As 2025 comes to a close, Metro Philadelphia is taking a moment to reflect on the milestones, triumphs and events that shaped the past 12 months in Philadelphia.
For the first time ever, Philadelphia earned a spot in Michelin’s 2025 Northeast Cities Guide, with local chefs and restaurants taking home 35 honors across a variety of categories. In Philadelphia, chef/owners Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp’s Her Place Supper Club, chef/owners Chad Williams and Hanna Williams’ Friday Saturday Sunday, and chef/owner Nicholas Bazik’s Provenance all earned one star.
Some local establishments earned a Bib Gourmand recognition as well, while other venues earned a "Michelin Recommended" nod. Pietramala also earned Philly’s only Michelin Green Star.
November marked an uncertain time for millions of Americans as SNAP lost its funding, and many faced the loss of their food stamp benefits. To help Philadelphians in need, some area businesses did what they could to bring food to families’ tables and aid people who were struggling. Some spots offered reduced rates or extra resources, while others offered full meals at no cost.
Created from a partnership with The Barnes Foundation and The Calder, Calder Gardens opened in September as a 1.8-acre site designed to inspire a new approach to museums and art in the area by allowing the showcase — which incorporates different structures and outdoor focal points — to speak for itself.
Bar None, another Parkway project opened in August and remained on site through late October. From Philadelphia-based artist Nicolo Gentile, the showcase was constructed to honor the Parkway as an ongoing place of assembly for both visitors and Philadelphians alike.
Marsha’s opened in September as the city’s first sports bar centered on queer women and women’s sports. Founded by Chivonn Anderson, the bar was created to fill a gap in local sports culture, more specifically, to become a place where women’s sports and LGBTQ+ communities (especially queer women and trans folks) are visibly celebrated.
This year, Watch Party PHL also announced plans to open its first brick-and-mortar location, The Stoop Pigeon, in May of 2026. The first-of-its-kind women’s sports hub is "dedicated to celebrating, supporting, and growing Philadelphia’s vibrant women’s sports community." They also debuted a special brew, the Philly Is a Women’s Sports Town Pilsner ahead of time to celebrate.
Under the new leadership of Producing Director and CEO Nell Bang-Jensen, the 2025 Philadelphia Fringe Festival saw record-breaking participation from both artists and audiences. Over 1,200 performances of 350 shows and events took place during its run. Audiences increased 15% from 2024, with more than 35,000 Fringe Festival tickets sold. The festivities featured over 320 productions and experiences throughout the city, bringing together an impressive number of local and international artists for the month-long occasion.
When the Birds made it to the big game, the city turned out to celebrate in more ways than one for kickoff and for the celebration parade, which took over Philly on Valentine’s Day. All around Philadelphia, storefronts were decked out with green amenities, restaurants debuted drink specials, beer distributors came up with custom brews, bakeries baked everything green, and most stores added Philly sports gear to their line-up.
