The annual Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks is just weeks away and the department store is preparing to launch more than 48,000 shells and effects from New York City.
The display, which will take place on five barges along the East River from E. 23 to E. 42 streets, will be set to music and include 30 different colors and shapes, according to Macy’s. The event will start at about 9:25 p.m and be broadcast live on NBC starting at 8 p.m. ET.
“Macy’s Fireworks will once again spark joy and captivate millions as together the nation joins in celebration,” Will Coss, the executive producer of Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks, said in a statement. “Live from New York City, five barges positioned on the East River will launch a kaleidoscope of colors, shapes and sounds, celebrating America’s diverse musical legacy, featuring a selection of genres that have inspired global culture.”
Spectators will hear several different styles of music thanks to a score curated by Ray Chew, the musical director of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, from “The Star-Spangled Banner,” performed by The United States Army Soldiers’ Chorus, to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA.”
Viewers will delight in over-the-top firework shapes like whistling jellyfish, little snakes, blinking smiling faces, swimming chrysanthemums, and more in a rapid-fire display with more than 1,900 shells and effects per minute, according to Macy’s.
Last summer, Macy’s brought its iconic Fourth of July fireworks show back, public viewing and all, after being forced to change it in 2020. And in the fall, the department store once again welcomed spectators to its Thanksgiving Day Parade as well as to its Balloon Inflation Celebration.
The Fourth of July is expected to be the most popular holiday weekend for travel this summer with vacationers seeking sun-soaked getaways in Ocean City, MD, and Bethany Beach, DE, as well as the Florida and Alabama Gulf Coasts, the Outer Banks in North Carolina, Massachusetts’ Cape Cod, and the Oregon coast.
Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she’s not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.