Philadelphia's free concert celebrating America's birthday will be back outdoors this year as pop artist Bebe Rexha and rapper Flo Rida headline the 2021 Wawa Welcome America July 4th celebration.
The 2021 concert will take place on Sunday, July 4, at The Mann Center for Performing Arts in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. The entire event will be televised on NBC10 and streamed on the NBC10 apps and website.
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The move to The Mann from the concert's typical home in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway allows for proper social distancing as our community continues to fight COVID-19. The 2020 concert, put on under strict safety protocols in the wake of the pandemic's first wave, featured Jason Derulo and Cynthia Erivo and was televised without an audience from The Met Philadelphia.
Though the 2021 concert will be ticketed, it will still be free to the public. Those wishing to attend the concert can win tickets through a drawing developed by Wawa Welcome America. (Enter the drawing here.) Tickets will be available on June 19.
Headlining artists Bebe Rexha and Flo Rida will each perform a series of their hit songs for the in-person and at-home audience.
Wawa Welcome America
16 days of free events celebrating Freedom and Liberty | June 19 – July 4, 2023
Rexha, a singer and songwriter, has collaborated with many artists across music genres including G-Easy ("Me Myself, and I"), The Chainsmokers ("Call You Mine"), Doja Cat ("Baby, I'm Jealous"), David Guetta ("Say My Name"), Martin Garrix ("In the Name of Love"), and Nicki Minaj ("Hey Mama").
"Meant to Be", Rexha's single with Florida Georgia Line, peaked in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the music video has nearly 1 billion views on YouTube. Her new studio album, "Better Mistakes", was released earlier this year.
South Florida rapper Flo Rida is a top-selling artist with more than 80 million records sold worldwide. He minted several rap-dance hits last decade like "Low", "Wild Ones", "Club Can't Handle Me", "My House", "Right Round".
The nighttime concert will be followed by a huge fireworks display over the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Center City Philadelphia. Organizers say people will be allowed to gather on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to watch the fireworks display starting at 8 p.m. on July 4th.
The July 4th Concert is the culmination of a 16-day citywide event highlighting the unique history and culture of Philadelphia. Many free events will be back this year like movie screenings, Wawa Hoagie Day, and much more.
The more than two weeks of events gets underway on June 19 with Juneteenth events. Festival organizers are looking to mark both Juneteenth and Independence Day and celebrating inclusiveness by teaming with the The African American Museum in Philadelphia.
Many free events will be back this year like movie screenings, museum days, Wawa Hoagie Day and much more. Click here for the full list of free happenings.
"Let's just have a good time," Mayor Jim Kenney said during Wednesday morning's official Wawa Welcome America announcement.
