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Despite the brutal heat that forced many of Philadelphia’s Independence Day celebrations to be canceled Friday, the Philly Pops played on with a performance at Independence Mall with Idina Menzel.

Temperatures peaked in the triple digits earlier in the afternoon, less than 24 hours after record-breaking highs were reported across the region by the National Weather Service in Mount Holly.

Hundreds of attendees braved the Code Red Heat Health Emergency for some orchestral selections as part of the Wawa Welcome America event slate. Earlier that day, the Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade, which was anticipated to draw roughly 10,000 participants and had taken roughly two years to plan, was canceled.
Tens of thousands of people packed Wawa Welcome America’s Pops on Independence concert on July 3, 2026, during a Heat Health Emergency in Philadelphia due to the ongoing heat wave. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)