How to watch the Macy's 4th of July fireworks

Sarah Lemire
Updated ·3 min read
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The Fourth of July is here!

Got a day of festive activities planned? Then don't let us get in the way of your fun! But if you don't have anything on the lineup, then make the most of America's birthday by catching one of the many fireworks displays happening around the country.

While you can always head to a show in a nearby town or city, you can also get a front-row seat to the sparkling action from the comfort of your couch (and, ya know, away from the humidity and mosquitos). Even so, there are a few options to choose from.

The Macy's Fourth of July fireworks, however, have the ultimate backdrop: New York City, home of the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, which will be decked out in red, white and blue in honor of Independence Day.

Below, find out how to watch the Macy's fireworks this year — both in person or from your living room.

How to watch the Macy's fireworks in 2023

For more than 40 years, Macy's has been putting on a fireworks show like no other. If you want to watch them from home this year, tune into NBC or its streaming service, Peacock. (Comcast is the owner of NBCUniversal, the parent company of TODAY.)

The fun begins at 8 p.m. ET/PT and finishes up — wait for it — with a bang at 10 p.m ET/PT. If you miss it the first time, don’t sweat it because the show will air again at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

In New York City? Here’s where you can watch

Visiting the Big Apple for the holiday? Here’s how to see this once-in-a-lifetime display in person.

Fireworks are launched from five barges along New York’s East River and there are seven official viewing points.

Manhattan

  • 1st Ave. and E 42nd St.

  • 1st Ave. and E 34th St.

  • 1st Ave. and E 20th St.

Queens

  • Gantry Plaza State Park

  • Newtown Barge Park

  • Transmitter Park

Brooklyn

  • Marsha. P. Johnson State Park

There are select spots throughout New York City where the view is obstructed or the area is closed to the following:

  • Bushwick Inlet Park

  • Brooklyn Bridge Park

  • Brooklyn Heights Promenade

  • Grand Ferry Park

  • Domino Park

  • Hunter’s Point South Park

  • Roosevelt Island

  • E 34th Street Ferry Landing

Keep in mind that Macy's says there is limited capacity at most viewing spots, so arrive early to guarantee a spot.

For all the details, visit the Macy’s website.

What can we expect from this year's show?

Lasting more than 25 minutes, the fireworks span a mile across New York’s East River and are projected more than 1,000 feet in the air. What’s more, there will be more than 2,200 shells and effects per minute, reaching a grand total of 60,000 shells.

Not all the stars will be in sky on the Fourth. Rutledge Wood and Zuri Hall will host, with Ashanti, Bebe Rexha, Brett Young, Ja Rule, Jazmine Sullivan, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, LL Cool J and The Roots taking the stage during the show.

The night will also include performances by The U.S. Field Band, Sgt. First Class Kyra Dorn, hip hop artist Staff Sgt. Nicholas Feemster, rap artist Staff Sgt. Lamar Riddick, fiddler and singer Amanda Shaw, and The Dorothy Maynor Singers from the Harlem School of the Arts.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com