July 4th Fireworks on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway: Everything You Need to Know

The Experience

Following 16 days of free museum admission, free concerts, free activations and more during Wawa Welcome America, the city’s largest Independence Day fireworks display illuminates the skies over the Philadelphia Museum of Art to wrap up another Fourth of July in America’s birthplace.

  — Photo courtesy Wawa Welcome America

Those who’d like to watch the show from the Benjamin Franklin Parkway can stake out a spot anywhere between Logan Circle (North 20th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway) and Eakins Oval (North 24th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway).

Curated by DJ Ghost, this year’s official fireworks soundtrack is scheduled to air on Q102FM. Folks wanting to watch the festivities from the comfort of home can tune in to the live broadcast on NBC10 or TeleXitos.

For more information on the July 4th Fireworks, click the button below.

Where to Watch the Fireworks on July 4th

The fireworks finale above the Philadelphia Museum of Art is sure to draw a crowd, so stake your spot out early.

Fireworks as viewed from Kelly Drive   — Photo courtesy Wawa Welcome America

Want to know some of our favorite spots to watch the fireworks this Fourth? Click the button below.

July 4th Concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway

The July Fourth fireworks display may cap off the night, but the show really begins earlier in the evening during the 100% free-to-attend July 4th Concert.

The day truly begins when DJ Diamond Kuts and Snacktime put on a collaborative performance from 4 to 6 p.m.

Next, this year’s big-name performers: musical mastermind Adam Blackstone (7 p.m.), legendary rapper Ludacris (7:40 p.m.) and superstar singer-songwriter Demi Lovato (8:30 p.m.).

Attendees looking to watch the show on the Parkway must go through the entry point at Logan Circle at 20th Street. Gates open at 4 p.m.

Click the button below for more info about the July 4th Concert.

Getting There

The Wawa Welcome America concert and fireworks spectacle draws thousands of attendees, large stretches of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be closed to vehicle traffic and nearby parking will be scarce.

Translation: Public transportation is your friend.

  — Photo courtesy Elevated Angles

Several SEPTA routes leave you just a short walk away from Logan Circle and all the action, including:

• The Suburban Station stop on SEPTA’s Regional Rail (10-minute walk),
• The Race-Vine subway stop on SEPTA’s Broad Street Line (12-minute walk), and
• Plenty of stops along major streets like JFK Boulevard, Spring Garden Street and 20th Street, via buses like SEPTA’s #33 (just watch for detours).

Guide to July 4th in Philadelphia

Celebrate America’s birthday in America’s birthplace!

Philadelphia, home to the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, celebrates the Fourth of July by lighting up the streets, the skies and the stages across the city and region, from the start of the Wawa Welcome America festival to the incredible fireworks finale over the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

  — Photo by Visit Philadelphia

Wawa Welcome America has expanded in recent years to include events that commemorate both Juneteenth and the Fourth of July, holidays that together tell a more complete picture of freedom and liberty — from the nation’s founding in 1776 to the end of slavery in 1865.

This year’s 16-day festival showcases different perspectives on what independence means in the United States with programming from (and free admission to) museums and attractions in the city, hoagie giveaways from Wawa, waterfront performances, fireworks displays and much more — all for free.

Find our complete guide to July 4th in Greater Philadelphia by clicking the button below.