday parade<\/a> in the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was giddy the first time I heard it and I read it. I read it about three times in a row. Philadelphia has firmly established itself as a New Year celebration destination,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a recognition of a tradition that is uniquely Philly and proudly community-driven.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also showed off a copy of a Wall Street Journal article from over the weekend, which named the city as the number-one place to visit in 2026, thanks to the raft of events planned for the coming months \u2014 six World Cup games, ongoing celebrations of the nation\u2019s 250th anniversary, and a week of activities centered around Major League Baseball\u2019s All-Star Game.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia 2026 director Michael Newmuis said the city has invested over $120 million and worked with more than 60 agencies and community groups to produce activities next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re investing in free arts and cultural programming, block parties and beautification projects, and neighborhoods across our great city,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Visitors planning to attend events, conferences and meetings have already booked 1.5 million room-nights in the city\u2019s hotels for 2026 and are projected to spend $950 million, said Jennifer Nagle, a vice president at the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau.<\/p>\n

She urged visitors coming for New Year\u2019s to stay for a night or two, see the Mummers parade, and explore the city\u2019s other attractions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen visitors stay overnight, that impact reaches our hotel workers. That impact reaches our restaurants, that impact reaches our cultural institutions, our small businesses, our neighborhood,\u201d she said. \u201cNew Year\u2019s isn\u2019t just a celebration, it\u2019s an economic engine, and we will feel it throughout the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

Space for 25,000 concertgoers<\/p>\n

Officials said they have been planning the New Year\u2019s activities for months, including logistics and security for the concert.<\/p>\n

The show will be held at Eakins Oval, below the Art Museum steps on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. It will be fenced off, with a single entrance where attendees will be scanned for weapons and prohibited items, and have their bags checked.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Entrance is free on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees can start entering at 6 p.m. and the show will start at 8 p.m. The entrance point is at Binswanger Triangle, 2300 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, at 22nd Street.<\/p>\n

The central Oval area will have capacity for 10,000 people, and the outer area will have space for another 15,000, said Scott Mirkin, CEO of ESM Productions, the event organizer. The site is wheelchair accessible and will offer ADA-compliant portable toilets. Large screens will be installed so attendees standing far from the stage can view the concert.<\/p>\n

\"\"A slide advertising LL Cool J\u2019s New Year\u2019s Eve concert in Philadelphia was shown at a City Hall press conference. Dec.22, 2025. (Quinton Davis\/City of Philadelphia)<\/p>\n

On the waterfront, the Cherry Street Pier and Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest will be offering live entertainment, food and \u201ccozy cabins\u201d to escape the cold throughout the evening, and a replica Liberty Bell will be lowered at the pier to celebrate the New Year, Forkin said. The fireworks will be broadcast on NBC10 and Telemundo 62, and KYW News Radio will carry the fireworks soundtrack.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With temperatures forecast to fall into the 20s by midnight, Parker said she has asked city staff to see if they can set up ways for concert attendees to stay warm.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hoping and praying for heat lamps. I\u2019m not guaranteeing them, Philadelphia,\u201d she said, while adding that past events had demonstrated that \u201cwhen we get together, our energy will make heat and warmth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Officials instructed eventgoers to dress warmly in layers, stay dry, wear mittens instead of gloves, cover their mouths with scarves or masks, and make sure small children stay warm, especially babies.<\/p>\n

No gunfire, please<\/p>\n

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said the city will be using sanitation trucks to block automotive access to the concert area, as it has done for years to prevent the type of vehicle attacks on crowds that have occurred in other cities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The police department will be flying drones and helicopters, too, and have marine units out on the rivers. It also has a \u201csignificant deployment plan\u201d for security during the parade on Jan. 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He urged attendees not to try to bring guns or knives to the concert, and made the city\u2019s annual plea for residents not to engage in celebratory gunfire<\/a> anywhere in the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust remember, whatever you put into the air will come down,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson likewise urged people not to set off fireworks, which are illegal in Philadelphia, or even to light sparklers, which he said can reach 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit and cause severe injuries.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeave all the pyrotechnics to the professionals,\u201d he said. \u201cConsider giving glow sticks and things like that to children if you want to celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n

To receive updates from the city\u2019s public safety team about weather, event status, and other alerts, residents can text NYEPHL to 888777.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Road closures planned<\/p>\n

The city will close a number of roads and post \u201cTemporary No Parking\u201d signs in and around the concert area. Vehicles parked during the posted hours will be towed to a different location. To find a relocated car, call the police district of the area where the car was parked.\u00a0<\/p>\n

From 8 a.m. on New Year\u2019s Eve through about 6 a.m. the following morning, these roads will be closed:<\/p>\n