Witness History As Trump’s July 4 “Salute To America” Promises To Shatter Fireworks Records
on Jul 02, 2026 • Updated Jul 04, 2026
July 4, 2026, marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
So far, the weeks and months leading up to this occasion have been filled with patriotic displays, including breathtaking military flyovers, a one-of-a-kind UFC fight on the South Lawn of the White House, the kick off of the Great American State Fair, and more.
Now, the special day is finally here, and President Donald Trump is preparing to celebrate the nation’s new milestone in a big way.
Dubbed the “Salute To America,” Trump says the July 4 festivities in Washington, D.C., will be the site of the “largest fireworks display in world history.”
Here’s all you need to know about witnessing the event…
RELATED: Trump’s July 4 “Salute To America” Undeterred By The Rain
What To Expect From The July 4 “Salute To America,” Despite Weather Delay…
During Trump’s speech on June 24 at the kick off for the fair, he noted that the fireworks on July 4 in Washington, D.C., will be the largest firework show in history.
“I’ll be very proudly speaking as we ring in our 250th year with the largest fireworks display in world history,” Trump said. “10 times larger than any that we’ve ever done in Washington or anywhere in the United States.”
According to the website for Salute To America 250, there will be “850,000 fireworks shells launched from 10 sites: Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, 8 Potomac River barges, and West Potomac Park.”
The festivities on July 4 began at 5 p.m. at the Washington Monument Grounds, with the live broadcast including guest speakers and the firework show set to start at 7 p.m. EST.
However, at 7 p.m., the event was put on standby due to a severe weather alert.
Freedom 250, which has organized the event, listed the schedule on Facebook as follows, but it remains to be seen how the schedule will be modified to account for weather:
- At 5 p.m., the opening programming begins;
- At 7 p.m., the Salute to America program begins;
- At 9:45 p.m., President Trump will deliver his remarks; and
- At 10:30 p.m., the largest fireworks show in history begins.
Fox News reports that the National Mall officially reopening as of about 10 p.m.
Trump is expected to speak at 11 p.m.
On Truth Social, he wrote:
Beyond Trump, who will be speaking, as well as performers at the opening program and Salute To America event, is not entirely clear. Lynyrd Skynyrd and CeeLo Green have been confirmed as performers.
Regarding the weather delay, Trump told Bret Baier of Fox News, “If they can storm the beaches on D-Day, I can deliver a speech.”
Watch Baier share about Trump’s determination to deliver his July 4 speech, here:
President Trump tells Fox that he will be going forward with his speech no matter what:
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 5, 2026
Maybe it will be a little bit shorter but I am going to do it whether it's 10 PM, 11PM, or even 2AM… If they can storm the beaches on d-day, I can deliver a speech pic.twitter.com/cKx8iRxj7l
While speaking at the grand opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library on July 1, Trump mentioned his upcoming remarks on July 4, saying, “By the way, on July 4th, it’s going to be approximately 107 degrees out, and I’m going to go and I’m gonna make a really long speech just to show I can do anything.”
As for the fireworks, NPR reports that organizers say the fireworks show, starting at 10:30 p.m., will last 40 minutes.
NPR also notes that the current record holder for larges fireworks show is a megachurch in the Philippines that fired off about 811,000 fireworks in 2016.
The show is being put on by Pyrotechnico, who previously used 1,000 drones to create an American flag in smoke at the MLB Opening Night in March.
RELATED: America250 Concert On July 4 To Feature Chris Stapleton, Fireworks, And More
How To Watch The “Salute To America” From Home
For those hoping to tune in for the “Salute To America,” there are a few ways to watch the biggest celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
On C-SPAN, starting at 5 p.m. EST, viewers can watch the entire program of events.
The C-SPAN website will also be providing a livestream of the coverage.
The YouTube channel for Freedom 250 is livestreaming the entire event, which can be seen, here:
The White House YouTube channel is expected to livestream the Salute To America as well, as they did for the kick off of the Great American State Fair.
For more information on the Salute To America, visit its official website.
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