with a yearlong calendar of events, so it is both well-rehearsed and well-prepared to be the center of the world for the 250th birthday of the USA in 2026.

Two events are front and center – the FIFA World Cup championship games in June and Fourth of July festivities a few weeks later, both of which have been in the planning stage for as much as a decade. They are just one part of a yearlong celebration which also includes special museum exhibits and more – something for every type of travel client in your roster. Start booking them now, to minimize the inevitable price pressures on hotels and flights.

FIFA World Cup 2026 with eight games, including the final, are being played in MetLife Stadium in northern New Jersey between June 13 and July 19. There will be multiple “fan zones” throughout NYC and special live screenings in restaurants and sports bars in neighborhoods with large populations from the countries of whatever teams are playing.

Sail250 is expected to be the world’s largest gathering of historic tall ships, which sails into New York Harbor on July 3rd, for a week. Nearly three dozen ships from nearly as many nations are expected to berth throughout the city and piers nearby in New Jersey, open for tours, similar to the annual Fleet Week visit of US Navy and Coast Guard vessels. The world’s most magnificent tall ships and gray hull ships will sail into New York Harbor, pass in Presidential review, and salute the Statue of Liberty. In the tradition of the 1976 Bicentennial, the Statue of Liberty Centennial in 1986, the Columbus Quincentennial in 1992, the Millennium celebration in 2000, and the Bicentennial of the Star-Spangled Banner in 2012, international fleets will arrive in grand style and spend a week in the heart of the nation’s first capitol. Sailors will come together in the universal fellowship of freedom, hope, and opportunity that our country has always represented. Traditionally over Memorial Day week, Fleet Week also is being moved to the July 4th week, with as many as 40 ships, for a super-sized tribute to the nation’s first capitol. Plus, there will be concerts in Times Square and other venues by the US Marine Corps Band, military fly-overs, and more.
www.sail250.org

Even Cunard’s venerable Queen Mary 2 is participating. She will be docked at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, offering guests a front-row seat for the annual Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks.
www.cunard.com/en-us/cruise-types/event-cruises/sail4th-250-celebrations

2026 also is the 50th anniversary of the Macy’s fireworks. While no announcement has been made yet about what to expect, it is certain to be more spectacular than usual. For the last several years, the fireworks have rotated between the Hudson River and East River, but for this multiple anniversary show, plans are to have barges on both. Pyrotechnic details are normally announced in May or June, along with the location of fireworks barges and the list of entertainers.
www.macys.com/s/fireworks

George Washington took the oath of office at what is now Federal Hall, on Wall Street. A National Park Service site, there will be special activities commemorating the event. History buffs also can visit Fraunces Tavern a few blocks away, where General Washington hosted a farewell dinner for his troops before taking on his new job, and the roped-off pew in Trinity Church where he worshipped.

Further uptown, the main branch of the New York Public Library will display an original handwritten draft of the Declaration of Independence as part of summer programming looking back at 250 years of the United States. This copy includes sections that were later removed before its July 4 ratification.

The New York Historical, the city’s first museum, is going all out, or all in, with exhibits about American history through the lens of NYC and State. This includes the On Our 250th digital campaign, which is sharing messages of national hope and encouragement and inviting individuals from across the country to post their personal wishes for America’s future. Stirring the Melting Pot features photos and artifacts showcasing the immigrant experience from the1600s today; Old Masters, New Amsterdam features works by Rembrandt and others about the Dutch history of New York; and Revolutionary Women focuses on little-known achievements of women in the years leading up to, during and following the Revolutionary War.

Other museum exhibits for the 250th are still evolving, as are other events and celebrations. It will be a blockbuster year in NYC for visitors, and agents should be selling and booking sooner rather than later.