Christina Aguilera, Will Smith, Jill Scott to headline free July 4 concert in Philadelphia
Christina Aguilera, Jill Scott and Will Smith will be among the performers at Philadelphia's 2026 Wawa Welcome America concert as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary on the Fourth of July.
The Roots will also perform and produce part of the free event on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Mayor Cherelle Parker said during a press conference Thursday.
Comedian Wanda Sykes will host the night. State Property, Kathy Sledge, Infinity Song and Seal will also perform. Smith will perform with DJ Jazzy Jeff.
Wallo267 and Gillie Da King will also be part of the event, and Parker said more people could be added to the show.
Parker said she wanted a lineup that is "unmistakably Philadelphia."
Aguilera has ties to the Keystone State, having grown up in Western Pennsylvania.
The mayor said she hopes this is more than just a concert.
"I can't think of a better tool than art, culture, and music in particular, to bring people from all walks of life together," Parker said.
The concert starts at 5p.m., and a fireworks display is also planned for 11:45 p.m. Gates are set to open at 3 p.m.
Organizers promised 2026's celebrations would be the biggest the city has seen. The July 4 concert, which Parker called the "One Philly: Unity Concert for America," is the finale of 16 days of festivities, including a June 30 Pride concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Trixie Mattel, the July 2 Salute to Service show headlined by Queen Latifah, and a concert featuring Idina Menzel and the Philly POPS.
The annual Independence Day concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway has drawn big names to Philadelphia in the past, including Ludacris, Pitbull, Ne-Yo and Lauryn Hill. The headliners in 2025, LL Cool J and Jazmine Sullivan, pulled out at the last minute as workers from city union AFSCME DC 33 were in the middle of a strike.
LL Cool J later appeared at a New Year's Eve event on the Parkway alongside Adam Blackstone, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Dorothy.
This year also marks Wawa Welcome America's 35th anniversary.