The Office of Special Events (OSE) makes sure that people who want to have a special event in the City have the right permits, licenses, and insurance. As the central point of contact for all special events, we help groups with site mapping, road closures, and other operational details.
In conjunction with the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, OSE prepares and responds to requests for proposals for large-scale special events on behalf of the City. Those efforts include the:
Each year, OSE processes more than 1,400 special event applications for festivals, parades, concerts, film productions, and protests.
The City of Philadelphia was named a World Festival & Event City by the International Festival & Events Association for six years in a row.