Mummers stroll, David Bowie Week, Southern rock and more kick off 2026 in this week’s ‘Things To Do’

In 2025, I traversed the city to experience some of the events I write about here. There was no way I could make it to them all, but like Tupac, I did get around.

Here are 10 of my favorite people, places and performances from around the city of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection in 2025.

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10 favorites from 2025

Favorite venue

The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. It’s a calming space that attracts adult, respectful audiences with the fewest people recording or watching the show through a phone. The staff is lovely, the seats are comfy and the acoustics are great.

Favorite performance

Jazz vocalist Samara Joy on her birthday, Nov. 11, at the Miller Theater. She’s the truth, and already in her young career, headed toward being a generational artist.

Favorite performer

Drummer Justin Faulkner, the Philly native who is a longtime member of the Branford Marsalis Quartet. With all due respect to fellow homegrown drummers Questlove and Lil’ John Roberts, his musicianship blew me away.

Favorite recreational spot

The Wissahickon, a beautiful oasis in the middle of a bustling city.

Favorite bar

Dahlak. The vibes are amazing, and you can choose your experience: inside, outside, dance, drink, eat or chill. Plus they have a parking lot and stay open late.

Honorable mention: Steak 48. Their bar offers impeccable service, a comprehensive wine list and the best bread in the city. I know it’s a chain, but I don’t care.

Favorite theater

The Arden Theatre. It’s intimate, and there’s always a good play there.

Favorite annual Philly event

BlackStar Film Festival. There are always great movies and concerts you won’t see or hear anywhere else.

Favorite cultural institution

The Barnes Foundation. It’s like the perfect lover — beautiful inside and out.

Favorite Philly personality

Jalen Hurts. I’m riding with QB1 until the wheels fall off. I have also said Chill Moody, and that’s still true, but Jalen needs our support right now.

Most looking forward to in 2026

Getting several projects off the ground — and the Eagles heading back to the Super Bowl. Go Birds!

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10 things to do this week

2026 Mummer’s Parade

• Where: City Hall to Washington Avenue, via Broad Street
• When: Thursday, Jan. 1, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• How much: Free

As they’ve been doing for the last 125 years, the Mummers will strut down Broad Street to kick off the new year. This celebration will also happen at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where the 28th annual Fancy Brigade Finale performances will run from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Here’s more on the history of the parade and a guide to viewing it.

Realign and Renew

• Where: Studio 34 Yoga Healing Arts, 4522 Baltimore Ave. 
• When: Thursday, Jan. 1, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• How much: $25 

Start the year off in a peaceful place with licensed acupuncturist and certified yoga teacher Monica Fauble. She’s leading a class that combines movement with guided journaling to help attendees gain clarity in the new year. Bring your own sketchbook, journal or notepad, and wear comfortable clothing conducive to yoga practice.

Philly Loves Bowie Week 2026

• Where: Multiple venues
• When: Friday, Jan. 2, through Saturday, Jan. 10
• How much: Various prices

The weeklong celebration of all things Bowie is a welcome beginning to the year in arts and culture, dating back to 2017, the year after the British icon died. The celebration starts with a free concert at Ardmore Music Hall and includes a birthday celebration, a masquerade ball, Bowie beer yoga, BowieOkie night, a Bowie x Prince dance party and more. Be forewarned: Tickets to each event are sold separately and often sell out.

First Fridays at The Barnes: Luke Carlos O’Reilly & Emily Braden

• Where: The Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway 
• When: Friday, Jan. 2, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. (performances at 6:30 p.m., 7:45 p.m.
• How much: $35 

The Barnes’ First Fridays attract an eclectic, diverse crowd, and given the lineup, this one is likely to be no exception. Performer Luke Carlos O’Reilly plays a genre-blending mix of songs with an emphasis on jazz. Singer/songwriter Emily Braden, a Jazzmobile Vocal Competition winner, will be the frontwoman, bringing her powerful stage presence to the evening’s festivities, which include museum access and pay-as-you-go drinks and refreshments.

First Friday at The Philadelphia Art Museum

• Where: Philadelphia Art Museum, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway 
• When: Friday, Jan. 2, 5 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
• How much: Free with museum admission

The newly renamed Philadelphia Art Museum has weathered its fair share of controversies lately. Fortunately, its First Fridays series was not among them. The monthly social event features a range of themes and deejays in residence. For January, it’s yōsukeDj. The event includes access to the galleries and Great Stair Hall, along with pay-as-you-go drinks.

PWE Presents: Holiday Hangover

• Where: PhilaMOCA, 531 N. 12th St.
• When: Saturday, Jan. 3, 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.
• How much: $28.52 general admission, $55.20 VIP 

Wrestling fans, get in here! The cultural events space hosts a Pro Wrestling Entertainment event co-hosted by Q102’s Buster and BTA. They’ll be there to oversee the combination of music and wrestling with appearances by  Griffin McCoy, Alec Price and other special guests. Sounds like a fun way to bring in the new year.

Saturday Firstival: The First Balloon Flight in America

• Where: Athenaeum of Philadelphia, 219 S. Sixth St. 
• When: Saturday, Jan. 3, 11 a.m.
• How much: Free, no registration required

It’s 2026, which means The United States’ semiquincentennial is here. One of the city’s ongoing celebrations is 52 Weeks of Firsts, which highlights things that happened first in Philadelphia. This week, it’s the nation’s first hot-air balloon flight. This “firstival” at the Athenaeum will celebrate Jean-Pierre Blanchard’s successful flight on Jan. 9, 1793.

Southern Rock Night at Ardmore Music Hall

• Where: Ardmore Music Hall, 23 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, Pennsylvania
• When: Saturday, Jan. 3, 7:30 p.m.
• How much: $24.32 and up 

Tribute bands are never going out of style. Since the pandemic hit, these bands have proliferated as people seek the feel-good nostalgia that comes with hearing their favorite songs from their formative years. If those years included groups like the Allman Brothers, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and the Black Crowes, your 2026 is already starting on a good note (literally)! Southern rockers are the focus of this concert in the ‘burbs.

Miss Lisa Lisa’s Drag Show

• Where: Bob and Barbara’s Lounge, 1509 South St.
• When: Thursday, Jan. 1, from 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.
• How much: $53.07 and up (limited tickets)

Life’s a drag sometimes, and it’s been that way for quite some time at this popular event. It’s Philly’s longest-running drag show, which means it pays off for its enthusiastic audiences. Tickets are available for parties of two or four only. The show is also cash-only, but if you forget, an ATM is conveniently located on site.

50 First Jokes

• Where: Punch Line Philly, 33 E. Laurel St.  
• When: Sunday, Jan. 4, 7 p.m.
• How much: $14 and up 

Start 2026 off with some comedy, as it sometimes seems like the only thing keeping us from the abyss. We’re sure you can relate. Hosted by Peggy O’ Leary, organizers promise all-new jokes to usher in the new year. There will be 50 — yes, 50 — comedians at this performance, which benefits Comedy Gives Back. So chances are, someone’s gonna make you laugh.

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(A few more than) 10 things to look forward to in 2026

No greater authorities than the BBC and the Wall Street Journal named Philly as one of the best destinations to visit in 2026. It seems like the world is heading this way already, but these events aren’t just for tourists.

Here are some of the major events happening this year. Check out the full list of events happening across Pennsylvania, historical and cultural events in the city, a list of events around the 4th of July and more on the nationwide America 250 celebration.

February

• TED Democracy: A series of events that started in 2024 will culminate with a full-day event with a variety of guest speakers
• Beauty and the Beast: The acclaimed musical returns to Philadelphia for a weeklong run

March

• Philadelphia Wedding Walk: An inaugural, immersive event to match local wedding professionals with brides and grooms to be
• Ministry of Awe: Old City’s Manufacturers National Bank transforms into a six-story immersive experience inspired by the world of finance
• NCAA Tournament Early Rounds: March Madness comes to Philadelphia with the first two rounds of the men’s basketball championship at the Xfinity Mobile Arena
• The New Edition Way Tour (feat. Toni Braxton, New Edition and Boyz II Men): Three of the biggest platinum acts from the ’90s tour together for the first time

April

• Nation of Artists: The Philadelphia Art Museum and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts collaborate with the Middleton Family Collection on an exhibit of over 1,000 works

May

• PGA Championship: Newtown Square’s Aronimink Golf Club hosts its second PGA Championship since 1962
• What Now: 2026 Arts Festival: Put together by the nonprofit ArtPhilly, this is a five-week festival that includes some of Philadelphia’s top artists in multiple disciplines

June and July

• FIFA World Cup: Yes, the world is coming to Philly for the World Cup, which hosts multiple matches this summer

July

• MLB All-Star Game: Philly hosts the nation’s top Major League Baseball stars in a weeklong series of events

December

• RockyFest: A major commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first “Rocky” film