TED Talks coming to Philly as part of 250th celebration of America’s independence

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Philadelphia has played host to more than its fair share of history-making speeches and debates.

Now, a new series of conversations is slated to join the already-crowded calendar of 2026 events in the city marking the Semiquincentennial anniversary of the nation’s founding.

Standing beneath the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial at the Franklin Institute, a coalition of city and state leaders, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, made the announcement of “TED Democracy” coming to Philadelphia.

The series of talks will focus on “the importance of our democracy, the way it was founded here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, and the important stories in people that shape our democracy over the last 250 years,” Shapiro said.

Speaking on ABC’s “GMA3,” the governor said Philadelphia is a key part of the nation’s history.

“I mean, even this is where it all started, at Independence Hall. This is where our Founding Fathers came together and dreamed of this nation, dreamed of a place where we could be free,” he said. “A place that would be a place of inclusion and tolerance, particularly here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, founded by William Penn on that promise of inclusion and tolerance and welcoming.”

The first TED Fireside Chat in the series will feature Emmy-nominated host, producer, writer and public speaker Baratunde Thurston this July. Gov. Shapiro will also headline a TED Fireside Chat.

Visit Philadelphia will help sponsor the event. CEO Angela Val called the event “a celebration that is more than a decade in the making, and it really demonstrates why Philadelphia should serve as the epicenter of the marking of this moment in history,”

The city will host more than a dozen other exciting activities and events in Philadelphia over the next two years as part of the celebration, including matches for the World Cup, the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament and the MLB All-Star game.