*How did the collaboration come to be?

My collaboration with Visit Philly was done to promote the history, culture, and gastronomy that Philadelphia has to offer to World Cup traveling to the City of Brotherly Love for the six matches that it is hosting. Visit Philly and I agreed on a social media collaboration where travel content would be produced across all of my platforms (short-form videos, long-form videos, newsletter, website feature). I visited Philadelphia in early April to produce content across multiple tourist spots and neighborhoods over a 36-hour period. It was the most challenging project to-date related to the World Cup!

*What did I enjoy in Philadelphia?

I know it would be cliche to say I enjoyed everything, but I truly felt that I had a great experience in Philadelphia for the 36 hours that we were there on the ground. I was genuinely surprised at how awesome the Museum of the American Revolution really was, especially their new exhibit The Declaration’s Journey. I really loved the way they connected the Revolution to others not only in its time but those that followed in the 19th and 20th centuries, even if the Founding Fathers never intended to do so. Case in point, the Haitian Revolution. The museum was also honest about how the Revolution impacted different groups of people living in and around the American colonies.

Regarding the food, dare I say that the pizza from Angelo’s South Philly was better than any New York I’ve had? I know I might get some massive pushback on this food take but that pizza was absolutely delicious. I know you’re probably saying, “wait you didn’t try a cheesesteak?!”, to which I say, there’s more to Philadelphia’s food scene than just that sanwich. Y mira, I had no way to try all the cuisines Philly has to offer in 36 hours, pero I was left wanting to come back to enjoy more foods from around the world in the City of Brotherly Love.

*How did I get around Philadelphia?

Given that we were quickly traveling between sites for capturing content, we were provided with Uber credits to use. However, the hotel provided to us (Canopy by Hilton Philadelphia City Center) was withing walking distance of most of the attractions we were checking out. We also saw plenty of bicycles that you can rent, and public transit buses were constantly moving all around us, which I’m sure will be full to the brim in the summer.

Now, what you are probably most interested in is how to get to Lincoln Financial Field for your World Cup match(es). Let me provide you with some links on how you can use the SEPTA metro system to get you to the stadium and back:

https://www.phillyvoice.com/septa-world-cup-fifa-fan-festival/ – this article has the most comprehensive breakdown of your transit options to the stadium.
https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/events/world-cup/ – Complete guide by Visit Philly
https://bit.ly/4nN6dz1 – The Athletic Article with general information on Philadelphia

Considering the other host cities, I genuinely believe that Philadelphia has a high level of connectivity between its city center, the stadium, and the Fan Fest zone compared to the other 10 American host cities (perhaps Atlanta and Seattle can challenge here).

*Is it Worth Attending the Philadelphia Fan Festival?

Philadelphia will be hosting the ONLY Fan Festival in the United States that will last the entire 39 days of the tournament. That is extremely significant if you were planning your visit to a host city in the hopes of scoring last-minute tickets but ok with attending the fan fest instead. It is also important to note that Philadelphia will be hosting five (5) group stage matches, which might result in cheaper ticket prices closer to gameday based on the opponents. I do predict the July 4th Round of 16 tickets (the only knockout match Philly is hosting) to be expensive, but at least the Fan Fest would be there as a backup and you get to enjoy the fireworks show that will sure be historical. For more information on the Philly Fan Fest, visit: https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/events/fifa-fan-festival/

*My potential Philadelphia Plans

At the moment, I do not have plans to attend any of the matches in Philadelphia. The main reason is that I am traveling to CDMX and Guadalajara between June 15-20 and June 22-24 to catch Colombia’s first two matches of their group play. I would miss out on Philly’s first 4 group stage matches. I might be able to attend the June 27 match between Ghana and Croatia, but that same night Colombia plays Portugal in Miami and I will be tuning in to watch that game from home or from a nearby watch party. Which then leaves me with July 4th. It’s possible that if I don’t attend this match, that I would visit the Fan Fest, but that also depends on any family plans we would have for that weekend.

However, DON’T take my absence as a vote against Philly – quite the contrary. I truly believe Philadelphia has done its part to prepare for the World Cup (even with all the shenanigans involved with ticket prices) and hopefully their efforts are rewarded with solid tourism numbers. I understand that the travel and political situation isn’t ideal or even dangerous for some of you, but if you are able to make it to Philadelphia, I’m confident that you will not regret your visit to the City of Brotherly Love.