City of Belonging Festival
The Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) announced the launch of the annual City of Belonging Festival in observance of Immigrant Heritage Month with the unveiling of the You Belong Here banners at City Hall’s Mezzanine Gallery.
The large-format banners will hang in the Mezzanine until July 18. After this, they will be displayed at different locations for a You Belong Here banner tour to continue spreading the message of belonging across the city for the remainder of 2025. MOIA welcomes community requests for displays.
The gallery launch will take place on May 21 at 1 p.m. and include food, photos, and a speaking program. The event is open to the public, but registration is requested.
MOIA designated 2025 as the Year of Belonging with the You Belong Here campaign to integrate its goals of creating a more inclusive Boston while addressing pressing challenges, such as public sentiment and policy shifts on immigration. The campaign supports immigrant communities through grants, empowers resilience with morale-boosting messaging, and inspires action through events. The campaign aims to ensure Boston remains a community where residents feel welcomed, respected, and valued, regardless of background. This awareness campaign prioritizes diversity, equity, and social cohesion for residents across Boston’s neighborhoods, sharing one message, “You Belong Here,” in the city’s 12 main languages.
The large-scale banners are also in these languages, and the campaign design has already been featured in digital billboards across the city, most recently at Opening Day in Fenway Park.