PHILADELPHIA, PA.- The 20/20 Photo Festival returns September 10–19, 2026, bringing together photographers, curators, publishers, and the public for ten days that celebrate the breadth of contemporary photography through free and accessible public programming that includes a photo book fair held at Cherry Street Pier, photography and bookmaking demos, exhibitions at galleries throughout the city, artist talks held at Moore College of Art, and a series of photo walks across Philadelphia.

The festival is supported this year by Presenting Sponsor PhotoLounge, Philadelphia's original film lab and a community-centered photography hub that has supported photographers since 1997 through film processing, printing, exhibitions, and free educational events.

Now in its seventh year, the volunteer-run festival has become Philadelphia's premier citywide celebration of photography, connecting emerging and established artists. The festival continues to strengthen Philadelphia's photography community through collaboration, education, and the shared experience of the photographic image.

The 2026 festival theme, Transforming Landscapes, invites artists and audiences to consider the profound changes that have shaped the American landscape over the past 250 years. The theme expands beyond geography to examine the technological, political, environmental, cultural, and social landscapes that define contemporary life. Through photography, artists explore questions of memory, climate, urban development, identity, industry, and the evolving relationship between people and place.

Presented in partnership with many of the region's leading photography organizations, galleries, museums, universities, publishers, and community spaces, the festival encourages visitors to experience Philadelphia through photography while discovering the city's vibrant creative community.





Highlights of the 2026 festival include:

Citywide exhibitions featuring local, national, and international photographers, including a special exhibition No Other Place to Go at InLiquid gallery curated by 20/20 Photo Festival co-founder and organizer Katie Tackman.

Artist talks and panel discussions hosted at Moore College of Art & Design.

Hands-on photo workshops exploring historic photographic processes and bookmaking with The Halide Project.

Guided photo walks throughout Philadelphia, including a Guided Mural Tour with TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image and Mural Arts Philadelphia.

The annual Photo Book Fair at Cherry Street Pier, bringing together independent publishers, artists, booksellers, colleges and universities, and nonprofit organizations from across the country.

Programming partners include Amie Potsic Art Advisory, Gravy Studio, InLiquid, Moore College of Art & Design, The Halide Project, The Photo Review, The Print Center, TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image, and dozens of additional galleries, artist-run spaces, educational institutions, and community organizations presenting independently-curated exhibitions and events throughout the festival.

Cherry Street Pier will serve as one of the festival's central venues throughout September. The annual juried call-for-entry exhibition, Transforming Landscapes, curated by Philadelphia photographer Andrew Piccone, features artists working in analog photographic processes whose work reflects the changing physical, cultural, and social landscapes of the United States. Reflecting on this year’s exhibition, Piccone says, “Now more than ever we as photographers have an urgent sense of duty to document our changing landscapes in an attempt to better understand the how and the why of these transformations. The artists in this year's call for entry show successfully examine this fascinating moment utilizing a diverse selection of analog formats and mediums.”

Cherry Street Pier will also host a retrospective celebrating 40 years of The Photo Review's Photography Competition and photographer James Abbott's exhibition exploring the history, construction, and enduring legacy of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge through historical and contemporary photography.

Each year, the 20/20 Photo Festival welcomes more than 2,000 visitors and has grown into one of the region's leading celebrations of photography, creating opportunities for artists, educators, publishers, and audiences to connect through accessible, citywide programming.