City of Philadelphia confident in preparations to host 2026 events
America250 celebrations, FIFA World Cup, MLB All-Star game will be held in Philadelphia
Rep. Sean M Dougherty August 20, 2025 | 11:40 AM
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 20 – Preparations are underway for the large influx of tourists set to visit Philadelphia next year for several major events that will be hosted throughout the city. The House Majority Policy Committee convened a hearing Wednesday to learn more about the safety and security measures being taken to ensure the well-being of both visitors and residents.
“The eyes of the world will be on us next year. This is a chance for us to showcase what we have to offer. We also have a responsibility to protect both the visitors that travel here and the residents that call Philadelphia home,” Dougherty said. “Testimony provided today gives me confidence in our ability to host these major events and take in the millions of visitors we’ll see. This is the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection, and I can’t wait to welcome the world.”
In 2026, Philadelphia will play host to America250 celebrations, the FIFA World Cup, and the MLB-All Star game, among other events. City officials testified that the Parker Administration and City Council have committed a $120 million investment to help the city prepare. This funding will be spread across public safety and infrastructure improvements, neighborhood revitalization and strategic event programming. Additionally, Philadelphia International Airport is undergoing a $500 million upgrade.
The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management testified about the workgroup formed by various city departments in 2023 to prepare for next year’s events. This workgroup focuses on providing safety and security for residents while maintaining emergency responses for the everyday needs of Philadelphia. For example, a road closure for safety should be balanced with consideration toward access to walkways, businesses and emergency services.
While the city of Philadelphia is prepared to host a large number of visitors, the lack of a state budget could put a speed bump into moving them around the city.
Without a state budget plan to fund public transit, the Southeastern Transportation Authority (SEPTA) testified it would not be able to provide additional transit service to support these events in 2026. However, if a spending plan with permanent state transit funding is passed, SEPTA said it would be able to commit $50 million for additional services of operations, staffing and safety.
“It’s troubling that House Democrats passed several bills to fully fund public transit, while Senate Republicans failed to act and passed their own unserious legislation that would not fix the issue. Time is running out to help our public transit systems.” said House Majority Policy Chairman Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie). “Regardless, 2026 will be a major year for Philadelphia and our commonwealth. It’s clear the city has been working around the clock preparing to host these events and give our visitors memories that will last a lifetime. I look forward to seeing their hard work pay off.”
Wednesday’s hearing featured testimony from Michael Newmuis, 2026 Director for the City of Philadelphia; Michael Giardina, Deputy Director of the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management; Scott Sauer, General Manager of SEPTA; and Rich Montanez, Deputy Commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Streets.
Testimony submitted for Wednesday’s hearing can be found here.
A livestream of Wednesday’s hearing can be found here.
Information about this and other House Democratic Policy Committee hearings can be found at pahouse.com/policy.