2026 Testimony

We’re pleased to share that the Cultural Alliance has been invited to testify at an upcoming Philadelphia City Council hearing to examine the city’s preparations for the multitude of events coming in 2026, including celebrations for America’s 250th birthday, FIFA, and Major League Baseball's All-Star game. Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, Committee Chairman, introduced Resolution No. 240701 to hold the hearing on November 18 and we need to hear from you.

Councilmember Thomas has asked the Cultural Alliance to provide testimony along with twelve other organizations/agencies representing the wide-ranging interests and impacts of the 2026 events at the November 18 hearing. The testimony of each organization will be limited to 3 minutes. In response to Councilmember Thomas’ request, the Cultural Alliance will provide oral testimony on behalf of the entire arts and culture sector in Philadelphia.

In addition to the oral testimony heard on November 18, City Council is inviting interested parties to submit written testimony. If your organization is planning a special event in 2026, we want to hear from you. Organizations are invited to submit their written testimony in our survey, which the Cultural Alliance will collect and share with the Philadelphia City Council Legislative Oversight Committee.

SUBMIT YOUR WRITTEN TESTIMONY

The Cultural Alliance stands ready to advocate and inform councilmembers about our industry’s planning needs at the hearing and in the months ahead. Our advocacy is focused on ensuring we have the resources and coordination necessary to capitalize on the 2026 opportunity to showcase Philadelphia’s world-class creative economy on the global stage.

All the information collected will be used to inform the Cultural Alliance’s testimony and will be shared with committee members after the hearing. Your written testimony will not be read aloud during the hearing but will be made available to city officials and submitted for the record. We recommend including specific details in your testimony about your organization’s unique needs for working with the City of Philadelphia, including funding, permitting, additional services, etc. The deadline to share information is this Friday, November 15, 2024. You can also share written testimony directly with the Legislative Oversight Committee by emailing it to Max Weisman, Director of Communications for Councilmember Thomas, at max.weisman@phila.gov.

The hearing is open to the public; you can watch it live on the City Council's website on Monday, November 18 at 1:00 p.m. We are grateful to Councilmember Thomas for ensuring the arts and culture community has a seat at the table as the City plans what will be a landmark year. Our advocacy for the sector never stops and we hope this hearing will provide valuable information to your organization and our community.