Photo: ACANA Festival. Source: Facebook / Cherry Street Pier
What is summer without the festivals, concerts, exhibitions, and other fun activities to help you soak in the sun? August is a great time to step out and enjoy some of the best events Philadelphia has lined up for both locals and those pulling up from out of town.
From culture-rich festivals and world-class music events to exhibitions, the City of Brotherly Love offers something exciting for everyone.
It is going to be a full month of fun-filled activities that highlight the rich culture of Philly. So, mark these down in your calendars and get ready for new experiences.
ACANA African Festival at Cherry Street Pier (August 3)
Photo source: Facebook / Cherry Street Pier
The 17th annual ACANAFEST is back on Sunday, August 3, 2025, at Cherry Street Pier in Philadelphia. Attendees will enjoy live music, delicious food, and family activities while engaging in the rich cultural African heritage. It is a family-friendly event and is part of the PECO Multicultural Series. It is also one of the largest African festivals on the East Coast.
Liberty Comic Con at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (August 8 to August 10)
The weekend-long event provides an opportunity for pop culture fans to meet and interact. Are you an anime lover or comic book connoisseur? You don’t want to miss meeting various comic writers and actors, shopping from related vendors, and interacting with other cosplayers. This comic convention is filled with a variety of activities to keep fans engaged, giving them an experience like no other. Ticket prices range from $25 to $140.
Philadelphia Folk Festival at Old Pool Farm (August 15 to August 17)
The Old Pool Farm comes alive every summer with the sounds of folk music during the annual Philadelphia Folk Festival. Featuring folk musicians and singer-songwriters from around the country, the festival has been bringing world-class folk music to the area since 1962. In its 62nd year, it is said to be the oldest continuously run outdoor music festival in North America, and is presented by the Philadelphia Folksong Society.
Photo source: Facebook / Philadelphia Folk Festival
Attendees get to enjoy camping, craft vendors, festival food, family activities, educational workshops, and other family-friendly activities suitable for all ages at the 40-acre Old Pool Farm site in Montgomery County. Adult tickets start at $80, and scheduling/timing for the concert varies.
Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl (August 23)
Toward the end of August every year, a celebration of Philadelphia’s wildly vibrant and wonderful bookstore scene takes place. The city becomes a book lover’s playground as bookstores offer a variety of books spanning different genres and host special activities: book signings with authors, giveaways, discounts, workshops, and more.
Photo source: Instagram / phillybookcrawl
Back for its third year on Saturday, August 23, the Philadelphia bookstore crawl is your chance to support Philly’s indie book scene and discover new voices. There’s no specific trail to follow. Simply explore the town’s bookshops, each doing something special on this designated day. You never know what you’ll stumble upon. You can check out what shops are participating and what they are doing on the official bookstore site, phillybookstorecrawl.com.
Philadelphia Music Concerts
This August, the stage is set for some of the finest music stars to thrill their audience in Philadelphia this concert season. From massive stadiums and open-air amphitheaters to intimate smaller venues, global superstars will be holding music concerts across several locations and on different dates. Here are some of the concerts that will be held this August in the City of Brotherly Love.
- Davido at The Liacouras Center (Saturday, August 2, 2025)
- Ginuwine at Rivers Casino (Saturday, August 2, 2025)
- Cody Jinks at The Met Philadelphia (Friday, August 8, 2025)
- Katy Perry at the Wells Fargo Center (Saturday, August 9)
- Linkin Park at the Wells Fargo Center (Saturday, August 16, 2025)
- Tye Tribbett & Kierra Sheard-Kelly at the Dell Music Center (Thursday, August 21, 2025)
- Xscape featuring Lloyd at the Dell Music Center (Thursday, August 28, 2025)
From Paris to Provence: French Painting at the Barnes (Through August 31)
Embark on a visual journey through France with Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Édouard Manet, Amedeo Modigliani, and other renowned artists at the Barnes Foundation’s newest art exhibit. This special summer exhibition opened on June 29, 2025, and will be on view until August 31, 2025. From the bustling streets of Paris to the sun-drenched hills of Provence, the exhibition will be showing over 50 works, examining how these modern painters were influenced by La République, from the streets of Paris to the coasts of Normandy and the South of France, through art, culture, and personality in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Photo credit: Facebook / Barnes Foundation
You don’t want to miss this unique opportunity to see beloved French paintings from the Barnes collection in new juxtapositions, emphasizing their historical and cultural context.
Don’t miss this opportunity to experience beloved French paintings from the Barnes collection, presented in a new light that emphasises their historical and cultural significance. You can view the exhibition brochure to learn more about Dr. Barnes’s travels in France.
