Boston Fireworks and Pops Concert - July 4th 2018

Dazzling July 4th fireworks over Boston's Charles River light up the sky for half a million spectators watching this beloved annual event. 

If you're traveling to Boston for this national patriotic holiday, get ready for a memorable evening at the free Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular located on the Esplanade along the banks of the Charles.

The guest lineup for the concert stars headliner Rachel Platten, plus two Grammy award winners: singer-songwriter (and MacArthur Grant recipient) Rhiannon Giddens and the Indigo Girls featuring singer-songwriters Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. 

And as part of this year's Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular's tribute to the centennial of American Musician Leonard Bernstein's birth, legendary singer/actor/dancer/Broadway star Rita Moreno who played Anita in the film adaptation of Bernstein's and Stephen Sondheim's West Side Story will make a special appearance during both the July 3rd and July 4th concert performances. 

After all, Boston is where the fight for American liberty began.  Needless to say, July 4th is a very special occasion here. 

The city is always proud of its revolutionary heritage, but around July 4th, celebratory pride escalates to such a degree that you'll experience patriotism on steroids. 

The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, America's best Independence Day celebration, takes place on July 3rd and 4th on the Esplanade next to the Charles River.  

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 including a fighter jet military flyover and a terrific lineup of special guests and finishing with fireworks.  On the 3rd, only the concert takes place.

Special concert performers on the 3rd and 4th include Andy Grammer, Melissa Etheridge, Leslie Odom Jr, and Brian Stokes Mitchell. (to be updated for 2018)

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.

Tuesday, July 3 (Concert only; no fireworks, no radio or television coverage)

• 8pm - Concert starts
• 10pm - Concert ends

Wednesday, July 4 (Concert & fireworks)

• 8pm - Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular and WBZ-TV local broadcast begins
• 8pm - Boston Pops Concert and show begins with the National Anthem. 
• 10:30pm - Soon after the concert ends, the Boston fireworks begin to be launched from 7 barges in the middle of the Charles River.  The show concludes at 11pm.

With 10,000 fireworks being set off, you can see why everyone calls the show "spectacular"!

Find yourself a comfortable spot on either side of the river, and enjoy this special Boston patriotic event.

The skies light up with dazzling pyrotechnics reaching as high as 1,500 feet.

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

If you're at home, you can watch the show on the 4th on Bloomberg TV or listen to it on Bloomberg radio (1200 AM in Boston; also on SiriusXM satellite subscription radio on Channel 119.)

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

Hotels near July 4th Fireworks & Pops Concert

Sheraton

Liberty Hotel

Taj Hotel Boston

Marriott Cambridge

More to Do on July 4th: Boston Cruises

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.

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!

If you want to splurge, though, Top of the Hub is the place to be - just be sure to call very far in advance for reservations and request a window table.

Alternately, check with Prudential Skywalk, where this photo was taken:

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) - Compare All Rates - Find Discount Rates
• Colonnade Hotel near Prudential Center - Compare All Rates - Find Discount Rates
• Revere Hotel in the Theatre District - Compare All Rates - Find Discount Rates
 

Find more Boston hotels with outdoor swimming pools 

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

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.

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. 

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. 

More people than cars will be filling 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 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.