Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks is an annual pyrotechnics display presented by Macy’s in collaboration with Pyro Spectaculars by Souza. The Fireworks take place on several barges firing simultaneously in waterways surrounding New York City and feature tens of thousands of dazzling effects choreographed to a patriotic medley. In recent years, the fireworks have been preceded by live entertainment. As of 2025, it is the nation’s largest Independence Day fireworks celebration.[1]
The Fireworks are also broadcast nationally on NBC and stream simultaneously on Peacock, during a two-hour entertainment special featuring musical performances and interviews. More than 15 million watch the spectacle on television, while another three million attend the event live in New York City.[2] WPIX-TV, a New York City-based television station operated by Nexstar Media Group, previously broadcasted the event between 1985 and 1999.
History[]
The first-ever Macy’s fireworks show was not a 4th of July spectacle, but rather a celebration of Macy’s 100th anniversary. The event, billed as a “pyrotechnic extravaganza,” was held July 1, 1958, at 9 p.m. on the Hudson River. With scenes dedicated to Captain R.H. Macy, the Statue of Liberty, Herald Square, and the Great White Way,[3][4] approximately one million people showed up to witness Macy's first ever large-scale pyrotechnics display. The event became an annual pre-Independence Day tradition, until it ceased in 1964 due to the death of two crew members.[5]
Macy’s officially began the annual tradition known today as Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks in 1976, partnering with the Walt Disney Company to present a salute to the nation’s Bicentennial. The 33-minute “Salute to the Glorious Fourth” cost a reported $100,000 and was visible to the naked eye for 25 miles.[6] The synchronized music could be listened to on local radio stations and viewed on CBS. The inaugural event was also the first Macy’s credit under the belt of Jean McFaddin, eventually leading to her becoming director of Macy’s Special Events for over two decades.[7]
Since 1978, pre-show entertainment has played a significant role in the evening’s festivities for those viewing the event live in New York City. The first year included Macy’s Marching Band performing field shows and the “Carrying a Torch for New York” race featuring 13 teams of Special Olympians and celebrities symbolizing the 13 original colonies; winners of the race received prime viewing of the fireworks aboard Macy’s Showboat float.[8] Today’s entertainment includes games and activities, stilt walkers, special characters, and vendors.
Setting up the barges for the Fireworks takes approximately two weeks. Workers can be seen here setting up the 2022 display. (Credit: Eugene Gologursky)
In a novel twist, the 1979 Fireworks launched from New Jersey instead of barges on the Hudson River due to a tugboat strike in New York City.[9] The Fireworks relocated again in 1981 and 1982 to a barge near Lady Liberty at the request of Mayor Ed Koch, following complaints from the West Side Residents’ Association of litter left by spectators.[10] The show eventually moved to its semi-permanent East River location in 1983.
The Fireworks were not sponsored by Macy’s in 1986, as they were instead part of Liberty Weekend, a three-day rededication of the Statue of Liberty that coincided with the structure’s centennial; the display was aired on ABC that year.[4]
WPIX-TV expanded the 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular telecast to one hour in 1991, featuring performances from talent ensembles and musical guests.
In 1992, the Fireworks moved back to their original home on the Hudson River. Themed “The Spirit of Discovery,” the Fireworks were preceded by “OpSail ‘92,” a parade of 260 tall ships that sailed down the Hudson to the George Washington Bridge.[11] The Fireworks eventually moved back to the East River in 1994.
NBC (who also holds official broadcast rights to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade) became home to the official Fireworks telecast in 2000. The network has televised the event every year since.
The fireworks display returned to the Hudson River once again in 2009, due to the celebration of the 400th anniversary of its exploration by Henry Hudson,[12] where they remained until once again moving back to the East River in 2014.
“Gift of Freedom” was the official theme of the 2011 Fireworks, celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. The newly-constructed Gift of Freedom float (which would debut in the 2011 Macy’s Parade) aptly appeared at the event.
More than 60,000 individual shells are launched during each Fireworks show. (Photo: Kent Miller)
The 2013 Fireworks, dubbed “It Starts With a Spark,” featured a musical score curated by R&B superstar Usher.[13] The following year, in 2014, Broadway star Idina Menzel lent her voice to a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in celebration of its 200th anniversary.[14] The fireworks would end up being launched directly from the world-famous Brooklyn Bridge and from barges positioned on the lower East River. Music legends Gloria Estefan and her husband, Emilio, also contributed to the Fireworks score in 2015 with an original song, “America.”[15]
Macy’s Fireworks celebrated its 40th birthday in 2016 with the largest pyrotechnics display since the millennium celebration in 2000; the show featured more than 56,000 unique Fireworks effects launched from five locations across the East River.[16]
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in a press conference on April 22, 2020, that the annual Macy’s Fireworks would go on "one way or the other.”[17] The Fireworks were held over six nights, starting on June 29, throughout New York City boroughs, with each show lasting approximately five minutes. The secretive locations included (but weren’t limited to) Coney Island, the Hudson River, One Times Square, and the Empire State Building. The five shows were pre-taped and combined into the telecast.
The 2021 Fireworks returned to the East River in their usual format. The show’s theme, “United We Celebrate,” honored the resilient spirit within all Americans. Celebrating Team USA before their departure to the Tokyo Olympics was an aerial show with more than 350 drones.
In 2023, the United States Navy directed a flyover from Pebble Beach, California, with an all-female crew celebrating 50 years of women flying in the Navy. In a Fireworks first, a drone show took place before the main event, with several hundred lighted drones taking the form of the Statue of Liberty, the American flag, a boombox, and the Macy's nameplate. Additionally, the 25-minute musical arrangement developed for that year's show featured an original version of the tune "From Sea to Shining Sea", performed by the United States Army Field Band, under the sole direction of multi-faceted, veteran composer Ray Chew.
The 2024 Fireworks returned to the Hudson River for the first time in over a decade. 10,000 free tickets with front-row access to the show were distributed by Macy's and New York City, with over one million people attempting to snag them.[18] For the first time, a custom shell—the "All-American" shell—was created for the event. The first-ever "fireworks on drones" presentation in the nation also took place preceding the Fireworks.[19] The 2024 musical score was primarily inspired by the "Summer's Greatest Hits" advertising and marketing campaign developed by Macy's, produced by Grammy and Emmy-award winning composer Jason Howland, and featuring the vocal talent of such musical talents as Mickey Guyton (who also co-hosted the NBC telecast festivities along with Access Hollywood's Zuri Hall), country singer-songwriter Brandy Clark, and R&B and hip-hop artist Amber Mark.
In 2025, the Fireworks returned to the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge to celebrate New York City's 400th anniversary and highlight the city's architecture.[20] The score was produced by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson of and James Poyser of The Roots, with projection mapping on the bridge's East and West towers complimenting the music. 100,000 free viewing tickets—ten times more than the previous year—were distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Telemundo also broadcast the show for the first time.
The 50th Fireworks show will be held in 2026 and will coincide with the country's 250th anniversary.
Development[]
A 25-minute musical score accompanies every Macy’s Fireworks spectacular and is the first part of the show to be developed approximately a year out.[21] It is composed and recorded in Los Angeles featuring a mix of music styles, including Americana, pop, rock, and classical, that aim to tell a patriotic and emotional story.[22] Since 2022, selections of the score have been performed by live talent on the river’s edge.
Once the score is composed, show designer Gary Souza selects pyrotechnics as a visual representation of the music. Souza and his Pyro Spectaculars team search worldwide for new shells and effects, some of which are made exclusively for Macy’s and can have up to 12 different effects in a single launch.[23] During this time, a pre-vis meeting is held, which includes a digital sneak peek of the spectacular.[24] Since the 1980s, the show has been storyboarded using mediums such as "multiple colored crayons and Sharpies," rubber firework stamps, and Photoshop; the 2024 show was designed for the first time using Finale 3D, a fireworks software that allows precise adjustments.[21]
Several weeks before the show,[25] a testing phase is held in the Mojave Desert near Lucerne Valley after sundown with Macy’s Studios’ creative team and pyrotechnicians from Pyro Spectaculars, where approximately 200 shells and seven sequences are launched in synchronization with the music.[24]
Two weeks ahead of the show, more than 50 pyrotechnicians begin loading the more than 60,000 shells onto the barges at a Staten Island pier. The shells are connected to computers by 75 miles of wire[26] to nearby control units, which are eventually run to the central command unit when the barges arrive on-site.[27]
Performers and acts[]
In addition to the display of fireworks, NBC's coverage of the event features live music and other performances that precedes the fireworks. The television broadcast presents performances by established and up-and-coming singers and bands.
| Year | Performers |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 98°, Ain't Nothing But the Blues, Footloose |
| 1999 | Ain't Nothing But the Blues |
| 2000 | Kiss Me, Kate, The Music Man |
| 2001 | Bon Jovi, Jessica Simpson |
| 2002 | Ray Charles, Britney Spears, Enrique Iglesias, James Taylor |
| 2004 | Aretha Franklin, Sheryl Crow, Fantasia Barrino |
| 2010 | Justin Bieber, Enrique Iglesias, LeAnn Rimes |
| 2011 | Beyoncé, Taio Cruz, Jennifer Hudson, Karen Olivo |
| 2012 | Katy Perry, Kenny Chesney |
| 2013 | Mariah Carey, Tim McGraw, Cher, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Pitbull |
| 2014 | Ariana Grande, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Lionel Richie |
| 2015 | Kelly Clarkson, Flo Rida, Meghan Trainor, Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley |
| 2016 | 5 Seconds of Summer, Sara Bareilles, Kenny Chesney, DNCE, Pitbull, Meghan Trainor |
| 2017 | Jennifer Lopez, Lady A, Brad Paisley, Hailee Steinfeld, Sheryl Crow, Charlie Puth |
| 2018 | Kelly Clarkson, American Authors, Ricky Martin, Brandon Victor Dixon, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban |
| 2019 | Maren Morris, Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, Khalid, Ciara, Derek Hough |
| 2020 | Brad Paisley, John Legend, Lady A, The Black Eyed Peas, The Killers, Maluma, Tim McGraw |
| 2021 | Black Pumas, Coldplay, OneRepublic, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, The Jonas Brothers with Marshmello |
| 2022 | 5 Seconds of Summer, Brett Eldredge, Carly Pearce, Kenny Lattimore, Pitbull featuring Filmore, the cast of Supreme Love Freestyle, the cast of Moulin Rouge! The Musical |
| 2023 | Ashanti, Bebe Rexha, Ja Rule, Jazmine Sullivan, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, LL Cool J featuring DJ Z-Trip and The Roots |
| 2024 | Aisha Jackson, Alex Newell, Amber Mark, Ashley Loren, Brandy Clark, Luis Fonsi, Lainey Wilson, Mark Ambor, Mickey Guyton, Tanner Adell, The War and Treaty, Bell Biv DeVoe, Shaboozey |
| 2025 | Ariana DeBose, Ava Max, Eric Church, Jonas Brothers, Keke Palmer, Lenny Kravitz, Trisha Yearwood |
Sponsors[]
In any given year, the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks partner with select brands that make the event possible. Below is a list of sponsors, sorted by year.
- 2008 - Energizer, Levi's, Planters, and NBC
- 2009 - Energizer, Levi's, and Planters
- 2010 - Norwegian Cruise Line, Levi's, and NBC
- 2013 - KitchenAid, Kool-Aid, and Planters
- 2014 - Cracker Jack, FYI Network, The Howard Hughes Corporation's South Street Seaport, Kool-Aid, Planters, and South Street Seaport Museum
- 2015 - Cracker Jack, The Howard Hughes Corporation, KFC, Kool-Aid, and Planters
- 2016 - Cracker Jack, Ghostbusters, The Howard Hughes Corporation, Kool-Aid, and Planters
- 2017 - Green Giant, King's Hawaiian, and Sour Patch Kids Candy
- 2018 - Green Giant, King's Hawaiian, and Sour Patch Kids Candy
- 2019 - Go Bowling, Green Giant, New York Life, Pier 17 at The Seaport District and The Howard Hughes Corporation, Sour Patch Kids Candy, and Bulova
- 2021 - Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Go Bowling, Green Giant, Jennie-O, New York Life, and Ram Trucks
- 2022 - Go Bowling, Green Giant, Jennie-O, New York Life, Ram Trucks, and Sinclair Oil Corporation
- 2023 - Go Bowling
Poster Gallery[]
.jpg "Macy's 4th of July Fireworks poster (1).jpg (438 KB)")
References[]
- ↑ "Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Show Live From the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River With Sparkling Displays and Electrifying Musical Performances." Macy's Inc. press release. June 12, 2025.
- ↑ Macy's 4th of July Fireworks, VisitMacysUSA.com.
- ↑ Clipping from the Daily News. June 30, 1958.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The History of the Macy's Firework Show, Times Square Chronicles
- ↑ "500,000 View Accident," The New York Times. June 24, 1964.
- ↑ Clipping from The Times. July 1, 1976.
- ↑ "64 and More Vol. 32 #4: She Loves a Parade," Christina Abt. YouTube.com.
- ↑ Clipping from the Daily News. July 2, 1978.
- ↑ Clipping from Newsday. July 4, 1979.
- ↑ Clipping from the Daily News. July 4, 1981.
- ↑ Clipping from the Daily News. July 3, 1992.
- ↑ Uniquely NYC - New York City (NYC)Macy's July 4th Fireworks Display. Baruch.cuny.edu.
- ↑ ""It Begins with a Spark" Global Superstar Usher Joins Macy's in Curating the Concept, Music and Design of the 37th Annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks," Macy's, Inc. June 13, 2013.
- ↑ "The 38th Annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Light Up Independence Day with the Nation’s Largest Pyrotechnic Display," Macy's, Inc. June 10, 2014.
- ↑ "... Brave - The 39th Annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Celebrate Independence Day with the Nation’s Largest Pyrotechnic Display," Macy's, Inc. June 8, 2015.
- ↑ "The 40th Anniversary Macy's 4th of July Fireworks," Macy's, Inc. June 16, 2016.
- ↑ "Mayor De Blasio Defends Macy's 4th Of July Fireworks Show, Despite Other Cancelations," CBS New York. April 23, 2020.
- ↑ Hernandez, Estefania. "City to offer free Fourth of July fireworks tickets again after website crashes." Spectrum News NY 1. June 26, 2024.
- ↑ Aguirre, Kimberly. "We went to the desert to get a sneak peek of the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks show." Los Angeles Times. July 1, 2024.
- ↑ CBS New York. "Workers remain busy preparing for Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Show." YouTube.com. June 30, 2025.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Petit, Zachary. "60,000 freworks will light up the sky over NYC. Here's how the year's biggest fireworks show was made." Fast Company. July 3, 2024.
- ↑ TEDx Talks. "Music & Fire | Wesley Whatley | TEDxBroadway." YouTube.com. April 13, 2016.
- ↑ Post from Macy's. Instagram. June 28, 2025.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Macy's LIVE: Creating the Spark Behind the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks." Macys.com. June 23, 2022.
- ↑ Tweet from Brendan Kennedy. Twitter.com. June 18, 2024.
- ↑ CBS New York. "Meticulous preparations underway for Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show." YouTube.com. June 27, 2024.
- ↑ FOX 5 New York. "Macy's 4th of July Fireworks 2024: Preparations begin." YouTube.com. June 27, 2024.