The Macy's 4th of July Fireworks is an annual
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...
fireworks display held in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. The fireworks show, usually held over the
East River
The East River is a saltwater Estuary, tidal estuary or strait in New York City. The waterway, which is not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island, ...
or
Hudson River
The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...
, has been sponsored by
Macy's, Inc.
Macy's, Inc. (previously Federated Department Stores, Inc.) is an American holding company of department stores. Upon its establishment in 1929, Federated held ownership of the regional department store chains Abraham & Straus, Lazarus, File ...
each year since 1976, with the exception of 1986 when that year's fireworks display was held as part of
Liberty Weekend, marking the restoration and centenary of the
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...
. In recent years, the fireworks have been preceded by live entertainment.
The event has been televised as a
special
Special or specials may refer to:
Policing
* Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force
* Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer
* Special police forces
...
since 1983 (currently billed as the ''Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular''), originally airing on
WPIX
WPIX (channel 11) is a television station in New York City, serving as the ''de facto'' flagship of The CW Television Network. Owned by Mission Broadcasting, the station is operated by CW majority owner Nexstar Media Group under a local market ...
, and being
syndicated nationally beginning in 1991. In 2000, the special moved to
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
, where it has been broadcast ever since; NBC's current contract runs through 2035, and is bundled with its rights to the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...
.
History
Background
The first Macy's fireworks show in New York City was held on July 1, 1958 to celebrate the department store's 100th anniversary.
The 36-minute-long show was directed by Japanese fireworks expert Toshio Ogatsu and set off from four barges anchored in the
Hudson River
The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...
across from
85th Street on Manhattan's
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper We ...
. Flight patterns for
La Guardia and
Idlewild airports were modified during the fireworks display and spectators leaving the event in New Jersey created a traffic jam on
Boulevard East in
North Bergen
North Bergen is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 63,361, an increase of 2,588 (+4.3%) from the 2010 census count of 60,773, ...
that police described as "the worst traffic tieup since
Navy Day
Several nations observe or have observed a Navy Day to recognize their navy.
By country
Argentina
The Argentine Navy day is celebrated on May 17, anniversary of the victory achieved in 1814 against the Spanish fleet in the action of 14 ...
in 1942." Some local residents did not even know what the fireworks were for and one woman said, "I thought they were celebrating the
statehood of Alaska."
From 1959 to 1964, Macy's continued to sponsor an annual fireworks display called "Fireworks-on-the-Hudson" as part of New York's Summer Festival. A tragedy struck the fireworks display held on June 23, 1964 when a defective shell failed to climb and ignited the other shells on one of the four barges in the river, killing two men and injuring four others. After the accident, Fire Commissioner
Edward Thompson mentioned that a ban of similar fireworks displays was being considered by the city, unless remote control was used to set off the pyrotechnics.
1970s to 1980s
In 1976, Macy's partnered with
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
to hold a fireworks display in honor of the
United States' bicentennial, leading to the show becoming an annual tradition on the 4th of July.
The first show was held in
Upper New York Bay
New York Harbor is a bay that covers all of the Upper Bay. It is at the mouth of the Hudson River near the East River tidal estuary on the East Coast of the United States.
New York Harbor is generally synonymous with Upper New York Bay ...
, with fireworks being launched from three barges in the harbor as well as points on
Ellis Island
Ellis Island is an island in New York Harbor, within the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York (state), New York. Owned by the U.S. government, Ellis Island was once the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United State ...
,
Governors Island
Governors Island is a island in New York Harbor, within the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located approximately south of Manhattan Island, and is separated from Brooklyn to the east by the Buttermilk ...
and
Liberty Island
Liberty Island is a federally owned island in Upper New York Bay in the northeastern United States. Its most notable feature is the Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''), a large statue by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi that was ...
. The half-hour-long fireworks display was preceded by a three minute gun salute from naval ships in the harbor and also included a helicopter carrying a illuminated American flag while the crowd sang the national anthem along to the music on their transistor radios. A
Circle Line vessel carrying New York Mayor
Abraham Beame
Abraham David Beame (''né'' Birnbaum; March 20, 1906February 10, 2001) was an American accountant, investor, and Democratic Party politician who served from 1974 to 1977 as the 104th mayor of New York City. Beame presided over the city during ...
, Police Commissioner
Michael Codd
Michael Joseph Codd (April 16, 1916 – August 29, 1985) was an American law enforcement officer who served as New York City Police Commissioner from 1974 to 1977.
Early life
Codd was born on April 16, 1916, in West New Brighton, Staten Island. ...
, Macy's president Edward Finkelstein, and 500 guests of the department store chain was temporarily commandeered by the
Coast Guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...
and detained for 20 minutes on Governors Island after the boat got too close to one of the barges shooting off fireworks.
Beginning in 1977, the Macy's fireworks show was held on the Hudson River adjacent to Manhattan's Upper West Side (between 83rd and 102nd streets). In 1979, the fireworks were forced to be launched from a
Conrail
Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busine ...
-owned property in
West New York
West New York is a town in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated upon the New Jersey Palisades. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 52,912, an increase of 3,204 (+6.4%) from ...
on the New Jersey side of the Hudson (in lieu of barges in the river) due to the effects of a recent tugboat strike.
That year, the fireworks also had to be launched manually because the wires between the shells and controls had been cut by vandals. The fireworks were moved back to Upper New York Bay in 1981 at the request of New York City Mayor
Ed Koch
Edward Irving Koch ( ; December 12, 1924February 1, 2013) was an American politician. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and was mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989.
Koch was a lifelong Democrat who ...
after Upper West Side residents had complained about the amount of trash spectators had left after the fireworks display the prior year.
The event was held on the
East River
The East River is a saltwater Estuary, tidal estuary or strait in New York City. The waterway, which is not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island, ...
for the first time in 1983, with the fireworks show taking place between
23rd and
42nd streets. The
FDR Drive
Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive, commonly known as the FDR Drive, is a controlled-access parkway on the east side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It starts near South and Broad Streets, just north of the Battery Park Underpas ...
alongside the river was closed to traffic between
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
and 49th streets to accommodate spectators viewing the pyrotechnics. The
New York Police Department
The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...
(NYPD) estimated that more than a million people came to the waterfront to watch the fireworks display.
In 1986, Macy's did not host the event, as the fireworks show was held as part of
Liberty Weekend, marking the restoration and centenary of the
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...
.
1990s to 2000s
The fireworks display returned to the Hudson River, this time adjacent to
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is History of New York City, the historical birthplace o ...
, for a two-year stint in 1992 and 1993. The event in 1992 coincided with
Op Sail '92, a parade of sailing vessels along the Hudson to commemorate the 500th anniversary of
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
' discovery of the Americas.
The fireworks moved back to the East River in 1994 at the request of the mayor's office. That same year, Macy's merged with Federated Department Stores after it had filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...
protection. During a bankruptcy court hearing related to the merger, federal judge
Burton Lifland required that Federated commit to continue holding the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks and
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...
each year. Lifland also noted that his preference was for the fireworks display to be held over the East River instead of the Hudson River—where it could be viewed by more New Yorkers—and said, "I don't know why we want to bring New Jersey in, except through the medium of TV."
New Jersey ended up being brought in a decade later when
Jersey City
Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous agreed to sponsor the Macy's event in 2004 and 2005 to place an additional fireworks barge near the Statue of Liberty. However, after the city was unhappy about not being mentioned in promotional material from Macy's, it decided to stage its own fireworks display in 2006 that ended just 10 minutes before the Macy's fireworks on the East River. The
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department, officially the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) is the full-service fire department of New York City, serving all Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs. The FDNY is responsible for providing Fi ...
(FDNY) initially declined to give Jersey City a permit to shoot off fireworks from the harbor the following year due to safety concerns regarding not having enough time to move its fireboats between the two displays and cited an 1834
compact
Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to:
* Interstate compact, a type of agreement used by U.S. states
* Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines
* Compact government, a t ...
between New York and New Jersey that gave the New York "exclusive jurisdiction of and over all the waters of the bay of New York." Unwilling to conclude their fireworks display prior to 9:05 p.m. (before the sky was dark) and provide the minimum buffer time between events requested by FDNY, Jersey City officials instead opted to shoot off their fireworks display from land at
Liberty State Park
Liberty State Park (LSP) is a park in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located on Upper New York Bay in Jersey City, New Jersey, Jersey City opposite Liberty Island and Ellis Island. The park opened in 1976 to coincide with United States Bicenten ...
.

After years of the event again being held on the East River, the show was moved back to the Hudson River in 2009 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of explorer
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson ( 1565 – disappeared 23 June 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the Northeastern United States.
In 1607 and 16 ...
's arrival in
New York Harbor
New York Harbor is a bay that covers all of the Upper Bay. It is at the mouth of the Hudson River near the East River tidal estuary on the East Coast of the United States.
New York Harbor is generally synonymous with Upper New York Bay, ...
and voyage up the river.
That year, the fireworks were launched from six barges in the river adjacent to the
Chelsea,
Hell's Kitchen
Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton, or Midtown West on real estate listings, is a neighborhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York. It is considered to be bordered by 34th Street (or 41st Street) to the south, ...
and
Hudson Yards neighborhoods in Manhattan (between 23rd and
50th streets).
2010s to present
Macy's wanted to hold the 2011 fireworks display in Upper New York Bay as a tribute to the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, and was given permission from the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...
to shoot off some of the fireworks from Liberty Island, but the proposed change in venue was nixed by city officials because they said
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is History of New York City, the historical birthplace o ...
wouldn't be able to handle the number of spectators.
In May 2013, for the first time in its history, organizers appointed a creative ambassador—R&B musician
Usher—to develop the show's concept and soundtrack, which would carry the theme "It Begins with A Spark".
Usher explained that the show would reflect "who we are as Americans and who we have evolved to be throughout the years, both good and bad, up and downs", and be "a merge of old and new"; it would feature renditions of "
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort ...
" by
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
and the
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (), previously known as Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and CSR Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony radio orchestra based in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Founded in 1929 to serve Slovak Radio, the orchestra beca ...
, and "
America the Beautiful
"America the Beautiful" is an American patriotic song. Its lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and its music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Church (Newark), Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New ...
" by
Blake Shelton
Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music, country singer, songwriter and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin (Blake Shelton song), Austin" from his Blake Shelton (album), self ...
and
Miranda Lambert
Miranda Leigh Lambert (born November 10, 1983) is an American country music, country singer. Born in Longview, Texas, she started out in early 2001 when she released her self-titled debut album independently. In 2003, she finished in third place ...
(at the time, both Shelton and Usher were coaches on ''
The Voice'', a music competition series aired by fireworks broadcaster
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
), as well as
popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...
by
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
,
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
,
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne (born Kelly Brianne Clarkson, April 24, 1982), known professionally as Kelly Clarkson, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Rising to fame after winning the American Idol season 1, first season of ''Ameri ...
,
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
,
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...
,
Swedish House Mafia
Swedish House Mafia (SHM) are a Swedish house music, house Supergroup (music), supergroup consisting of Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso. The group officially formed in late 2008, were placed at number ten on the ''DJ Mag'' Top 100 D ...
, and Usher. While the soundtrack did receive mixed reviews by some critics for its reliance on
pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...
(and, in particular, featuring several of Usher's own hit singles), Usher stated that he enjoyed "looking out over the crowd to see all those faces, people of different ages and races" during the show, while the NBC telecast had its highest viewership in a decade.

The display was moved back to the East River in 2014. That year, the
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is a cable-stayed suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River. It w ...
was used to launch some of the fireworks for the show, which required the bridge to be shut down for part of the day. In 2016, Macy's celebrated the event's 40th anniversary with a display featuring more than 56,000 effects, making it the largest show since 2000.
Amid
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
restrictions in 2020, the event was spread out over a week across each
borough of New York City. To discourage large crowds from gathering, 5-minute-long shows were held in different locations, without prior announcement, including the East River, Hudson River, Statue of Liberty,
Coney Island
Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...
,
One Times Square
One Times Square (also known as 1475 Broadway, the New York Times Building, the New York Times Tower, the Allied Chemical Tower or simply as the Times Tower) is a 25-story, skyscraper on Times Square in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of ...
, and
Bronx Borough Hall
The Bronx Municipal Building, later known as Bronx Borough Hall and eventually as Old Bronx Borough Hall (1897–1969), was the original administrative headquarters of the Bronx Borough President and other local civic leaders. It was located ...
. The finale, on July 4, was televised and featured a display from atop the
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story, Art Deco-style supertall skyscraper in the Midtown South neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its n ...
.
The traditional Macy's fireworks display on the Fourth of July returned as a public viewing event on the East River in 2021, with the NYPD separating spectators into different areas along the waterfront between those that had received the
COVID-19 vaccine
A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19).
Knowledge about the structure and fun ...
from those that were unvaccinated.
The 2021 display also included fireworks being simultaneously launched from the top of the Empire State Building.
The event in 2023 was the first to include a
drone light show, which immediately preceded the fireworks display. A total of 500 drones flying over the East River were used to create designs such as the U.S. flag and the Statue of Liberty. On the day of the fireworks display, a team of researchers from
NYU Langone Health
NYU Langone Health is an integrated Health system, academic health system located in New York City, New York, United States. The health system consists of the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NY ...
assessed the effects of the fireworks on localized
air pollution
Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...
and
water pollution
Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of Body of water, water bodies, with a negative impact on their uses. It is usually a result of human activities. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and ...
. The results of their study showed a sharp rise in airborne
particulates
Particulate matter (PM) or particulates are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspension (chemistry), suspended in the atmosphere of Earth, air. An ''aerosol'' is a mixture of particulates and air, as opposed to the particulate ...
, with peak real-time measurements of PM exceeding at three sampling sites within 30 minutes after the conclusion of the show, which took several hours to return to pre-event levels. These measurements compared to average background levels of in New York City and a maximum of experienced in the local area during the
Canadian wildfires in June 2023. The study also found increased levels of
heavy metals
upright=1.2, Crystals of lead.html" ;"title="osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead">osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead
Heavy metals is a controversial and ambiguous term for metallic elements with relatively h ...
in the river water that lasted for one hour after the fireworks ended.
The fireworks display returned to the Hudson River in 2024. Compared to the East River, the Hudson River is wider and allows for the use of larger shells in the fireworks display, some of which are up to in diameter and weigh up to . The 2024 event included the first-ever use of pyro-drones in a public show in the United States; the use of fireworks on drones had only been approved by the
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
a few weeks before the event.
In 2025, the 49th edition of Macy's 4th of July fireworks display will be launched from the Brooklyn Bridge and four barges on the East River near the
South Street Seaport
The South Street Seaport is a historic area in the New York City borough of Manhattan, centered where Fulton Street meets the East River, within the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. The Seaport is a designated historic district. It is p ...
.
Locations
Since 1976, the fireworks display sponsored by Macy's on the 4th of July has been held in five primary locations:
Production
Since 1983, the show's fireworks displays have been provided by
Pyro Spectaculars.
In prior years, other companies that provided fireworks for the show included
Zambelli Fireworks
Zambelli Fireworks is a fireworks company based in New Castle, Pennsylvania in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The company was founded in Naples, Italy by Antonio Zambelli in 1893. Zambelli immigrated to the United States and established "Zambe ...
and
Garden State Fireworks.
The fireworks are launched from multiple barges on the waterfront, which are programmed to fire in time with the show's musical score. The 2024 show featured 60,000 fireworks, including a custom new firework called the "All American Shell".
When the fireworks display was held on the East River,
The Water Club
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa is a hotel, casino, and spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International. The casino hotel features 2,798 rooms and is the largest hotel in New Jersey. Borga ...
in the
Kips Bay
Kips Bay, or Kip's Bay, is a neighborhood on the east side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by 34th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 23rd Street to the south, and Third Avenue to the west.
Kips B ...
neighborhood of Manhattan was often used as a command center for the fireworks show as well as a filming location for the television broadcast. Hunters Point South Park in
Long Island City
Long Island City (LIC) is a neighborhood within the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; Sunnyside to the east; and Newtown Creek, which separates Queens from Greenpoint, Brook ...
has also been used as a command center and a television filming location for the fireworks displays held on the East River.
In 2009, the command center for the fireworks display over the Hudson River was located on the and the aircraft carrier's flight deck was used as a stage for the television broadcast.
The television broadcast for the 2010 show was held on the cruise ship ''
Norwegian Epic'', which had been christened in New York City two days earlier. Other command centers for the fireworks displays held over the Hudson River have included
Riverside Park on the Upper West Side, piers within
Hudson River Park
Hudson River Park is a waterfront park on the North River (Hudson River) that extends from 59th Street south to Battery Park in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The park, a component of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, stretches and ...
,
and the 6th Street Pier in the
Newport section of Jersey City.
Television coverage
The fireworks show was first televised by
WPIX
WPIX (channel 11) is a television station in New York City, serving as the ''de facto'' flagship of The CW Television Network. Owned by Mission Broadcasting, the station is operated by CW majority owner Nexstar Media Group under a local market ...
beginning in 1983; the first broadcast had the highest viewership among all television shows that evening (including network programming) and received a 12.6 rating and a 28% share. The special was first syndicated nationwide by WPIX in 1991.
The special moved to NBC in 2000, where it has been broadcast ever since.
In recent years, the fireworks were preceded by celebrity appearances and live performances. Past performers have included
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
,
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
,
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...
, and
Katy Perry
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists in hist ...
. The 2024 show featured
Lainey Wilson
Lainey Denay Wilson (born May 19, 1992) is an American country music, country singer-songwriter. She performed at an early age, before going to Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville to pursue a career as a country performer. In 2014, she released her f ...
,
Luis Fonsi
Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (born April 15, 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi (), is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for his soulful and dance oriented songs, most notably 2017's "Despacito".
Fonsi received his first Latin ...
,
Tanner Adell,
Bell Biv DeVoe
Bell Biv DeVoe, also known as BBD, is an American music group from Boston, Massachusetts, formed from members of New Edition, consisting of Ricky Bell (singer), Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe.
The band is best known for their debut ...
,
Shaboozey
Collins Obinna Chibueze (born May 9, 1995), known professionally as Shaboozey, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Shaboozey's music combines hip-hop, country, and Americana. His stage name originated from the mispron ...
and
The War and Treaty. The 2024 broadcast drew in 7.6 million viewers on NBC and
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
.
Traditionally, NBC has aired an abbreviated encore of the telecast in the 10:00 p.m. ET/PT hour following the live two-hour broadcast. NBC has stated that this is done for budgetary reasons, although for a period this encore also
counterprogrammed a competing
Boston Pops
The Boston Pops is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart.
Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Symphony Orc ...
fireworks special that had been aired live in the hour by
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
from 2002 to 2013.
On February 25, 2025, NBC announced that it had renewed its rights to the fireworks through 2035, as part of a deal that also renews its rights to the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...
, and also includes rights to a new, upcoming Macy's-sponsored event.
References
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{{Subject bar, New York City
1958 establishments in New York City
American annual television specials
Annual events in New York City
East River
Festivals established in 1958
Fireworks in the United States
Hudson River
Independence Day (United States)
Macy's
NBC television specials
Promotional events