Wu set to give her first State of the City address

January 25, 2023

Walter Wuthmann

Michelle Wu smiles as she speaks to supporters after winning the election to be Mayor of Boston. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu will deliver her first State of the City address Wednesday from the new MGM Music Hall in Fenway.

Wu did not give the annual speech last January, when she was just weeks into the job and COVID-19 was surging.

The concert hall setting draws a contrast with her predecessor Marty Walsh, who held his State of the City addresses at Symphony Hall.

"We chose a venue that is newer, you know, new energy in the city," Wu told WBUR's Radio Boston. "It's slightly larger so that we can accommodate more of our community members there as well."

Wu is expected to tout the accomplishments of her first full year in office, and outline future policy proposals like rent control.

"This is a chance for her to set out her vision of city government," said Erin O'Brien, associate professor of political science at UMass Boston. "Wu is analytic, she is serious about public policy, and I think she has a vision for how government should work in people's lives."

The speech is set to begin at 7 p.m. A livestream of the event will be available here.