Boston Fireworks and Pops Concert - July 4th - 2021

Spectacular July 4th fireworks over Boston Common wiill light up the sky for in-person spectators and those watching the live broadcast of this beloved annual event, returning this year after being cancelled last year due to the pandemic shutdown.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Boston's much-loved July 4th gala celebration will be a little different this year.  The biggest change?  The Pops Independence Day concert will take place at Tanglewood, located in Lenox and Stockbridge (ie, it spans both towns) in Western Massachusetts instead of here in Boston at the Hatch Shell.  But there will be special guests, the event will as usual be free (more about how to attend in a moment), and the concert will also be live-streamed for everyone who can't see it in person.,

Here is the special guest lineup for the 2021 Pops July 4th concert: 

• Mavis Staples, the legendary Queen of Soul, R&B, and Gospel, as well as civil rights activist and actress
• Jon Batiste, Academy Award winner for Best Original Score for the Pixar film Soul, Grammy nominee, and bandleader of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
• The Six-String Soldiers of the U.S. Army Field Band and members of the U.S. Air Force Band's Singing Sergeants
• Alix Steel, Romaine Bostick, Janet Wu, and Joe Shortsleeve from Bloomberg TV and Radio will host the show

Despite being in a different location than usual, the concert will feature all their usual quintessential favorites for this annual concert:  "The Star Spangled Banner" and "Stars and Stripes Forever," along with other pieces.  And, in keeping with tradition, the musical portion of the show will end with their resounding performance of Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture," complete with live cannons and bells.

If you're traveling to Boston for this national patriotic holiday, plan for a memorable evening watching the free Fireworks Spectacular on the Common. 

If you want to get tickets for the free concert at Tanglewood, they will start being distributed on June 21 at 10am through the concert website on a first-come, first-served basis, with a 4-ticket limit per household.

Both the concert and the fireworks are part of Boston's big Harborfest festival during early July.

Why does Boston have such a large Independence Day celebration?  This is where the fight for American liberty began, and July 4th is a very special occasion here. 

From our Patriots Day holiday in April to the Freedom Trail through the city to reenactors dressed in Colonial attire, Boston commemorates its revolutionary heritage all year, but around July 4th, celebratory pride escalates to such a degree that you'll see patriotism on steroids.  Don't miss this exciting experience!

Find out about Harborfest

Photo credit:  July 4th fireworks over Boston Harbor, photographed from near MIT by Sayamindu Dasgupta

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Boston Pops July 4th Concerts & Fireworks

The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, America's best Independence Day celebration, takes place on July 4th on Boston Common, a site on the historic Freedom Trail.

Concerts in the historic Hatch Shell on both days feature Conductor Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. 

The concert on July 4th is part of a fabulous show which normally includes a fighter jet military flyover (no word yet on whether or not that will happen in 2021), a terrific lineup of special guests, and half an hour of fireworks at the end.  (Although as previously noted, the concert will be at Tanglewood this year, and the fireworks will take place over Boston Common.)

The music is terrific, and then comes the finale - Tchaikovsky's explosive 1812 Overture, ending with dramatic drumrolls and real cannon fire, while church bells ring throughout the city on the 4th.

Boston Fireworks Spectacular & Pops Concert Schedule 

Thursday, July 4 (Concert & fireworks)

• 8pm - Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular and Bloomberg/WBZ-TV local broadcast begins
• 8pm - Boston Pops Concert (in Tanglewood) and show begin with the National Anthem
• 10:30pm (approximately) - Soon after the concert ends, the Boston fireworks begin to be launched over Boston Common.  The show lasts about 30 minutes and concludes at 11pm.

With 10,000 fireworks being set off, you can see why everyone calls the show "spectacular"!  (Please note:  the number of fireworks for 2021 has not been announced.)

Another change:  no concert viewing screens and sound towers will be set up in Boston and Cambridge this year.

Find yourself a comfortable spot on Boston Common, and enjoy this special patriotic event.

The skies light up with dazzling pyrotechnics reaching as high as 1,500* feet.  (* The normal height; no details are available about the height of this year's display.)

Depending on where you stay, you might even be able to watch the fireworks from your hotel room or roof deck.

Television, Mobile, Live Stream, & Radio Broadcasts

Can't attend Boston's July 4th concert and fireworks in person?  Join millions of folks across the country in watching or listening to the festivities through one of these options:

• Television - Bloomberg Television or listen to it on Bloomberg radio (106.1 FM, 1330 AM, 1450 AM, and 92.9-HD2 in Boston and Newburyport; also on SiriusXM satellite subscription radio on Channel 119)
• Live Streaming - Bloomberg.com, Boston.com, BostonGlobe.com, and BostonPopsJuly4th.org
• Mobile - Get the Bloomberg Radio app at https://www.bloombergapps.com
• https://www.bloombergapps.com/ - Listen on Bloomberg's stations in 106.1 FM,1330 AM, 1450 AM, 92.9-HD2 (Boston and Newburyport), 99.1 WPLM-FM (Plymouth, MA and Boston's South Shore, Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and portions of northern Rhode Island), and SiriusXM channel 119 (national)

Note:  All times are ET (Eastern Timezone), and all dates/times are subject to change (which does occasionally happen for weather-related reasons - Boston's July thunderstorms can be fierce!)

More to Do on July 4th:  Boston Cruises

Hotels near July 4th Fireworks & Pops Concert

Best Time to Arrive for the Concerts & Fireworks

Please note:  We are currently updating this section and the rest of this article.  Check back later today for the updates.

Both Boston Pops concerts start at 8pm, and both are free.  

If you want to be able to actually see (vs just hear) the concert, you need to be within the Oval - the grassy area in front of the Hatch Shell where the musicians play. 

If you want to try to see the fireworks from the Oval - not a great viewing spot because of all the trees along the river - the right side (facing the stage) is best.

A few days before the concerts, a temporary fence gets installed around the Oval to prevent overcrowding, which means space inside is limited. 

Entrances to the secured areas (the Oval and the Esplanade's Island/Lagoon) open at 5pm on July 3rd, and 9am on the 4th. 

In order to get a seat in the Oval on July 4th, you need to arrive as early as possible. The area usually fills up soon after the entrances open at 9am on the 4th.  People tend to line up well before 9am.  How early?  The truly dedicated arrive by 6am - or earlier.

Security checkpoints are between the Clarendon Footbridge to the Lagoon and the Berkeley Footbridge; easiest access to the checkpoint is by way of Berkeley Street.  Keep in mind that there is no access east of Berkeley Street.

Once you gain entrance, you'll be given a wristband.  This allows you to move in and out of the secured areas throughout the day.  However, if you want to maintain a particular spot on the Oval, you should leave one person in your group behind to guard it.  You must be back by 7pm at the latest in order to get back in - 6:30 is safer, and it is always possible that for crowd-control purposes, accesss to the secured areas may be closed even earlier.

Additionally - depending on the crowds, Public Safety may close off access to the secured area even earlier - so check with them before you leave just as a precaution.

Getting a seat in the Oval on the 3rd is much less competitive.  Remember, only the concert takes place on this day - no fireworks.  Even so, the area typically fills up on July 3rd by 7pm or earlier.

As you enter the Oval, your bag will be checked for banned items (alcoholic beverages, blankets larger than 10 feet by 10 feet, glass containers, open water bottles and any other open containers capable of holding alcohol, and sharp pointy metal objects like knitting needles, silverware, can openers, and of course, knives). 

If you're considering smuggling in booze ... be aware that 1) it is forbidden and 2) security cameras line the Esplanade.

Most of the area behind the Hatch Shell, extending back to about Revere Street in Beacon Hill, is used as a staging area for equipment and is closed off to pedestrians.

Although early arrival isn't quite so crucial for the fireworks, many of the prime spots along the river, especially on the Boston side and on the bridges, begin to fill up by late morning or early afternoon, depending on the weather.  Somewhere between 4:30 - 6:30pm, areas near the Oval not blocked by trees get packed.  Farther down the river, many people stake out their viewing spots by early afternoon, and by 6:30-7:30pm, these areas also are totally packed.  The Cambridge side tends to be comparatively less crowded - but crowds here are still very dense. 

Recorded music starts to be broadcast along the river at 12 noon in Boston, and at 6pm in Cambridge, so the riverbanks turn into a celebratory party.

Keep in mind that Boston Harborfest with 100+ events also takes place during this period - so if you want to do both and are in Boston for only 1 day, you may have to make some tough choices.

Best Places to View the Fireworks from Boston and Cambridge

If watching the fireworks is your main objective, you'll find plenty of great spots along the 3-mile long Boston Esplanade as well as on the Cambridge side of the Charles River. 

The fireworks are launched from barges between the Longfellow and Mass Ave Bridges, but they shoot so high up in the sky that you can see them for miles around. 

As a generalization, great viewing sites are more plentiful on the Cambridge side, partly because it has fewer trees and partly it attracts smaller crowds.  You'll be able to hear the concert (but not see it) from both sides of the river as it is broadcast from approximately 36 sound towers placed throughout the area. 

Several viewing spots beyond the river banks to consider:  the BU Bridge, the grassy lawn in front of MIT on the Cambridge side of the river, and the top of Bunker Hill in Charlestown.  To get a prime spot in any of these locations, you'll need to arrive several hours early.  The Mass Ave and Longfellow Bridges are closed to viewers, although they will be open to pedestrians earlier in the day.

Castle Island is also a popular viewing spot because even though the view of the Boston fireworks will be slightly obstructed (you're 3 miles away with a good-sized chunk of downtown Boston between you and the launch site), if you get there early enough, you can also see fireworks from a couple of other nearby towns.  Plus, it's a beautiful spot and usually gets cool breezes on even the hottest July day.

What's important to remember, though, is that Boston's fireworks make a huge display, totally lighting up the sky.  As long as you're not behind a tall building blocking the view, you're going to be able to see the show easily from many Boston and Cambridge locations, so it's not worth obsessing about finding the "perfect" spot.  The whole point is to relax and have fun!

You'll be happy to know that plenty of portable toilets are located throughout the Boston and Cambridge areas along the river during this event. 

You'll also see lots of concession stands selling food, non-alcoholic drinks, and souvenirs such as t-shirts. 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts controlls food and beverage concessions, and the City of Boston regulates merchandise concession prices, so they're usually fairly reasonable.  Vendors donate all merchandise profits to help fund the concert and fireworks event.

Boston Hotels with Outdoor Swimming Pools

• Verb Hotel next to Fenway Park (shown in photo) - Find Lowest Rates
• Colonnade Hotel near Prudential Center - Find Discount Rates
• Revere Hotel in the Theatre District -Find Discount Rates
 

Find more Boston hotels with outdoor swimming pools 

Fourth of July Fireworks Viewing Cruises

Many people feel the best place to view the fireworks is on the water. 

Fun Option

• Rent a canoe and watch the fireworks from the music.  For more information, contact Charles River Canoe and Kayak, 617-965-5110; website  (Boston Insider tip:  Once you're sure you want to do this, reserve your canoe as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!) 

Private Charters

For the ultimate experience, charter a boat.  Here are cruise and boat companies offering charters:

• Elite Private Yachts - 800-700-0735
• Cruise Boston Yacht Charters - 617-621-3001
• Liberty Fleet - 617-742-0333
• Mass Bay Lines - 617-542-8000

Best Boston Hotels with Fireworks Views

If you're staying in a Boston hotel for July 4th, keep in mind that several offer spectacular views - although you need to request a room with a river view on a higher floor when making your reservations, and confirm the view.  Public spaces in many of these hotels may also offer terrific views.

Will Rain - Or Thunderstorms - Stop the Fireworks?

Light rain isn't an issue, but yes, thunderstorms can pose a problem for the concert and fireworks. 

In the event of lightening or strong wind, personnel must be evacuated from the barges in the river where the fireworks are launched, and lightening could pose a danger for the crowds of spectators along the riverbanks as well.

In regard to the possibility of a last-minute cancellation of the show due to weather conditions, a spokesperson for Boston 4th Productions, coordinator for the show, has been quoted as saying, "We will consult with our weather forecasters and a team of public safety officials before any decision is made.. . . . As always, the main thing is public safety. We are not going to endanger the public.”

As anyone from Boston or elsewhere in New England knows, our July weather can be tricky...cloudless blue skies one moment can morph into a dramatic thunderstorm the next. 

Public Transportation: Getting to the Concerts and Fireworks

The best way to get to the Pops concert and Boston fireworks show is by public transportation and walking, as parking is very limited in the area and crowds will be dense. 

Public transportation (subway, buses, trolleys, trains, commuter rail) will be free after 9:30pm on July 4th.  Transportation services will operate on a Saturday or Sunday schedule for most of the day, although subways will start rush-hour service at 2pm.  Bicycles will be prohibited on all subway lines throughout July 4th, and on inbound commuter-rail trains from 10am-6am, and on outbound trains after 4pm on July 4th.

More people than cars will fill the streets, making driving even more difficult than usual.  Many streets near the Esplanade including Memorial Drive and Storrow Drive are closed to traffic, and those that remain open will be gridlocked after the fireworks end.

Closest T stations for Pops concerts and Boston fireworks:

• Boston - Green Line/Arlington or Red Line/Charles-MGH
• Cambridge - Red Line/Kendall-MIT

The Longfellow Bridge is currently closed to vehicles due to construction.  Although pedestrian traffic will be allowed until 9pm, at that point it will be closed until the end of the fireworks and no fireworks viewing will be allowed.

Also, no viewing will be allowed from the Mass Ave Bridge.

Closed footbridge alert: If you're planning to watch from the Esplanade (Boston side of the river), you will not be able to use either the Fiedler Footbridge or the Charles Street (a.k. a. Frances Appleton) Footbridge to cross Storrow Drive as they are blocked off on these days. 

Instead, cross over to the Esplanade using the Dartmouth, Fairfield, or Mass Ave Footbridges.

Enjoying the Concert and Fireworks at Home

Can't come to the concert in person?  You can see the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular broadcast on Bloomberg Television, or listen to it on Bloomberg's flagship Boston station at 1200 AM / 94.5 FM HD2.  It will also be streamed live on Bloomberg.com and on the Bloomberg mobile app.

Business/financial news and information publisher Bloomberg (founded by Boston native Michael Bloomberg) is a major sponsor, along with Boston-based asset manager Eaton Vance, and also the event's media sponsor. 

Need a Boston Hotel or Apartment?

Use this handy map from Booking.com to find the perfect place to stay.  Just enter your dates to find what's available, see the best rates, and make your reservations.

Booking.com

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