USA TODAY Names Philadelphia “Best City for Street Art”

PHILADELPHIA, February 25, 2026 – Philadelphia reclaims its lofty title as the nation’s “Best City for Street Art” in the USA TODAY 10BEST 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards contest. For the second consecutive year – and for the third time in four years – the “Mural Capital of the World” earned laudable recognition as a vibrant showplace for established and emerging street artists.  

A panel of subject matter experts and USA TODAY 10BEST editors selected the nominees, and the public determined the winners through voting. Philadelphia rose above other nominees, including Cincinnati, Ohio; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Jacksonville, Florida.

For more than 40 years, Mural Arts Philadelphia has transformed the city’s landscape, starting as an initiative to change perceptions of graffiti and growing into the organization behind nearly 4,000 murals across Philadelphia. By bringing artists and communities together, the program has reshaped public spaces and transformed the city into one of the top public art destinations in the world. 

Artsy named Philadelphia one of its “7 Art Destinations to Visit in 2026,” highlighting the city’s growing public art scene and major new projects tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary. 

Mural Arts Philadelphia will introduce several new murals across the city in 2026, including a tribute to R&B group Boyz II Men in South Philadelphia in May, a portrait of musician Questlove at West Philadelphia High School in October, a new mural honoring LGBTQ+ activist Gloria Casarez in the Gayborhood, plus plans to reimagine a mural paying homage to the Philadelphia and Negro Leagues baseball in West Philadelphia. 

This summer, Mural Arts will complete its two-year printmaking initiative, Printmaking by the People: Citywide Voices of 2026. The multi-year public art project started in fall 2024 and engaged residents with more than 50 community workshops exploring the question, “What does freedom require today?” The project culminates in an exhibition of hundreds of community-created prints in April at the Free Library of Philadelphia, followed by the unveiling of a massive mural in June that reflects Philadelphians’ perspectives on democracy.

Public art remains central to Philadelphia’s cultural landscape, with breathtaking installations visible throughout the city, including the mosaic environment at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens created by the late Isaiah Zagar, along with iconic landmarks such as the LOVE sculpture and the Rocky statue. Together, these projects build on Philadelphia’s long-standing commitment to accessible public art, offering residents and visitors free opportunities to engage with work created by local artists citywide.

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