Performances planned for iconic Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia as "Save the Light Show" fundraiser kicks off
Plans are underway to bring back holiday programming at Philadelphia's historic Wanamaker Building, home of the Dickens Village and Christmas Light Show narrated by Julie Andrews, a group of civic leaders announced Friday.
Since Macy's announced in January 2025 that it would be closing the store, many have wondered about the fate of the Wanamaker Organ and Grand Court, which features a one-ton bronze statue of a perched eagle. The city had said those are designated National Historic Landmarks and are also on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places — they are required to be preserved.
The building is also well known for its Christmas Light Show narrated by Julie Andrews, and the .
The Philadelphia Visitors Center says it's well on the way to raising $350,000 to build and staff the light show and Dickens Village for the 2025 holiday season.
On top of that, the historic Wanamaker Organ — the largest fully functioning musical instrument in the world, with over 28,000 pipes — will be home to daily concerts during the light show season. And those aren't the only performances that will happen in the space formerly occupied by Macy's.
Thanks to a $1 million grant from the Wyncote Foundation, Opera Philadelphia will put on a slate of musical programming beginning in September, featuring the iconic organ in everything from "Halloween scares to holiday music," Anthony Roth Costanzo, Opera Philadelphia's executive director, said.
"We would love for you to join us at the series, it's called Pipe Up," Costanzo said. "And we look forward to pulling out all the stops."
The first performance is set for Sept. 7 and titled "Meet Me at the Eagle."
The Philadelphia Visitor Center and Friends of the Wanamaker Organ have been for the 2025 holiday season. A website has been set up at and the Connelly Foundation has already kicked in $100,000. The William Penn Foundation donated $100,000 in matching funds.
The William Penn Foundation's funds will match others' donations dollar-for-dollar, fully coming through once the public donates $100,000.
"If you care about the Light Show and Dickens Village as much as we do, please consider making a gift—of any size!—to this campaign. Your gift ensures the Light Show and Dickens Village will continue to inspire and unite us," the website reads.
There are commemorative gifts available depending on the size of your donation — from an "I saved the light show" magnet to a VIP "Best Seat in the House" experience catered to six people at the light show.
TF Cornerstone, a New York-based developer that owns the building, previously announced plans to build 600 loft-style apartments above the retail space in the Wanamaker Building.
Kathryn Ott Lovell, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Visitors Center, thanked TF Cornerstone for their willingness to keep the Wanamaker Building's traditions going.
"They are champions of historic preservation, they have been looking at this building for years, thinking about what they can do with this historic treasure," she said.
