Philadelphia is about to turn up the volume for a great cause. Philly Music Fest returns October 12–18, 2026, celebrating its 10th anniversary with seven nights of performances by 25 Philadelphia-area bands and musicians across the region.
Founded in 2017 by Greg and Jenn Seltzer, the festival is a true hometown love letter: it runs as a nonprofit, pays its musicians well, and books every show only at independently owned venues. The sweetest part? After everyone is paid, profits go to music education programs for kids, including Rock To The Future, Settlement Music School, Musicopia, Play On, Philly, and the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra. The festival donated $100,000 a year in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
This year’s lineup mixes nationally recognized Philly talent with exciting emerging bands across rock, punk, hip hop, bluegrass, jazz, pop, metal and R&B. Highlights include Gregory Alan Isakov, The Dillinger Escape Plan with RJD2, Sweet Pill, Mo Lowda & The Humble, Madi Diaz, and Immanuel Wilkins.
Ten years in, Philly Music Fest proves a festival can celebrate its city, uplift its musicians and invest in the next generation of Philly musicians all at once.
Photo: Philly Music Fest
