“The Portal” goes live in Philadelphia. What is the connection? – NBC10 Philly

This shining “portal” to another part of the world is now active in downtown Philadelphia, connecting the City of Brotherly Love with several other cities around the world.

On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, officials from Portals.org, the Philadelphia Committee of 2026 and other civic leaders met to cut the ribbon on the large circular livestreaming device.

Read in Spanish here.

The portal is promoting Philly ahead of the year-long quincentennial celebration in 2026.

“Hello Dublin,” said Michael Newmuis, Philadelphia’s 2026 director, at Tuesday’s ribbon cutting, which also included a look at the action in Vilnius, Lithuania; and Lublin, Poland.

Portals.org representative (and “proud Philadelphian”) Joseph Callahan said, “Soon we will be connected to Brazil, Ethiopia and many other parts of the world.”

Tuesday's ceremony concluded with dancers and drummers from ODUNDE – the largest African-American street festival in North America – giving the other cities a glimpse of Philadelphia culture.

A little blast in the action

The portal was previously hosted at Flatiron Plaza in New York City.

Somewhere along the way from NYC to Philly, the LOVE Park portal lens was broken, NBC10 news outlet KYW Newsradio first reported.

“Like the Liberty Bell, there is a little crack,” Newmuis said at the ribbon cutting Tuesday.

Newmuis previously told KYW Newsradio that the crack, visible to the naked eye, was not due to vandalism and could be repaired.

“Although it is not resolved today, we will move forward and not delay the opportunity to experience this incredible and unprecedented work of art,” Newmuis told KYW Newsradio.

What is the history of the portals?

“The love, the peace and the joy of realizing that we are all one and all the same,” Callahan said Tuesday.

There have been a few bumps in the road since the first portal launched.

In 2021, the first portals – created by Lithuanian artist and entrepreneur Benediktas Gylys – were opened, connecting Vilnius with Lublin.

Then, in 2024, a live stream portal was opened connecting NYC and Dublin. The art installation attracted widespread attention, but had to be temporarily closed due to “inappropriate behavior” from people.

Later, the NYC-Dublin portals were reopened, with new methods to prevent people from entering the portals, holding phones up to the cameras, displaying body parts, and taking drugs on camera.

Sign up for our Current newsletter to receive the most urgent messages in your inbox.