Macy's 4th July Fireworks 2023

Live stream and TV coverage. Fireworks start time and scheudle. Find the best viewing spots.

We've all seen snippets of it, the focal point in a movie perhaps, but The Macy's 4th July fireworks will, as always, be the largest show in the country for the annual Independence Day celebrations, watched live, in person, by crowds of millions on the streets of NYC and across the water in Brooklyn and Jersey City, while millions more can now watch on TV and online, with NBC continuing their live TV coverage of the show, and also boadcasting online via their live stream, bringing the July 4th fireworks to a huge combined audience.

The biggest July 4th party in the country is of course right here in New York, where the famous Macy's fireworks display have been taking place since 1976 and are broadcast live to the whole nation. Department store Macy's have become synonymous with public holidays in New York - they also sponsor the annual Thanksgiving parade - and the tradition now is such that people will refer to the Macy's 4th July fireworks rather than mentioning New York, and everyone will automatically know where they're talking about.

Event Schedule

The fireworks, this year, will be launched from barges on the East River (between East 23rd and East 42nd Street) from 9.25pm, so make sure to get a good spot to watch the sky light up!

Best Viewing Spots

The best views are typically in the north of Brooklyn and on the lower Manhattan and Queens waterfront areas. There are however potential viewing spots all across the city, this site has an excellent map with loads of possibilites, including bars and hotels with rooftop gardens:

Fireworks viewing spots

Another place you would be pretty much guaranteed an fantastic view is from the top of the Empire State Building - you can buy tickets for the viewing platform here:

Empire State Building tickets

Another option available is to take to the recently opened One World Observatory at the 1 World Trade Centre (WTC) building. The 4th July party here includes an open bar and snacks with one of the best views in town, genuinely a unique proposition.

4th July Fireworks Cruises

For the best view of the fireworks, many people take to the river itself, where you can guarantee there won't be anyone standing in front of you. There are several companies offer 4th of July cruises, I especially like the look of this one:

4th July Fireworks Cruise

TV & Live Streaming

The Macy's 4th July fireworks are broadcast live on NBC TV, which does now finally have an online streaming option, although be aware that you will need to log in using your cable TV account to view this, which means unfortunately it isn't a great option for anyone outside the US.

Live stream: NBC

Hotels & Accommodation

If you're in New York on the 4th July then you need to be aware that it is one of the busiest nights of the year, so get your reservation in as early as you can.

You can search for hotels, check availability and make reservations for local hotels here.

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