Manhattan 4th of July Fireworks NYC 2025
Best Viewing Places / Locations to Watch July 4th Fireworks Manhattan NYC
June 30, 2025 / Manhattan Neighborhoods / 4th of July Fireworks & Holiday Manhattan / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather Wednesday - Saturday, July 2 - 5, 2025. The temperature highs will be in the high 80's each day, while the temperature lows will be in the low 70's each day. No rain is in the forecast for NYC during this time period. The winds will be about 5 - 7 mph Wednesday thru Saturday. The humidity will range from 40% - 70% Wednesday thru Saturday in what appears to be a relatively stable four days, during which fireworks will be launched throughout the NYC area.
NYC Weather Update as of 6.24.25 for Early Fireworks Displays in the Bronx and Queens on Thursday June 26, 2025. The temperature highs will be in the high 90's on Thursday, descending to about 80 by midday and down to 70 in the late evening. The humidity will be in the 70% range for most of the day. No rain is expected and winds will be in the 10 mph range. Not too bad for a July 4th fireworks display, although the winds might make it challenging for the pyrotechnicians.
Air Quality. As of 6.28.25 the air quality is Moderate, as well as for Sunday. To stay abreast of the air quality in NYC copy and paste this link into your browswer bar - https://www.airnow.gov
At right is a photo of the Manhattan July 4th fireworks, taken near the South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan in an earlier year.
Macy's July 4th Fireworks Returns to the East River
Provides Good Viewing from the East Side of Lower Manhattan, Western Brooklyn from Williamsburg down to Carroll Gardens, Good Viewing from Governors Island & Liberty State Park in NJ, Remotely Viewing from St. George or the SI Ferry, and Likely Viewable from Tall / Hotel Building Rooftops in Lower Manhattan and Western Brooklyn
History of River Locations. The Macy's 4th of July fireworks will return to the East River this year after being shown along the Hudson River in 2024. The fireworks on the Hudson only lasted a year this time, versus the prior time they had been shown along the Hudson River [2009 - 2013], they stayed there for five years. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio had fought to have the fireworks return to the East River, where they can be seen more widely by people in the boroughs, but that leaves folks from New Jersey out of the picture. Macy's has stores in both NYC and New Jersey, so they try to stay avoid playing favorites.
2025 Viewing Locations. This year provides good viewing from the east side of lower Manhattan, western Brooklyn from williamsburg down to carroll gardens along the East River, good viewing from Governors Island & Liberty State Park in New Jersey, and remote viewing from St. George and / or the Staten Island Ferry, and possibly reasonably fair viewing from tall / hotel building rooftops in both lower Manhattan and western Brooklyn neighborhoods like Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Dumbo, Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Downtown Brooklyn and Cobble Hill. See map below showing barge locations so you can plan your night.
Historically the display was managed by Fireworks by Grucci but this year Not. The Grucci Brothers have been doing the Macy's 4th of July fireworks in NYC, which I believe they've been doing since the fireworks inception in 1976. This year a company that the Grucci's have collaborated with previously, Pyro Spectaculars of California, has won the project. For details see - https://www.grucci.com and https://www.pyrospec.com Grucci's are a local company.
The following page contains a number of different Independence Day / 4th of July fireworks celebrations viewable from Manhattan and also contains links to July 4th fireworks displays and event in all five boroughs of NYC. A couple of the highlights include best viewing locations in Manhattan for the Macy's 4th of July fireworks, Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn fireworks and one old fashioned 'small town' parade on Staten Island.
- Click here for a report about where to watch the 4th of July Fireworks in Manhattan NYC 2025 & surrounding areas, including times and locations for the Macy's 4th of July fireworks in NYC and at Jones Beach on Long Island.
Manhattan 4th Of July Fireworks 2025 NYC
Central Park Fireworks are on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 near Bethesda Fountain
Astoria Park Fireworks are on Thursday, June 26, 2025 & Viewable from the UES
Macy's 4th Of July Fireworks 2025 will be Viewable along the East River from Lower Manhattan, West Brooklyn along the East River, and Remotely from Staten Island
The 4th Of July Fireworks 2025 on Jones Beach on Long Island
The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens & Staten Island all have Fireworks Shows accessible via Public Transit - Use Links at the end of this Report to find Other 4th of July Fireworks Shows, 4th of July Weekend Events & Manhattan Things to do
June 30, 2025 / Manhattan Neighborhoods / 4th of July Holiday Manhattan / Manhattan Buzz NYC. Continued.
0. Fireworks on Cherry Hill in Central Park in Manhattan on Wednesday, 6/4/25
Description. There's a classical music concert in Central Park by the New York Philharmonic beginning at 8 pm, and the fireworks follows sometime between 9.15 - 9.30 pm.
Location. The concert is being held at the Naumberg Bandshell, which is just south of Bethesda Fountain and Terrace Drive, and adjacent to the northeast corner of Sheeps Meadow. Bethesda Fountain is on the southern edge of the 'Lake' where the Central Park Boathouse is located. And Cherry Hill, where the fireworks are staged, is a stones throw west of Bethedda Fountain along the southern edge of the lake.
Contact. For details, copy & paste - https://www.centralpark.com/events/the-ny-philharmonic-concerts-in-the-park/ or https://www.nyphil.org/concerts-tickets/explore/parks/
1. Astoria Independence Day / July 4th Fireworks Qns - Thursday 6/26/25
Queens 4th of July Fireworks on the East River in NYC - Best Viewing Times & Places
Description. The Astoria Park Fireworks will happen on Thursday, June 26th, 2025. The festivities begin at 7.30 pm as The Jazz and Swing Band Fleur Seule warms up the crowd on a stage. Historically this overlooked the East River, from the great lawn of Astoria Park [along the East River between the Astoria Park pool and the Hellgate Bridge], but this year the event has moved a bit due to renovation work in progress. Around dusk the fireworks usually go off. Dusk is about 9.15 - 9.30 pm. Free.
Click to view a story about the Astoria Park Fireworks show of 2013 in Queens. The photo at right shows the July 4th / Independence Day fireworks in Astoria Queens in a prior year.
The Best Viewing Times & Places for July 4th Fireworks in Queens NYC.
Astoria Park Fireworks Viewing from Manhattan. The Astoria Park fireworks show is just across the East River from Manhattan. The Queens fireworks display is easily viewable from Carl Schurz Park on the Upper East Side Park in Manhattan, as well as from Randall's Island, which Manhattan cyclists and pedestrians may reach via a walking bridge located at Playground 103, which is at 102nd Street and the FDR.
Astoria Park Fireworks Viewing from Queens. The best viewing location is from the Great Lawn in Astoria Park in Queens, but be advised that each year these fireworks become more popular, so it's best to get there a little early. The Thursday night Astoria Park fireworks in Queens provides a pastorial view of the Upper East Side of Manhattan from Astoria Park, alongside the East River.
A bit of History. This is the 41st Astoria Park fireworks display, and it will be put together by Fireworks by Grucci, the same fireworks company that had been doing the Macy's 4th of July fireworks along the Hudson River in NYC on July 4th pretty much since it began in 1976. While CALDC has announced and hence confirmed Grucci is doing the fireworks, for some reason, Grucci has not updated its website to reflect the same as of this posting on June 24, 2025.
Organizers & Sponsors. The Central Astoria Development Coalition organizes the annual fireworks display in Astoria Park, and it is sponsored by funds allocated by NYC Councilmember Tiffany Caban, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and some corporate sponsors.
Contact. For details see - https://www.centralastoria.org
Use links below for additional 4th of July festivities 2025 in all five of NYC boroughs.
2. Macy's July 4th Fireworks in Manhattan 2025 on 7/4/2025
4th Of July Fireworks in Manhattan 2025 - Best Viewing Times & Places
2025 East River Barge Locations - Manhattan Independence Day Fireworks
Manhattan July 4th Fireworks Number of Barges & Barge Locations along the East River. This year looks to be a bit different from past years, as it appears Fireworks by Grucci isn't handling the event. The Gruccis are a local NYS company, based out in Bellport on Long Island. The company handling the fireworks this year is Pyro Spectaculars by Souza out of Rialto, California.
This is purely speculation on our part, but NBC picked up the broadcasting of the fireworks, and might have played some role in the change. There had reportedly been tensions in the past between Macy's and the Grucci's, but they always seemed to come together in time for the show.
Potentially a Big Impactful Change This Year - Launching Fireworks from atop the Brooklyn Bridge. We've been informed that there will be four barges located in the East River south of the Brooklyn Bridge, which is a departure from prior years when the Macy's fireworks placed the barges far enough north in the East River to ensure that folks from Queens could view the fireworks without leaving the borough. We do not believe that is the case this year [2025], with one possible caveat, and that is that some of the fireworks will be launched from atop the Brooklyn Bridge, which is already high in the air, so that might make viewing the fireworks from far distances, including Queens, possible.
East River Barge Locations History - Manhattan Fireworks Independence Day
What follows is a bit of fireworks barge placement history on both the East River and Hudson River.
Recent Macy's July 4th Fireworks Barges History. Excepting in 2024, the Macy's 4th of July fireworks had been lit upon the East River since 2014 and was within viewing range of all five boroughs [although a quite a distance from the south Bronx and northern tip of Staten Island].
In recent years there were five barges, up from four barges during the mid 20xx teens. The number of barges varies from year to year - generally between four and five - although in recent years, along the East River, the number had remained a constant five, and they have moved the barges a bit further north up the East River.
But in 2024 all that changed as the Macy's July 4th fireworks returned to the Hudson River. In 2024 they staged the fireworks along the Hudson generally placing the barges between the Lincoln tunnel at 40th Street to the Village around 14th Street.
The Best Viewing Locations from Manhattan & Brooklyn July 4th Fireworks 2025 NYC
The Best Viewing Locations from Manhattan & Brooklyn July 4th Fireworks NYC. The best places along the East River will likely fill quickly on July 4th, with many folks heading to find their spot in sometime in the late morning or during the early to mid part of the afternoon. Somewhere around 3 or 4 pm the NYPD will cordone off access to the most popular areas, for crowd control purposes. The fireworks generally begin around dusk, when it begins to get dark, which is generally between 9.15 - 9.30 pm.
The same holds true for the Brooklyn waterfront.
Best Viewing Locations for Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Manhattan 2025
Best Viewing Locations for Manhattan July 4th Fireworks NYC - Generally. We believe the best viewing locations will generally be located in Manhattan along the East River between the Manhattan Bridge and the Staten Island Ferry. Ground Zero for the event is at Pier 17 Rooftop where NBC will be broadcasting their boring TV coverage of the event. But western Brooklyn, along the East River waterfront will also be in a position to offer competitive viewing opportunities as well.
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Best Viewing Locations for Manhattan July 4th Fireworks NYC - Front Row Seats. There are also a number of elevated bars and restaurants in the downtown area including One World Trade Center and one of our favorites is a restaurant named Manhatta.
- Best Viewing Locations for Manhattan July 4th Fireworks NYC - Middle Tier Seats East Side of East River in West Brooklyn. Viewing of the fireworks will also be quite good from across the East River in Brooklyn. Here again, the best spots will be along the East River, in Brooklyn Heights, including the Promenade assuming it is open to the public. Dumbo should also be good and possibly as far away as the southern end of Williamsburg along the East River.
- Best Viewing Locations for Manhattan July 4th Fireworks NYC - Balcony Seats East Side of East River in West Brooklyn. Lastly, we believe you should be able to get a good glimpse of the fireworks from Brooklyn at many of the elevated or rooftop bars in Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, Downtown Brooklyn [hit or miss] and the southwest end of Williamsburg.
What & What NOT to bring along. You'll also want to bring along sun screen, water and be careful not to bring along too much baggage so that you can reasonably or easily move around. In prior years the NYPD didn't allow backpacks, large bags, coolers, umbrellas or similar items past the NYPD barricades. And while this is unconfirmed, I believe it holds true for this year [2025],
Also see additional 4th of July festivities 2025 in all five of NYC boroughs below.
3. The 4th Of July Fireworks at Jones Beach 2025 on Nearby Long Island - Friday 7/4/25
Description. The Jones Beach Fireworks display has been a Long Island tradition, intermittently, for many years.
Best Viewing Location & Times. While the best viewing location is the beach just south of the Jones Beach Central Mall, most spots along the beach in the park also offer good viewing locations that are likely to be less crowded. And the fireworks, like those in the city, start around dusk which give or take about 15 minutes is about 9.30 pm. For cars, admission to the park is $10 and includes the fireworks show before 4 pm. Historically, AFTER 4 pm there's AN ADDITIONAL $10 admission fee but this is UNCONFIRMED for 2025.
Recent Jones Beach Fireworks History. The Jones Beach fireworks were one of the New York State budget cuts beginning in 2010. Allocations had not been made for the deployment of police officers, to provide security for the event. In 2015 the Governor and the New York State Parks announced that these cuts were restored and the fireworks on Jones Beach on Long Island have continued ever since - excepting during the first year of outbreak of the CoVid pandemic in 2020. They returned in 2021, and have continued since.
Contact. For details, copy & paste - https://parks.ny.gov/parks/jonesbeach/ or https://fireworks.jonesbeach.com
Public Transit From Brooklyn / Queens To Jones Beach 2025
Jones Beach Fireworks Public Transit. Jones Beach is a quick 21 minute train ride from the city, followed by a short bus ride. Or Jones Beach is a reasonable 38 mile car ride from the city, when traffic isn't terrible on the Southern State Parkway or the Meadowbrook State Parkway leading into the park.
From Queens, take the LIRR [Long Island Railroad] from the Jamaica Station which leaves every 20 minutes during peak hours, arriving in Freeport about 20 minutes later. The return frequency is about the same, as is the travel time of the trip. The MTA offers a Jones Beach round trip ticket for $17.50 from Queens and $21.50 from Manhattan. From the train station, you can take the N88 Long Island Bus, using an MTA Metrocard or coins valued at $2.75. Jones Beach is a nice quick getaway from the city, and while crowded on the 4th of July, it shouldn't feel as crowded as in the city. Editor's Note. I haven't checked these prices for 2025 changes, but they should be good ballpark figures.
Contact / Tickets. For LIRR details and tickets see - https://new.mta.info/
Links to Other Pages on this Site of Things To Do in Manhattan NYC This Summer of 2025
Knock yourself out. We update weekly until the new additions taper down sometime in mid to late summer.
Manhattan 4th of July Fireworks. CLICK this link to view a full schedule of all of the Manhattan 4th of July fireworks 2025 & Macy's July 4th Fireworks NYC.
Manhattan Parades. CLICK here to look for parades in any of the five boroughs - Queens Parades & Cultural Festivals Qns NYC, Brooklyn Parades & Cultural Festivals Bk NYC, Bronx Parades & Cultural Festivals Bx NYC, Staten Island Parades & Cultural Festivals SI NYC, and Manhattan Parades & Cultural Festivals Mhtn NYC.
Manhattan Street Fairs. CLICK here to look for food festivals, art festivals and street fairs - Manhattan street fairs NYC, Queens street fairs NYC, Bronx street fairs NYC, Brooklyn street fairs NYC and Staten Island street fairs NYC.
Manhattan Arts & Cultural Institutions. CLICK here for ongoing exhibits and performance events - Queens things to do & events Qns NYC, Manhattan things to do & events Mhtn NYC, Brooklyn things to do & events Bk NYC, Bronx things to do & events Bx NYC, and Staten Island things to do & events SI NYC. Be advised that these calendars aren't yet up to snuff as of this posting, but they should be brought up to our standards within the next few weeks.
Mostly Free Swimming Pools Manhattan NYC. CLICK this link to view all of the free public swimming pools in Manhattan NYC.
Mostly Free Summer Concerts Manhattan NYC. CLICK this link for a mostly done and updated weekly page of mostly free summer concerts in Manhattan page.
Mostly Free Summer Theater Manhattan NYC. CLICK this link for a mostly done and updated weekly page of mostly free summer theater / plays in Manhattan page.
Mostly Free Summer Movies Manhattan NYC. CLICK this link for work in progress and updated weekly page of mostly free summer movies in Manhattan NYC.
LINKS TO - July 4th Fireworks in All Five Boros of NYC 2025
There are 4th of July fireworks in all five boroughs of NYC. Click these links to specifics related to each borough -
1) Bronx 4th of July fireworks 2025 & Orchard Beach July 4th fireworks 2025 BX NYC
2) Brooklyn 4th of July fireworks 2025 & Coney Island July 4th fireworks 2025 BK NYC
3) Manhattan 4th of July fireworks 2025 & Macy's July 4th Fireworks NYC
6) NYC 4th of July Fireworks all 5 Boroughs
Click the links below to read stories about other July 4th fireworks shows in Manhattan.
July 4th Fireworks In Manhattan 2025 NYC
Related 4th Of July Stories in Manhattan NYC - Prior Years
Click here for the July 4th fireworks and other holidays in Manhattan or click this to go directly to a report about 4th of July fireworks in Manhattan in a prior year. And click here for NYC July 4th fireworks in Queens and July 4th fireworks in the Bronx.
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