What to Know
- This year, Macy's July 4 fireworks show will involve 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 is only revealing the time and location shortly before the start of each show, which are set to be five minutes each
- The finale, headlined by John Legend, will air on NBC from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 4
Monday marks the first in a series of Macy's fireworks shows to celebrate the Fourth of July, the first time the megaretailer has spread its dazzling displays over the course of a week and visible to New Yorkers in all of the five boroughs.
Apart from Saturday's July 4 finale headlined by John Legend, though, no one knows exactly where each fireworks show will be. That's by design. Macy's has said it won't announce the location or timing of its shows in advance, though New Yorkers are expected to be 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.
What was originally scheduled to be six consecutive nights of fireworks displays, with at least one show in each borough, Macy's says the nighttime spectacles will run sporadically throughout the week and be visible to New Yorkers in each borrow at least once before the grande finale atop the Empire State Building.
"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, each "brief but mighty 5-minute display" leading up to the July 4 finale will showcase its signature pyrotechnic scale. Thousands of dazzling shells will be fired per minute, with heights reaching up to 1,000 feet.
The finale will be longer and air on NBC Saturday night.
More on July 4
According to Macy's, this year's fireworks will 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 air on July 4 on NBC (8-10 p.m. ET/PT, 7-9 p.m. CT/MT. For more, check local listings).
