Boston, mark your calendars: Here are big events scheduled for 2026
This year, World Cup games come to Foxborough and tall ships take over the Boston Harbor.
AT 430, SO MARK YOUR CALENDARS. BUT WAIT A MINUTE. I GOT ONE RIGHT HERE. SO MARK YOUR CALENDARS BECAUSE THERE’S A LOT HAPPENING IN BOSTON IN 2026. AND DIGITAL REPORTER LEANNA IS HERE TO MAKE SURE YOU DON’T MISS OUT. OKAY. WHAT AM I MARKING HERE? WELL, WE’VE GOT A LOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE NEW YEAR. FIRST UP IS FIRST NIGHT, WHICH STARTS TOMORROW, BUT KIND OF BLEEDS INTO THURSDAY, RIGHT? OTHER TRADITIONAL EVENTS INCLUDE THE BEANPOT TOURNAMT. RIGHT, RIGHT. THE BOSTON MARATHON MOVE IN DAY OF COURSE. BUT WHAT ABOUT SOME NONTRADITIONAL EVENTS? BECAUSE WE’VE GOT THOSE COMING UP THIS YEAR TO 2026, 250 YEARS SINCE 1776. THAT IS THE YEAR WE SIGNED THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. SO WE HAVE A YEAR FULL OF 250TH EVENTS ON THE CALENDAR AND A FEW REALLY BIG SUMMER EVENTS. YOU’VE GOT WORLD CUP GAMES COMING TO GILLETTE IN JUNE AND JULY, SAIL BOSTON RETURNS TO BOSTON HARBOR. SLOW DOWN. I’M PUTTING THESE IN MY CALENDAR. HOLD ON, SLOW DOWN. WE’RE THE BROADCAST PARTNER FOR BOSTON, SO WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED. OKAY, GOOD. SAVANNAH, BANANAS ARE COMING BACK TO YOU LIKE THIS. GOOD. BUT THEY’RE ACTUALLY COMING TO GILLETTE THIS TIME. THEY’RE GOING TO PLAY ONE OF THE LEAGUE’S NEWEST TEAMS, THE COCOA BEACH COCONUTS, IN THEIR WORLD TOUR. WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT. THAT’S SO MUCH. I CAN’T EVEN KEEP UP. I CAN’T PUT IT IN MY CALENDAR. ALL I KNOW. SO A LOT TO KEEP UP WITH. WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A BUSY YEAR. EDITOR. YEAH. NO. THAT’S GOOD. THAT’S A GOOD THING. IT’S A GOOD THING. SO IF YOU WANT TO GET THOSE DATES ON YOUR CALENDAR OKAY. AND YOU GUYS AT HOME, WE HAVE A FULL LIST ON WCVB.COM. AND IT’S GOT MONTH BY MONTH, ALL THE DATES ALSO IN THE WCVB NEWS APP. AND I’M JUST CHECKING WITH TIM AND OUR DIGITAL DEPARTMENT OVER THERE. OVER THERE. WAVE. TIM. HI TIM. VERY GOOD. YOU HAVE THE FREE WCCB NEWS APP. YOUR PHONE SHOULD BE BUZZING IN JUST A SECOND, BECAUSE HE’LL BE SENDING YOU A LINK TO A LIST OF ALL OF THESE E
Boston, mark your calendars: Here are big events scheduled for 2026
This year, World Cup games come to Foxborough and tall ships take over the Boston Harbor.
Updated: 4:55 PM EST Dec 30, 2025
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The new year for Boston will see the return of long-standing traditional favorite events as well as the introduction of several events new to the city, including the 2026 World Cup. Save this guide to mark your calendars. We will be adding to it throughout the year. January:Boston Symphony Orchestra’s “E Pluribus Unum: From Many, One” festival in celebration of the country’s 250th anniversaryHere are some more 205th events happening this year 56th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast Dunkin’ Women’s Beanpot Championship at TD Garden (This team has won it three years in a row) February: Dunkin’ Men’s Beanpot Tournament at TD GardenCelebrate Lunar and Chinese New Year in Boston’s Chinatown (2026 is the Year of the Horse) March:Boston’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade April: 130th running of the Boston MarathonMay:Duckling Day hosted by the Friends of the Boston Public Garden (WCVB’s Rhondella Richardson dressed up last year!) June:World Cup games hosted at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough (full schedule)Boston Pride celebrationSt. Peter’s Fiesta in Gloucester (What to expect) July:Sail Boston comes to Boston Harbor (WCVB will broadcast!) Download the Very Local app now so you can watchBoston Harborfest (see last year’s event) Commonwealth Shakespeare Company hosts “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on the Boston Common (it’s free!)August:St. Anthony’s Feast in Boston’s North End (New England’s largest Italian festival)The Savannah Bananas play the Loco Beach Coconuts in the Banana Ball World Tour at Gillette September:Move-in day for local colleges begins (Please, please don’t get Storrowed) Apple season begins! (Check out our pick-your-own map of Massachusetts orchards)Boston Arts FestivalOctober:Head of the Charles Regatta (How the event was born)What the Fluff? Festival (Do you know the confectionery origin story?) November:Boston Athletic Association’s Half MarathonAmerica’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration in Plymouth (We had fun, even in the rain!) Download the Very Local app now so you can watch the 2026 parade! December: Holiday Lights tree lighting in the Boston Common Download the Very Local app now so you can watchNotably absent from the calendar this year is the Boston Calling Music Festival, which is taking a hiatus in 2026.Did we miss something?Email a suggestion for the list to newsroom@wcvb.com
The new year for Boston will see the return of long-standing traditional favorite events as well as the introduction of several events new to the city, including the 2026 World Cup.
Save this guide to mark your calendars. We will be adding to it throughout the year.
January:
Table of Contents
February:
March:
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:
- Holiday Lights tree lighting in the Boston Common
Notably absent from the calendar this year is the Boston Calling Music Festival, which is taking a hiatus in 2026.
Did we miss something?
Email a suggestion for the list to newsroom@wcvb.com
