The City of Brotherly Love is full of happenings—including in the New Year. Philadelphia in 2024 is full of spirited activations, amazing shows and much more, and we’ve got the scoop on it all.
Madonna at the Wells Fargo Center
In late January, Madonna will be taking over the Wells Fargo Center in celebration of the 40th anniversary of her hit ‘Holiday.’ The show, which will take place on Thursday, Jan. 25, will feature songs from the performer’s entire catalog and was rescheduled from an earlier December date.
Madonna has sold over 300 million albums and holds the record for the most successful tour by a solo artist in history. She is a seven-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, producer and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., the show begins at 8:30, and tickets are available online.
New updates to the Franklin Institute
The FI recently announced the unveiling of a new brand identity and logo, which coincided with the debut of the $8.5 million ‘Wondrous Space’ exhibit. The timing also matches up with the preparation of the venue’s 200th anniversary in 2024.
What this means for the FI is that 12 exhibits will be turning into 6 exhibits, with each leg of the new showcase doubling in size. The exhibits will all focus on different topics ranging from space, the human body, advanced machines and robotics, earth systems, computer science, and the built environment.
And as a release states, the upcoming exhibits—debuting over the next few years—will be adaptable and future-focused, evolving as science advances, and from a design perspective, they will push the boundaries of creativity and immersion.
Center City District Restaurant Week
Philadelphia is known as a city full of food and sought-after dining destinations, and the best way to check out some of what Philly has to offer on the culinary front is Center City District Restaurant Week—and luckily, some new updates have been made for the 2024 occasion that is fastly approaching.
The food-filled promotion kicks off this month on Jan. 21, and will run until Feb 3. What this annual culinary celebration offers is the chance for Philadelphians to indulge in prix-fixe three-course dinners for $45 ($60 at some), plus $20 lunches (depending on the spot) at over 90 Center City restaurants. A full list of participating spots can be found online.
2024 is chock full of festivals
It’s a jam-packed year full of both some old favorites and new additions to the festival scene in the City of Brotherly Love. Firstly, the year will see a bevy of Lunar New Year celebrations and festivals, and once the weather gets a bit warmer, activations like the Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival, South 9th Street Italian Market Festival, Philadelphia Latino Arts and Film Festival, ODUNDE Festival and more will be in full swing.
A little later in the year, some returning favorites including the Manayunk Arts Festival, Philadelphia Film Festival, Kennett Square Mushroom Festival, Doylestown Arts Festival and more will be in full swing.
FDR Park renovations
FDR Park in South Philadelphia is currently undergoing a massive $250 million revival plan that will transform the greens over the next decade, according to discoverphl.com. During the planning process, the project team spoke to over 3,000 community members and stakeholders in 7 different languages through surveys, stakeholder interviews, community meetings and community design workshops.
The work is currently in its Nature and Picnic & Play phase with a focus on things like nature trails, treehouse woods, fields, playgrounds, the picnic plaza and more.
Nicki Minaj at Wells Fargo Center
The springtime in Philadelphia in 2024 will hold many concert opportunities, including when Nicki Minaj comes to town on Friday, March 29. Nicki Minaj Presents: Pink Friday 2 World Tour is the largest tour to date for the songstress and will feature some of her best hits, some tickets are still available online.
Stage shows will take over Avenue of the Arts
Philly is no stranger to the art of the stage, but in 2024, it seems like theater is truly taking over the city in every season, especially at the Kimmel Cultural Campus. The winter months will see ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ at the Academy of Music and ‘Giselle’ from the Philadelphia Ballet at the same venue. When the spring comes, Philadelphians can get tickets for ‘Frozen’ and ‘Hadestown’ both also at the Academy of Music.
And what about the summer? Tickets will be available for two shows at the KCC’s famous venue: ‘Funny Girl’ and ‘Mamma Mia!’.
