Article Contributed by Mixtape Media
Published on 2026-11-11
Philly Music Fest announces a donation of $100,000 to music education programs helping and teaching children in the Greater Philadelphia area. The donation is the result of this year’s weeklong Philly Music Fest, a citywide festival that featured seven sold-out concerts at seven independent venues.
Organizations receiving funds are Musicopia, Beyond The Bars, Rock to the Future, Settlement Music School, Play on Philly, Philly Youth Orchestra and Key of She. Philly Music Fest (PMF) not only supports the current music scene in Philadelphia, but ensures the next generation’s future. Festival-goers have direct visibility into the mission of Philly Music Fest, as the aforementioned organizations take the stage each night and introduce a band, after telling the audience about the organization’s mission.
Philly Music Fest is also seeding a Microgrant Program to assist local musicians suffering from physical and mental health issues. Details of the Microgrant Program will be posted to the Philly Music Fest website this week. Philly Music Fest was a first-mover in reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 by establishing a musician and venue staff assistance program that delivered 330 payments to those struggling.
Inside Hustle, Philly Music Fest’s music industry information and networking event at Drexel University, free and open to the public, hosted in partnership with WXPN and Philadelphia Music Alliance, sold out as well, with approximately 400 attendees. The attendees ranged from students to industry veterans, with programming aimed at teaching music industry concepts, facilitating relationships and presenting opportunities for a career in music.
This year, surprise headliner Gregory Alan Isakov kicked off the festival’s first two nights at Ardmore Music Hall and tickets sold out almost immediately. Other shows featured genres such as punk, jazz, metal and Americana.
“We are thrilled to be able to continue our tradition of annually donating $100,000 to music education programs for kids in Philadelphia,” says Greg Seltzer, co-founder and producer of PMF. “After a decade of successfully growing from one venue to seven nights in nine venues, we are making a significant impact on the Philly music community - donating to kids music education, but also providing work for musicians and supporting independent venues and staff.”
Philly Music Fest ran from October 12–18 with twenty-five bands in independent venues including Johnny Brenda’s, MilkBoy, Underground Arts, Ardmore Music Hall, The Fallser Club, and Solar Myth. This year’s lineup included headliners The Dillinger Escape Plan, RJD2, Sweet Pill, Marietta, Mo Lowda & The Humble, Immanuel Wilkins and Owen Stewart, along with support from Madi Diaz, Caiola, Noah Richardson, Remember Sports, Euphoria Again, Bleary Eyed, Wax Jaw, Solar Circuit, Nik Greeley and The Operators, Sug Daniels, and WXPN 24 Hour Songwriting Contest winners, The Flying Vees.
Philly Music Fest is a nonprofit organization founded by a local husband-and-wife team, Greg and Jenn Seltzer. Greg produces the festival, including booking, curation, and operations, while Jenn handles merchandise, hospitality, and accounting. After a string of headliners that included Japanese Breakfast, Mt. Joy, Alex G, Amos Lee, Dr. Dog, Kurt Vile, The Wonder Years and Waxahatchee, PMF returned in 2026 with a stellar and genre-diverse lineup. PMF estimates an annual economic impact of $750,000 on the Philadelphia music economy, including an annual donation to music education of $100,000.
Philly Music Fest maintains a strict policy of no corporate advertising or banners and has not accepted government money. Seltzer insists, “the focus must be on the musicians and the mission. Corporate and donor support is essential, and frankly - the engine of the business model - but when people attend a PMF show, I want them to be present and focus entirely on the musicians, then know in the back of their mind that the profits of the experience are going to kids and not corporate dividends.”
For more information about Philly Music Fest, its music education initiatives, and the forthcoming Microgrant Program, visit PhillyMusicFest.com.
October 12–18, 2026
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
$100,000 Donation to Youth Music Education
Beneficiary Organizations
Musicopia
Beyond The Bars
Rock to the Future
Settlement Music School
Play on Philly
Philly Youth Orchestra
Key of She
New Initiative
Microgrant Program for Philadelphia Musicians Facing Physical and Mental Health Challenges
Festival Information
Official Website
Facebook
Instagram
