With a resounding 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, the Philadelphia Eagles won the franchise's second championship. Now, it's time for the City of Brotherly Love to celebrate the Eagles' big win with a parade.
The victory parade, which creates a sense of pride in both city and team, has long been a staple for championship-winning clubs in professional sports, and the Eagles are no different. Though they've only held one such parade thus far in the franchise's history, it was quite the spectacle, as an estimated 1.4 million fans attended the 2018 parade. That event instantly became known for providing Philadelphia fans with a truly iconic Jason Kelce moment, as the then-Eagles center celebrated the improbable win over the New England Patriots in style, donning a New Year's Day parade-themed Mummers costume and delivering a passionate speech for the ages.
While the 2024 Eagles don't quite have the same underdog appeal as the 2018 squad, there's no doubt that the team weathered its fair share of adversity, from losing its first Super Bowl matchup vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, to enduring a late-season collapse down the stretch of the '23 season, and finally, getting off to a sluggish 2-2 start to the regular season in '24. Given this context, it's clear that the Super Bowl 59 parade will be a major celebration for the city of Philadelphia.
And this article will break down everything you need to know about the parade, from the date of the event to the parade route, how the city will be affected by the celebration, and much more.
When Is the Super Bowl 59 Parade Happening?
Late Sunday night, in the aftermath of the Super Bowl victory over the Chiefs, the Eagles seemed to tease that the victory parade would be held on Friday, February 14, Valentine's Day, in a post onto the club's account on X (formerly Twitter).
The city of Philadelphia on Monday confirmed that the parade would indeed be held on Friday. In a Tuesday news conference, city officials said that the parade will begin at approximately 11 a.m. ET, with the caravan of buses carrying players and coaches slated to arrive at the Art Museum around 2 p.m. ET. The celebration is expected to conclude around 3 p.m. ET.
The Eagles' 2018 parade was held on the Thursday following the club's Super Bowl triumph. This time around, mother nature seemed to force the city's hand, as a small snowstorm was expected to hit Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon, with a mixture of snow and rain expected to continue on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday's weather, sunny and dry conditions, while albeit a bit cold, is better suited for a parade.
Parade Route: Where Will the Celebration Take Place?
As depicted in the graphic below, the Eagles victory parade will begin at the intersection of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, and continue on to City Hall. Then, a caravan of open-air buses will make a left around City Hall, towards Love Park and onto the Benjamin Franklin Parkway with confetti flying along the route. The parade will eventually arrive at its final destination at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (the steps), where a stage will be set up for the players and coaches, who will deliver speeches beginning around 2 p.m. ET. It's a similar route to the one taken in the 2018 parade.
There will be 15 Jumbotron screens lining the parade route as viewing zones for fans, showing live footage while also replaying the Eagles' Super Bowl LIX victory pre-parade.
In addition to the parade itself, there is a pre-parade planned, where a cavalcade of 30 yellow school buses carrying "special guests" will proceed north on Broad Street to the Art Museum. However, this is not considered a part of the victory parade.
The celebration and speeches will continue until 3:15 p.m. ET, at which time the buses will depart and the fans will begin to leave.
The city expects a million-plus fans to attend the parade.
Road Closures and Traffic Information
Expect closures along the entire route of the parade, particularly Broad Street up to City Hall and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway leading up to the Art Museum. Here is a detailed look at road closures during the parade.
The city of Philadelphia is closing all public schools on Friday so that children can attend the parade. Courts will also be closed.
Meter and time limit regulations for parking will not be enforced, but safety violations, such as blocking crosswalks or fire hydrants, will still be enforced. A detailed look at on-street parking restrictions, including those on South Broad Street, Pattison Avenue and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, can be found here.
In terms of public transportation, most Regional and Metro stations will be closed, save for a select few that will be used to transport fans in and out of the city. Plan accordingly if traveling into Center City to celebrate or for a normal workday commute. SEPTA will operate on a modified schedule on Friday to help accomodate the fans attending the parade.
The Market-Frankford line and the Broad Street lines, the best bets for getting to and from the parade, will have consolidated stops and will be running trains every six-to-eight minutes all day long. For these two lines, SEPTA, paid for by sponsor Gran Coramino, is offering free travel. The Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines will begin running trains at approximately 5 a.m. Regional Rail lines will run on limited, modified service from 4:30 a.m. through 10:50 p.m. Regional Rail fares cannot be purchased on the day of the parade.
SEPTA buses will be detoured on and around Broad Street, City Hall and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway beginning late Thursday evening.
A full detail of station closures and a transportation plan can be found on the website, SEPTA.org.
Fans are advised to stagger arrival and departure times to help aid the efficiency of transportation.
What to Expect at the Parade
At the 2018 Super Bowl parade, city officials expected just under a million fans to arrive to celebrate, and roughly 1.4 million showed up. For this year, the city is expecting a million spectators, so it's safe to say that it's possible the fans could exceed expectations once again, making for a very large crowd.
It would not be surprising to see the pre-parade cavalcade of "special guests" consist of former Eagles players, Philadelphia celebrities and perhaps even Jason Kelce, though no further details have been provided by the city on that front.
As city officials indicated, coaches and players will be making speeches, so Eagles fans will likely get to hear from the likes of Nick Sirianni, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and more during the celebration following the parade route.
Fox 29 will have live coverage of the parade for those in the Philadelphia area. There is no information yet on a live stream of the parade.
Safety Guidelines and Recommendations
Dozens of local, state and federal agencies are partnering on public safety efforts. The city's Emergency Operations Center, Mobile Command Post and Joint Information Center will be activated for the parade.
Fans can stay informed on weather, public safety and transit using the city's ReadyPhiladelphia alert system.
Mayor Cherelle Parker urged fans not to climb the city's light poles. Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel cautioned fans against exhibiting "negative behavior."
In terms of accessibility, a first-come, first-serve designated space for wheelchairs and ADA accessibility will be available on the south side of Eakins Oval. ASL translators will be on stage during the speaking portions of the ceremony.
Additionally, a mobile sensory unit, sensory bags and a recommended viewing area will be available to members of the autism community.
Fans are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather with a high temperature of 36 degrees expected Friday. Fans should also bring plenty of water and comfortable shoes.
In terms of restrooms, porta potties were installed along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and similar accommodations to the 2018 parade, in which there were roughly 850 portable toilets stationed along the route, are expected. There is a public restroom, the Philly Flush Center City Public Restroom, located at the corner of 15th and Arch Streets.
Here's to a safe and enjoyable experience for all Eagles fans and attendees of Friday's parade.
