If you are looking for things to do in Philadelphia and love live music, this is going to be a great week for you.
We have classic rock icons the Steve Miller Band, Journey, and Def Leppard, plus Beck, Blink-192, Train, REO Speedwagon, jazz in Cedar Park, jams at the Penn Museum, and a multi-stage music festival indoors at Underground Arts. Wow, that’s a lot of tunes.
There’s also Shakespeare in Clark Park and on stage at FringeArts — a unique interpretation not to be missed! There are exclusive parties, new cooling centers, and an opportunity to flex your civic engagement muscles with an event on immigration policy at the National Liberty Museum.
There’s all that and more this week, so grab your friends and family or just yourself and enjoy what we have going on.
Is that not enough? Thinking of things to do further head? Check out our year-round calendar about how to be a good citizen.
Classic and alternative rock shows, Shakespeare, Parks on Tap, Quizzo, and serious talk about immigration.
THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK IN PHILLY
COOL OFF AT WILLIAM WAY. Beat the heat through the summer at William Way Community Center’s Cooling Center, available Mondays through Thursdays from 10am to 7pm. Enter the lobby, where you can literally chill out, grab a bottle of water, and charge your electronic devices. Free. 1315 Spruce Street
LET’S TALK ABOUT IMMIGRATION POLICY. On July 23 from 5:30 to 8pm, the National Liberty Museum hosts People, Policy, and Rethinking America’s Immigration Landscape, a panel discussion surrounding the complexities of immigration policy and its impact on our society, covering issues such as border security, placement of refugees, and paths to citizenship, and possible solutions for reform. Moderated by Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations Policy Director Andy Toy, the panel features The Welcoming Center’s President & CEO Anuj Gupta, U.S. Practice Director and Managing Partner for Green and Spiegel Jonathan Grode, and Director of Immigration Studies at Cato Institute David J. Bier. $5-25. 321 Chestnut Street
BREAK OUT YOUR DENIM EVERYTHING AND SEE SOME CLASSIC ROCK. Fly Like an Eagle to Citizens Bank Park July 23 at 6pm to Pour Some Sugar on Philly with Def Leppard, Journey and the Steve Miller Band live. The opportunity to catch a show like this doesn’t happen every day, so do it before they go their Separate Ways. $49-$200. 1 Citizens Bank Way
Parks on Tap| Photo by Albert Yee
ENJOY BEER IN THE PARK. This week, Parks on Tap comes to Historic Rittenhouse Town in Northwest Philly from July 24 through July 28 from 4 to 10pm. The roving beer (and cocktail and food) garden provides a great excuse to bring your kids to happy hour. Free admission. 208 Lincoln Drive
SEE HAMLET LIKE YOU NEVER HAVE BEFORE. Specifically as a contemporary acrobatic performance. July 24 through 28 at FringeArts, experience Hamlet by New York Circus Project, an innovative blend of circus and text that brings this historic play to life through acrobatic choreography. Showings at 8pm with matinee shows Saturday and Sunday. $49. 140 N. Columbus Boulevard
SEE MORE SHAKESPEARE, BUT IN THE PARK. Shakespeare in Clark Park kicks off with As You Like It July 24 through 28 at 7pm. Bring a blanket to the bowl and enjoy theater outside, with pre-show Community Poetry Shares July 24 and 28 at 6:30pm. Free, but donations are welcome. 43rd Street and Baltimore Avenue
FIND OUT IF YOU REALLY ARE SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER. On July 24 from 5:30 to 7:30pm, The Lawn at uCity Square hosts Are You Smarter than a 5th Grade Science Class-themed Quizzo! Prizes include beer, gift cards, and more. Registration preferred, please! Free. 37th and Cuthbert Street
DON’T BE A LOSER, BABY. Come to The Mann on July 25 at 8pm to catch Beck with The Philadelphia Orchestra and special guest Molly Lewis. See the Grammy-winning alternative rock icon like never before. Doors open at 6pm. $48-$168. 5201 Parkside Avenue
More concerts, music in the park, parties, and drag brunch!
THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN PHILLY
LISTEN TO JAZZ IN THE PARK. Since 1999, Cedar Park Neighbors have brought West Philly together for nighttime concerts in the park through June and July. On July 26 from 6 to 8pm, Cedar Park Jazz welcomes Clef Club. Bring your lawnchair, cooler, and dancing shoes. Free. 4917-53 Baltimore Avenue
HEY, SOUL SISTER, YOU LIKE YACHT ROCK? Never thought I’d hear that in reference to a band I listened to in high school but honestly, it’s not wrong. On July 26 at 6:25pm, Freedom Mortgage Pavillion presents Train, REO Speedwagon & Yacht Rock Revue. You Can’t Fight this Feeling, it’s quite a lineup. $32-$237. 1 Harbour Boulevard, Camden, NJ
ATTEND A MULTI-STAGE MUSIC FESTIVAL … INDOORS! On June 26 at 6:30pm, Underground Arts presents Dual Pathways, featuring Yam Yam, Wax Future, Jon Coleman, Eli Winderman, Bad Leather and much more. 21+ only. $25. 1200 Callowhill Street
SAY IT AIN’T SO, DONT MISS THIS SHOW. What’s my age again? Who cares, Blink-182 rocks Wells Fargo Center July 26 at 7pm. Break out that hair dye, dammit. Doors open at 6. $110-$299. 3601 S. Broad Street
ATTEND A HOT PARTY WITH GOOD VIBES. The 2nd Annual Culture Fest is happening July 27 at 3pm. Join fashionable millennials, urban professionals, educators, creatives, innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers for block-party vibes, music, food, gaming, and local vendors. $30. 211 S. Christopher Columbus Boulevard
CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS IN JULY WITH DRAG! On July 27 at noon, Punch Line Philly hosts Big Wig Christmas in July Brunch: The Ultimate Drag Experience. Plus, $.25 per each ticket sold for a majority of events at Punch Line benefits Comedy Gives Back, a safety net for the comedy community.18+ only. $20-$65+. 33 E. Laurel Street
ONGOING EVENTS
Art exhibitions, live shows, and more things to do, until you can’t anymore.
GO SEE THE CLASSIC MUSICAL FUNNY GIRL. Ensemble Arts’ Broadway Series continues with the iconic musical comedy Funny Girl at the Academy of Music now through July 28. Sing along with Fanny Brice in this dazzling revival. $24-$149. 240 S. Broad Street
GOOD EATS ON THE CHEAP IN UNIVERSITY CITY. It’s the return of University City Dining Days now through July 28! Over 20 restaurants are offering a “3 Courses, 3 Prices” promotion for lunch and dinner at $20, $30 or $40. If you’ve been holding out on trying Louie Louie’s, The Post, 48th Street Grill or Pattaya, now is the time. $20-$40 plus gratuity. Various University City District locations
THIS IS THE STAR WARS BURLESQUE PARODY YOU’RE LOOKING FOR. The hit show The Empire Strips Back is live at the Susan Roberts Theater through July 28. Your evening promises to deliver “sultry Stormtroopers, a dangerously enticing Boba Fett, some tantalizing Twi’leks, a delightfully lukewarm Taun Taun, a lady-like Skywalker,” and Droids, of course. Showtimes vary. 18 and older only. $39-$59. 480 S. Broad Street
JAM OUT AT THE PENN MUSEUM. Garden Jams Live Music Happy Hour at the Penn Museum’s Stoner Courtyard is happening every Wednesday in July from 5 to 8pm. The outdoor summer concert series offers bites and sips from food trucks plus a stocked garden bar. You can BYO everything for a picnic (except alcohol), and admission is included with your ticket. The galleries stay open to 8pm, and concerts move inside if the weather doesn’t cooperate. This week’s live music comes from Zydeco-a-Go-Go. $15. 3260 South Street
Courtesy of the Mütter Museum.
VISIT AN EXHIBITION ON HOMELESSNESS. Through August 5, the Mütter Museum hosts Unhoused: Personal Stories and Public Health, a special exhibition on American homelessness through the lens of public health. Museum hours are 10am to 5pm daily except Tuesday. Free-$20. 19 S. 22nd Street
Sister Cities Park
TAKE THE FAMILY TO LEARN SOMETHING AT THE PARK. Through August 15, Parkway Pals at Sister Cities Park offers free educational programming for families every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning with the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Fabric Workshop and Museum, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the Philadelphia Ballet, and on select days, Design Philadelphia. Sister Cities Park features the Earth Fountain and Children’s Discovery Garden and pebble-bottomed boat pond, open daily. The Sister Cities Café is also open and offers beverages, snacks and grab-and-go meals. See the full schedule of events at sistercitiespark.org. Free. 18th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway
DON’T MISS THE ANNUAL CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL. Celebrate the Year of the Dragon in Franklin Square at the Chinese Lantern Festival. View astounding illuminated displays, authentic Chinese food, cultural performances, a fountain show, and the iconic 200-foot-long dragon. The festivities run through August 18. Timed tickets are required on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. $16-$28. 200 N. 6th Street
SLIP INTO A SPEAKEASY IN A SHIP. A couple Fridays a month, the historic cruiser Olympia, docked at Penn’s Landing, turns into an admission-only party, with a different theme every week: sci-fi on July 26 and August 9, and the 90s on August 23, always from 6 to 9pm. $35. 211 S. Columbus Boulevard
EXPERIENCE THE ART OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE. Now through August 26, the Barnes Foundation and Mural Arts Philadelphia present Visions, an exhibition of original work created by artists from Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Guild program and artists at the State Correctional Institution Phoenix. $5-$30, children under 12 free. 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
SIP IN CENTER CITY. Back for its 20th anniversary, Philly’s “favorite happy hour’ Center City SIPS continues every Wednesday through August 28. Dozens of bars and restaurants are offering exclusive discounts weekly from 5 to 7pm: $7 cocktails, $6 wine, $5 beer, and half-price appetizers. Select locations will offer 15 percent off dinner after 7pm. Pay as you go
TAKE AN IMAGINED UNDERSEA TOUR OF NORTH BROAD STREET. Sea aBroad is the latest addition to the North Broad Renaissance mobile AR experience along North Broad Street that lets you envision the Leon H. Sullivan Charitable Trust and its surroundings 50 feet out as if you were swimming with the fishes. In a good way, not in the mobster way. The Summer aBroad AR Tour app is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store and the Under the Sea experience is live now through August. Free. 1415 N. Broad Street (but once you’re in the app you may as well enjoy all the stops between the Rail Park and the Uptown Theater)
HANG OUT IN THE OVAL. Now through August 25, The Oval offers eight acres of fun on the Parkway for the whole family. Food, drinks, games, activities and special events like live music and quizzes are on deck. Hours: Thursdays from 4 to 9pm, Fridays 4 to 11pm, Saturdays noon to 11pm and Sunday noon to 9pm. This Thursday features Community Yoga with Yoga Habit from 6 to 7pm, remember to bring your own gear. Free. 2451 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
GO CONJUR UP SOME JOY THROUGH ART AND DANCE. Conjuring Joy, a new community-centered artist residency at The Bride in West Philadelphia, is open through September 8 with workshops in dance, movement theater games, interactive performance, film screenings, and digital art-making. Some events have limited spots available and require registration. See the whole calendar here. Free. 5212 Market Street
Art of the Brick at the Franklin Institute.
EXPERIENCE LEGOS LIKE YOU NEVER HAVE BEFORE. Through September 22, the world’s largest display of LEGO art returns to the Franklin Institute. The Art of the Brick by Nathan Sawaya is a critically acclaimed collection of artworks made exclusively in plastic bricks that snap together, including original pieces and re-imagined versions of famous masterpieces, a multimedia exhibition of LEGO-infused photography by Dean Wes, and a 9,000-square-foot brick play space. Museum hours are 9:30am to 5pm daily, with evening hours to 8pm, Thursday through Saturday. $20-$43. 222 N. 20th Street
DANCE IN LOVE PARK. Siempre Salsa Philly presents a Salsa & Bachata Dance Party Friday nights through September 27 at LOVE Park, featuring DJ Kevin Ngo. Dance lessons start at 7pm followed by live music at 8pm. Free. 15th and Arch streets
GET FIT IN DILWORTH PARK. Center City Fit is happening every Tuesday at 6pm through October 1 with professional trainers from City Fitness holding free outdoor workouts in Dilworth Park. Bodycombat will be the focus in July. BYO mat and water! Free. 1 S. 15th Street
MORE GOOD THINGS TO DO IN PHILLY
FDR Park | Photo courtesy FCM Hospitality