2026 in Massachusetts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a list of events of the year 2026 in Massachusetts.
Incumbents
State government
Events
January
- January 29 – Cape Cod Potato Chips announces it will close its original factory located on Cape Cod in Hyannis.[1]
February
- February 27 – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announces the DoD will no longer allow military members to attend Harvard or MIT, among other schools.[2]
March
- March 19 – Boston University begins requiring faculty members to take down flags and political posters from outward-facing windows. In early April, following backlash from faculty and students, the university pauses the policy.[3]
April
- April 14 – Hampshire College, located in Amherst, announces it will be closing after the Fall 2026 semester.[4]
- April 20 – The 2026 Boston Marathon is held. John Korir and Sharon Lokedi defend their titles in the men's and women's races, respectively. Marcel Hug wins the men's wheelchair title, and Eden Rainbow-Cooper wins the women's wheelchair title.[5]
- April 23 – Anna Maria College in Paxton announces it will close at the end of the semester.[6]
May
- May 4 – The Department of Education opens an investigation against Smith College over its admittance of transgender women.[7]
- May 20 – Harvard faculty approve a policy to limit A grades in undergraduate courses to 20% of enrollment beginning fall 2027 in an effort to curb grade inflation.[8]
- May 22 – Uber and Lyft drivers unionize following a voter approved November 2024 ballot measure, the first recognized gig ride-share workers union in the U.S.[9]
- May 30 – A meteor explodes off the coast of Massachusetts, emitting a loud boom that is heard in Boston area. The sound of the boom is reported as far south as Johnston, Rhode Island.[10]
June
- June 4 – The National Park Service orders the Bunker Hill Monument to remove three displays containing quotes related to slavery, women's suffrage, and immigration, respectively.[11]
- June 11–July 19 – The United States hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with a number of matches being held in Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.[12]
July
- July 8 – The Women's Pro Baseball League reveals its four inaugural teams, including the Boston Hunters.[13]
August
- August 20 – The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court affirms a lower court ruling saying that Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch cannot install Catholic statues on a public safety building.[14]
September
- September 4 – A mistrial is declared in the trial of Lindsey Clancy, who killed her three children in Duxbury in 2023. The defense argued the killings were a result of postpartum psychosis, while prosecutors argued she was aware of her actions when she killed the children.[15]
Scheduled
- September 18–October 4 – The Big E 2026 will be held in West Springfield.[16]
- November 3 – 2026 Massachusetts elections:
- 2026 Massachusetts House of Representatives election[17]
- 2026 Massachusetts Senate election[18]
- 2026 Massachusetts Attorney General election[19]
- 2026 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
- 2026 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth election
- 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts
- 2026 United States Senate election in Massachusetts