Art And Cultural Events in July

A month of open-air rituals, Shakespeare, outside nights, glowing markets, and slow sunsets.

Art And Cultural Events in July

A month of open-air rituals, Shakespeare, outside nights, glowing markets, and slow sunsets.
Art Nights
July 9
Free
A lo-fi rooftop gathering for the emotionally curious. Club for Connection reimagines nightlife with tea, journaling, oil pastels, ambient DJ sets, and tactile art stations — a space designed for solo arrivals, quiet presence, and unexpected conversation.

Place:
800 Mifflin Street Philadelphia, PA, 19148
Wednesdays:
July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30
$15
Live global beats echo through the museum’s hidden courtyard every Wednesday in July. With food trucks, a garden bar, and archaeology just steps away, this outdoor series turns the museum into a summer party with a cultural soul.

Location:
3260 South Street Philadelphia, PA 19104
Every Friday
Rodin Garden Bar
Free
A hidden gem behind the Thinker. Every Friday evening, the Rodin Museum’s garden transforms into a lush, low-key bar with seasonal cocktails, snacks, and classical vibes under the open sky. Entry is free, drinks for purchase. No RSVP, just wander in.

Place:
Rodin Museum, 2151 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia
Exhibition Opening
July 5 – August 25
General museum admission $30 for adults
A raw, resonant exhibition featuring original works by justice-impacted artists from Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Rec Crew and individuals currently incarcerated at SCI Phoenix. With stories of family, survival, and transformation, the show speaks in first-person plural: art as testimony, memory, and future tense.

Place:
2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19130
July 11
Free
Two exhibitions open in tandem on July 11: Mavis Pusey: Mobile Images and Entryways: Xenobia Bailey. Abstract dynamism meets cosmic textiles in this free double feature, bridging Black modernist aesthetics and urban craft. A moment for the museum, and the city.

Location:
118 S. 36th St. Philadelphia, PA
July 18
Free
Philadelphia collage artist Tom Judd explores memory, myth, and Americana in REPLICA, a solo exhibition nestled in the historic Haas Gallery. On view through September 19 — a quiet study in repetition and revelation.

Place:
219 S. 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3794
THEATRE/PERFORMANCES
July 5 - 20
Ticketed but free ($0)
This rare, behind-the-scenes look at the future of American theatre is presented at PlayPenn, a free citywide conference featuring staged readings of brand-new plays by emerging and established playwrights. PlayPenn offers audiences a front-row seat to the creative process, from intimate works-in-progress to bold new voices. Events occur at The Drake, the Wilma Theater, and the Painted Bride Art Center.

Program:
“Field of Flowers” by Bee Kanofsky
“I’ll Eat You Whole” by Chaz T. Martin
“Ama. Egg. Oyá” by Lori Felipe-Barkin
“Hand foot hand" by L. M. Feldman

Choose the date on their website.


Place:
Various Venues, Philadelphia
July 9 - August 6
$25.00
The Bearded Ladies Cabaret turn communal karaoke into queer musical theatre. It’s loud, fabulous, and open-hearted — come ready to belt your feelings

Place:
140 N. Columbus Blvd. (at Race St.) Philadelphia, PA 19106
July 9 to August 3
From $45
Revenge, rot, and royal dysfunction. This production leans into the psychological shadows of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy.

Place:
Center Valley, PA (DeSales University) 1,5 hours from Philly
July 12-30
From $63
A glittering insect kingdom lands in South Philly. OVO weaves acrobatics, choreography, and surreal design into a family-friendly spectacle that’s both whimsical and pulse-raising.

Place:
Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
July 12–14
From $40
A campy sci-fi pilgrimage for fans of The Blob (1958), filmed on-site in Phoenixville. The highlight? Dozens of people reenacting the iconic movie scene by running screaming from the theater. Nostalgic, chaotic, and delightfully absurd.

Place:
227 Bridge St, Phoenixville, PA 19460
Jul 15 - Jul 27
$29-116
A shipwreck. A tiger. A breathtaking survival story. Life of Pi arrives from Broadway with puppetry, projections, and theatrical wonder.

Place:
Academy Of Music
July 17 to August 2
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead – PSF
From $45
Shakespeare’s side characters get top billing in Tom Stoppard’s existential comedy of errors. Absurd, hilarious, and deeply philosophical.

Place:
Center Valley, PA (DeSales University) 1,5 hours from Philly
July 23 to August 3
From $45
A rarely performed tragedy of betrayal and bitterness. Timon is Shakespeare’s bleakest moral fable — timely, sharp, and stripped of illusions.

Place:
Center Valley, PA (DeSales University) 1,5 hours from Philly
July 23-27
Free
A free, open-air reimagining of A Midsummer Night’s Dream — now as a psychedelic musical. A beloved West Philly tradition celebrating 20 years of lawn chairs, picnics, and magic.

Place:
Clark Park

July 24
$25.00
An explosive, emotional duet of trust, timing, and acrobatic intimacy. Created by Almanac’s Full Out Formula, this experimental performance blurs dance, circus, and relationship dynamics.

Place:
140 N. Columbus Blvd.(at Race St.)
Philadelphia, PA 19106
July 28-31
$25.00
A movement ritual meets immersive performance. Megan Bridge's latest work dances at the edge of memory, space, and collective breath.

Place:
140 N. Columbus Blvd.(at Race St.)
Philadelphia, PA 19106
July 29 – August 3
From $28
The afterlife’s most chaotic ghost returns in this high-energy musical comedy. Big sets, bigger jokes, and Broadway-grade spectacle.

Place: Academy Of Music
Cinema
July 1 – July 8
Free Price
Philadelphia’s celebration of Latin American creativity brings together independent films, music, visual art, and conversation. A weeklong tribute to heritage, resilience, and rhythm — with screenings in venues across the city.

Place:
Multiple locations
July 11
Northern Liberties movie night
Northern Liberties kicked off its seasonal outdoor movie series with blankets, bubbles, and open-air nostalgia. Expect low-key Fridays all summer long, projected under the stars.

Place:
913 North 3rd Street Philadelphia, PA, 19123
July 31 – August 3
BlackStar Film Festival
Ticketed
BlackStar spotlights visionary work by Black, brown, and Indigenous artists — with screenings, panels, and parties that feel more like ceremony than cinema.

Place:
Multiple locations
FESTIVALS
All July
A riverside playground with carousel rides, frozen cocktails, boardwalk bites, and weekend DJs. Urban summer, Philly-style — glittering, breezy, and vaguely nostalgic.

Place:
121 N. Columbus Blvd Philadelphia, PA 19106
All July
$30.00
A glowing wonderland of handcrafted lanterns, acrobats, and edible delights. The festival returns with towering dragons, silk blooms, and LED serenity.

Place:
Franklin Square
July 13
From $28
Where fashion meets projection art, and basslines bounce off gallery walls. Culture Fest blends media, music, and movement — part show, part rave, part statement.

Place:
Liberty Point, 211 South Christopher Columbus Boulevard Philadelphia, PA 19106
July 26
Free admission
A street-level market humming beneath the train tracks — zines, vintage, handmade candles, Caribbean food, and block-party beats. Community commerce in full color.

Place:
1700 block of N. Front
MUSIC
July 6
From $7
A summer evening of elegance and edge. Guest conductor Marin Alsop brings warmth and wit to Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3, performed by the magnetic Randall Goosby — a rising star who plays like he’s channeling something celestial.

Place:
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
July 7
From $8
Darkness, irony, and sonic defiance. Marin Alsop leads the Philadelphia Orchestra through one of Shostakovich’s stormiest symphonies — Soviet angst meets symphonic firepower.

Place:
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
July 25
$25.00
An after-hours mosaic dreamscape. Music by Xemi (electro-acoustic), hands-on cyanotype art-making, and a BYOB-friendly setting tucked into South Street’s most surreal courtyard.

Place:
1020 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Workshops & Skills
July 12
$85 all Inclusive
Upcycle meets elegance in this hands-on session where guests create lush mini-gardens inside repurposed wine bottles. Includes succulents, stones, dried florals, and expert plant care and propagation tips.

Place:
14 North Front Street Philadelphia, PA 19106
July 13
Free
Sun, skyline, and salsa. DJ Big George kicks things off with a free lesson before the rooftop turns into a dance floor for all levels. Whether you’ve got footwork or just vibes — all are welcome.

Place:
800 Mifflin Street Philadelphia, PA, 19148
July 27
$39
Craft magic in miniature. This family-friendly fiber art class teaches needle-felting and hand-stitching as you create your own 3D fairy. Wholesome, tactile, and joyfully slow.

Place:
Cherry Street Pier
121 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, United States
ART FOR FAMILY
July 6

Free admission
A day of joy, movement, and free admission. On July 6, the Barnes opens its doors to families for art-making, storytelling, and rhythm. With performances by Karen “Magic Fingaz” Smith and the Parkinsingers Choir, the day centers community, healing, and a touch of magic. Advance registration required.

Place:
2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19130
July 13
Free admission
A hands-on afternoon for all ages — collage, color, and quiet focus. Included with general museum admission at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens.

Place:
1020 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
MARKETS
July 11
Free
A riverside bazaar of local makers, where Philly’s illustrators, jewelers, and textile artists turn a historic pier into a creative marketplace. Free to enter, full of surprises.

Place:
121 N Christopher Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106
July 11-13
$10
Vinyl, zines, weird pins, bootleg horror tees — this is no ordinary market. It’s a sweaty, beautiful chaos of DIY culture, piercings, patches, and noise.

Place:
1301 Christofor Colambus Bulivar
July 23
$10
An after-dark pop-up under the city glow. Expect prints, candles, street food, and a crowd that blends DJs with stroller parents. 1040 Creative joins with live art and curiosity.

Place:
N 2nd St between W Laurel St and Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia