What to Know
- This year, Macy's July 4 fireworks show involved unique displays visible to each borough on different nights, with the finale on Independence Day
- The first shows were on Monday on the East River and off Coney Island; Macy's revealed the time and location shortly before the start of each nighttime show
- The finale, headlined by John Legend, aired on NBC from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 4
A Fourth of July unlike any other concluded with a dazzling display of Macy's fireworks over New York City after almost a week of nightly shows.
By 10 p.m., a spectacle of fireworks launched from the Empire State Building, filling the sky with booms echoed in each borough by the sounds of independent shows. The pop of fireworks could be heard well into the night as people continued neighborhood celebrations.
What was originally scheduled to be six consecutive nights of fireworks displays, with at least one show in each borough, Macy's said the nighttime spectacles would run sporadically throughout the week and be visible to New Yorkers in each borough at least once before the grande finale atop the Empire State Building and headlined by John Legend.
Leading up to the big finale, no one knew exactly where each fireworks show will be. That was by design. Macy's has said it wouldn't announce the location or timing of its shows in advance, though New Yorkers were told of a general vicinity just before showtime.
On Monday, the fireworks were lit up over the East River between 9-10 p.m., with the city saying on Twitter that those in Long Island City, Roosevelt Island and along the East River in Manhattan would be able to see the display. The city also had a show launched off Coney Island in Brooklyn, visible from southern parts of that borough and on Staten Island.
"To encourage and support COVID-19 safety and social distancing efforts, and mitigate the advance gathering of large crowds for an extended period of time, we have chosen to delight New Yorkers with unannounced displays across the five boroughs this year," Macy's said.
According to Macy's, Saturday night's fireworks would feature a musical score that's "a mix of pop and patriotic anthems celebrating New York City's resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic."
Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular will aired on July 4 on NBC (8-10 p.m. ET/PT, 7-9 p.m. CT/MT. For more, check local listings).
