How to watch ‘Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks’ on TV for free

It’s almost time to cap off a beautiful Fourth of July as we do every year: with fireworks.

For those who can’t make it out to the east side of Manhattan to watch the city’s largest display, the “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks” will air on television, as they have every year since 1983.

The fireworks spectacular will return again to NBC in a two-hour broadcast hosted by Oscar winner and Broadway star Ariana DeBose, who will also perform during the display.

Per a release from the City of New York, the massive display will be deployed from four East River barges in addition to the Brooklyn Bridge, with viewing opportunities all over the city, and in addition to celebrating Independence Day, the display will celebrate the 400th anniversary of New York City.

NBC noted that the display will feature “80,000 shells, 30 vibrant colors and awe-inspiring effects, including state-of-the-art projection mapping on the Brooklyn Bridge.”

What time are the ‘Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks’ on tonight?

The “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks” special begins at 8 p.m. ET tonight, July 4. The fireworks display portion of the two-hour special will likely take place in the 9 p.m. hour.

How to watch the ‘Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks’ for free:

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the Fourth of July fireworks for free. One option we love is DIRECTV, which comes with five days free and starts at $59.99/month, with plenty of subscription options that include FS1.

You can also take advantage of free trials of fuboTV (seven days) and Hulu + Live TV (three days), or subscribe to Peacock to tune in.

‘Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks’ performers:

As noted above, DeBose will emcee the evening, which will feature additional performances from Jonas Brothers, Eric Church, Lenny Kravitz, Ava Max, Keke Palmer, and Trisha Yearwood, in addition to the fireworks display scored by Questlove and James Poyser.

‘Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks’ map:

See below for a map detailing viewing points and locations of the fireworks barges inside of the East River.

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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Writer/Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping and New York Post’s streaming property, Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews