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Mural Arts Philadelphia — the nation’s largest public art program — celebrates America’s 250th anniversary the only way it knows how: by immersing communities across the city in stunning public art.
The organization that helped make Philadelphia the ”Mural Capital of the World” has a blockbuster lineup of projects for the 2026 Semiquincentennial, including:
Oh, and did we mention: murals, murals and more murals?
Read on to learn how you can take it all in throughout 2026.
Expect to see our stunning city increase its public art drastically over the next year.
Here’s a rundown of what to expect this year:
Over the past two years, Mural Arts conducted more than 35 artist-led workshops across the city, tasking more than 1,000 participants with creating art to answer the question: “What does freedom require today?”
The vibrant answers make their debut on Thursday, April 16, 2026 in a new exhibition — Printmaking by the People: Posters for a Reimagined Declaration of Independence — at the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Parkway Central Library. The exhibit, timed to coincide with the year-long Semiquincentennial celebration, stays on view free and open to the public through August.
Visitors to the Free Library can also check out artist Sāgar Kamāth’s temporary installation — Reconciling Time: in pursuit of Tomorrow with dreams of Liberty in hand — as nine banners adorn the sections between the library’s columns
Stay tuned for more info about another unveiling of a major new mural inspired by the workshops, creating a “citywide portrait” of what Philadelphians think about democracy at this moment in time.
— Photo courtesy of Mural Arts Philadelphia
In October 2026, interdisciplinary artist Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz leads a parade of revelers and community members on a four-mile walk through Philadelphia from City Hall to the historically Puerto Rican community of Norris Square.
The vibrant public performance reflects on Puerto Rican heritage and inheritance, while paying tribute to the island’s ecology and landscapes, and honoring the endurance of community identity.
The participatory performance becomes a living work of art with stops and gathering points along the way, as new people and objects journey to the symbolic mountain.
Of course, there are murals! Look out for new ones celebrating:
In 2026, brand-new “gateways” begin to greet people from across the globe as they enter Philadelphia for America’s birthday.
Through public art and “colorway” corridors, Mural Arts spruces up our city as only it knows how.
Keep your eyes peeled for these welcoming spots.
Mural Arts is launching a 15-month project to create a new cultural corridor throughout the Frankford community, featuring six new murals, in addition to six new temporary installations.
Stay tuned for more info as the project gets underway.
— Photo courtesy Mural Arts
Set to open in late summer, the highly anticipated interactive showpiece FloatLab brings a giant, floating classroom to the Schuylkill River, inviting visitors aboard the 75-foot-wide art installation anchored near the southern shoreline of Bartram’s Garden in Kingsessing.
FloatLab’s ADA-compliant platform gives visitors a constant eye-level river view, as the system of ballast chambers allows the platform to ebb and flow, as the tide comes in and out.
— Rendering courtesy Mural Arts Philadelphia
Bookmark this page and check back for more details as they become available, and check out other Mural Arts 2026 collaborations like Bells Across PA and 52 Weeks of Firsts.
It’s Philly’s biggest year yet!
Make the most of it by booking the Visit Philly Overnight Package, which comes with free hotel parking and complimentary tickets to some of the most popular attractions in each of Greater Philadelphia’s five counties including Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition at The Franklin Institute, the Mercer Museum in Bucks County, Longwood Gardens in Chester County, the Brandywine Museum of Art in Delaware County and Elmwood Park Zoo in Montgomery County.
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