This week’s Philadelphia calendar spans two centuries of culture, from art history to live music under the stars. Learn about the city’s roots at PAFA’s Firstival, then dive into a weekend of indie rock with the MTWB Concert Weekend, or visit a galaxy far, far away with “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” in concert. Round out the days with the Philly Wine + Culture Fest, the Philadelphia African Restaurant Week Festival, and the O.A.R. Three Decades Tour, plus a lineup of R&B and soul, including Jill Scott, The Session R&B Jam, and Dru Hill.<\/p>\n
52 Weeks of Firsts: First Art School and Museum in America: 1805What:\u00a0CelebratePhilly’s first art schoolWhen:\u00a0Saturday, July 25, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.Where:\u00a0Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118-128 N. Broad St., PhiladelphiaCost:\u00a0Free<\/p>\n
Philadelphia’s Firstival celebrates the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the nation’s first art school. The event, sponsored by Fulton Bank, highlights the academy’s role in the founding of American art history in 1805. It also spotlights\u00a0“First Art School and Museum in America: 1805<\/a>,” a commemorative sculpture created by muralist Jonathan Laidacker, who earned his MFA from PAFA in 2007. Laidacker, who moved to Philadelphia in 2005 to become a muralist, has since created more than 70 murals across the city. The piece honors PAFA’s more than 220-year legacy of nurturing creativity and education.<\/p>\n Make the World Better Concert WeekendWhat:\u00a0Indie rock weekendWhen:\u00a0Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25, 2026, at 7 p.m.Where:\u00a0Fairmount Park, The Dell Music Center, 2400 Strawberry Mansion Drive, PhiladelphiaCost:\u00a0Tickets start at $30<\/p>\n The\u00a0MTWB Concert Weekend<\/a>\u00a0brings two nights of indie rock to The Dell Music Center. On Friday, Pavement headlines with support from Ratboys, while Kurt Vile & The Violators perform with They Are Gutting a Body of Water and Twisted Teens on Saturday. Single-day tickets and weekend passes are available, with proceeds going to Make The World Better.<\/p>\n Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert With The Philadelphia OrchestraWhat:\u00a0“The Empire Strikes Back” with a live orchestra scoreWhen:\u00a0Friday, July 24, 2026, at 8 p.m.\u00a0Where:\u00a0TD Pavilion at Highmark Mann, 5201 Parkside Ave., PhiladelphiaCost:\u00a0Tickets start at $43<\/p>\n Highmark Mann presents “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back<\/a>” live in concert, with The Philadelphia Orchestra performing John Williams’ iconic score as the film plays on three giant screens. The fifth episode of the saga follows Han Solo and Princess Leia’s capture by Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker’s Jedi training under Yoda on Dagobah. Conductor Damon Gupton leads the orchestra for the all-ages performance. Guests can pack a picnic as part of the venue’s Summer Picnic Series, and lawn chairs and small blankets are permitted.<\/p>\n Other Events<\/p>\n Philadelphia’s cultural calendar comes alive this weekend with food, drink, and live music taking over the city. Sip and savor at a wine-and-culture celebration on Saturday, then cap off the day with three decades of hits from a beloved rock band under the summer sky. Head out again on Sunday to explore global flavors at a festival spotlighting African cuisine. It’s a full weekend of taste and sound for anyone looking to soak up the city.<\/p>\n Philly Wine + Culture Fest 2026<\/a>:\u00a0Saturday, July 25, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Bok Building, 1901 S. Ninth St., PhiladelphiaO.A.R. Three Decades Tour<\/a>:\u00a0Saturday, July 25, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at TD Pavilion at Highmark Mann, 5201 Parkside Ave., PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia African Restaurant Week Festival<\/a>:\u00a0Sunday, July 26, 2026, from noon to 8 p.m. at JFK Plaza (Love Park), Arch Street, PhiladelphiaMore To Explore Next Week<\/p>\n Philadelphia’s R&B and soul scene takes center stage next week with a lineup spanning generations of talent. A GRAMMY-winning icon settles into a multi-night residency, while an intimate jam session brings the genre’s rhythms to a wine bar setting. Emerging opera and classical talent get their moment in the spotlight, and a beloved ’90s R&B group closes out the week with a night of nostalgia. It’s a week built for lovers of soulful sound.<\/p>\n Jill Scott – To Whom This May Concern Tour<\/a>:\u00a0Monday, July 27, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. (additional shows on Friday, July 24, 2026; Saturday, July 25, 2026; and Wednesday, July 29, 2026) at The Met Presented by Highmark, 858 N. Broad St., PhiladelphiaThe Session R&B Jam<\/a>:\u00a0Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at Main Stage, City Winery Philadelphia, 990 Filbert St., PhiladelphiaRising Stars Concert<\/a>:\u00a0Wednesday, July 29, 2026, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce St., PhiladelphiaDru Hill<\/a>:\u00a0Thursday, July 30, 2026, at 7 p.m. at The Dell Music Center, 2400 Strawberry Mansion Drive, Philadelphia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This week’s Philadelphia calendar spans two centuries of culture, from art history to live music under the stars.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":248653,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1756,69,71,70],"class_list":["post-248652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-events","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248652"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248652\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}