NYC 4th of July Fireworks 2025 - All 5 Boroughs of NYC
Best Viewing Places / Best Locations to Watch Fireworks in NYC
July 4, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / 4th of July Holiday NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather Friday & Saturday, July 4 & 5, 2025. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 80's each day, while the temperature lows will be around 70 each day. No rain is in the forecast for NYC during this time period. The winds will be about 3 - 8 mph both days. The humidity will range from 50% - 65% in what appears to be a relatively stable couple of days, during which fireworks will be launched throughout the NYC area. Both days look pretty fine.
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 7.4.25 the air quality is Moderate, as well as for Friday & Saturday, although rising going into the weekend. To stay abreast of the air quality in NYC copy and paste this link into your browswer bar - https://www.airnow.gov
All of these fireworks displays are FREE, unless specified otherwise.
- CLICK here to read our report of all the NYC July 4th fireworks shows in NYC this year.
NYC 4th of July Fireworks 2025 - All 5 Boroughs of NYC
Best Viewing Places / Best Locations to Watch Fireworks in NYC
July 4, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / 4th of July Holiday NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC. Continued.
I. NYC Fireworks July 4th, 2025 - Bronx NYC
1. Van Cortlandt Park Fireworks in the Bronx NYC - Thursday, 6/5/25 from 8 to 10 pm
Description. The NY Philharmonic concert begins at 8 pm. The fireworks follow at between 9 and 9.30 pm.
Location. Enter Van Cortlandt Park at the South Parade Ground, which is located in the southwest corner of Van Cortlandt Park. Via public transit this is located at about 251st Street, along Broadway / the west side of the park, which is north of the Van Cortlandt (#1) subway station which is at about 242nd Street.
Contact. For details see - https://vancortlandt.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/vcpalliance/
or https://www.nycgovparks.org/events/2024/06/11/concerts-in-the-parks-van-cortlandt-park-bronx
or https://www.nyphil.org/concerts-tickets/explore/parks/
or https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-01301
2. Orchard Beach Independence / 4th of July Fireworks in the Bronx NYC - Thursday, 6/26/2025 from 5.30 - 9.30 pm
Description. The Orchard Beach fireworks / Independence Day celebration in the Bronx is planned for Thursday, June 26th, 2025 from 5.30 to 9.30 pm [main performance / fireworks runs from 7 pm to 9.30 pm]. The event generally begins with a concert and a few guest speakers, and just after 9 pm [usually a bit earlier than the other fireworks] the fireworks display begins along the beach. Free.
Location. The event takes place at Orchard Beach on the south end of Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx [literally only a stones throw from City Island] in Section 5 near the handball courts. Parking is $10 for cars, $15 for buses, trucks and commercial vehicles. No admittance after 9 pm.
Contact. These are organized by the Bronx Borough President's Office in tandem with the NYC Parks Department. For details, copy & paste - https://www.facebook.com/TheBronxTourism | https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-01301
Use links below for additional 4th of July festivities 2025 in all five of NYC boroughs.
3. Astoria Park July 4th Fireworks on Thursday 6/26/25 - Viewable from the Bronx in Mott Haven, Hunts Point & Randall's Island
Description. The Astoria Park Fireworks will happen on Thursday, June 26th. The festivities begin at 7.30 pm and the fireworks usually go off around dusk which is about 9.30 pm.
The best viewing locations from the Bronx NYC Parks are: 1) Randall's Island, 2) from St. Mary's Park in Mott Haven at St. Ann's Avenue at 149th Street [go to the top of the park hills] or 3) Barretto Point Park which is at Tiffany Street and Viele Avenue on the southwest end of Hunts Point.
This fireworks display is also put together by the Grucci Brothers, the same fireworks company that has been doing the Macy's 4th of July fireworks along the East River since it began in 1976 [but not this year 2025]. The photo above or at right was taken at the Astoria Park fireworks in a prior year.
Contact. The Central Astoria Development Coalition sponsors the annual fireworks display in Astoria Park. For details, copy & paste - https://centralastoria.org/
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.
4. Macy's July 4th Fireworks along the East River, from the Brooklyn Bridge South, Pretty Well Eliminates the Bronx as Much of a Viewing Location, but ... *
The Macy's 4th of July fireworks will be shown along the East River this year. In past years, Macy's had positioned the barges as far north as around Midtown, but this year the barges will all be positioned south of the Brooklyn Bridge.
* That said, in addition to the barges being used as launch pads for the Macy's July 4th fireworks, there will be two installations atop the Brooklyn Bridge, with one located at each tower. Because of the high elevation of the bridge above the city streets, it's possible the fireworks will be viewable from very, very far away.
UPDATED 7.4.25 BEST VIEWING LOCATIONS _ See below for initial prognosis.
- CLICK here to view detailed information with maps, for best viewing locations for the Macy's July 4th fireworks in Manhattan.
- CLICK here to view detailed information with maps, for the best viewing locations for the Macy's July 4th fireworks in Brooklyn.
Recent History of Macy's Fireworks Locations
In 2009 the Macy's 4th of July fireworks were moved to the Hudson River on Manhattan's west side. We were informed they'd moved it to the Hudson River to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's discovery of the river. The Macys 4th of July fireworks display remained there until July 4th 2014, when the Macy's 4th of July fireworks returned to the East River, where it has remained ever since. In 2024 the fireworks again returned to the Hudson River. And now, this year [2025] they have again returned to the East River.
Use the links below to find viewing locations in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn for the Macy's 4th of July fireworks show. But be advised the locations in Queens are about miles away from the barges and the Brooklyn Bridge - so unless you're on a high rooftop, or the installations atop the Brooklyn Bridge make a huge difference, remote viewing of the show isn't likely to thrill.
5. Coop City Independence Day Fireworks in the Bronx - Thursday, July 3, 2025 at 9 pm
Description. The 4th of July fireworks at Coop City in the Bronx returns.
Location. It will be held at Little League Field in Co-op City in the Bronx. People will start gathering around 5 pm, there's a concert by a band at 7 pm and the fireworks show will begin around 9 pm. This fireworks display returned after a couple year hiatus during the pandemic [2020 - 2022 I think].
Contact. For details see - https://www.coopcity.com or https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-01301
- CLICK here for more details regarding the best viewing locations to watch the NYC July 4th fireworks in the Bronx NYC.
II. NYC Fireworks July 4th, 2025 - Brooklyn NYC
1. Fireworks & Concert in Prospect Park - Friday, 6/6/25
Description. Concert by the NY Philharmonic beginning at 8 pm, followed by 9.30 pm fireworks in the Long Meadow Ball Fields in Prospect Park Brooklyn. The Long Meadow Ball Fields are located by either walking straight into the park along 12th or 13th Street [it's a south easterly trajectory] or by walking straight into the park along 10th or 11th Avenues [it's a north easterly trajectory]. Where those two trajectories intersect is the Prospect Park Ball Fields.
Contact. https://www.nyphil.org/concerts-tickets/explore/parks or https://www.prospectpark.org/event/new-york-philharmonic-concert-in-the-park-3/
2. Fort Hamilton Independence Day Celebration - Saturday, 6/14/25
Description. Fort Hamilton Bay Ridge _ Saturday, June 14, 2025 beginning at 4.30 pm - Concert & Firworks of 200th anniversary. Free. This includes food trucks, vendors and a fireworks display on the lawn of the military base adjacent to the Bay Ridge neighborhood on Brooklyn. Fireworks and entertainment generally run from about 6 to 10 pm. As this is on a still active U.S. military base at 404 Sterling Drive in Brooklyn, non-military personnel must register in advance [generally by about 3 weeks prior] to attend. Note that the July 4th fireworks program which this event replaced usually requires Admission is $5 for non DoD [Department of Defense] members. For details copy & paste - https://hamilton.armymwr.com
Location. An active U.S. military base at 404 Sterling Drive in Brooklyn.
Contact. For details copy & paste - https://hamilton.armymwr.com
3. Coney Island July 4th Fireworks in Brooklyn NYC 2025 & Coney Island Summer Friday Nights Fireworks in Brooklyn NYC
Fridays, June 20 - September 5, 2025 _ Weekly _ The Coney Island Weekly Friday Night Fireworks - at Steeple Chase Tower off the Boardwalk near Luna Park. The Coney Island Friday Night Fireworks begin at dusk or 9.30 pm along the Riegelmann Boardwalk at West 12th Street on Coney Island in Brooklyn. The fireworks are always held off the beach, generally in the area of the Steeplechase tower in Steeplechase Park. These are FREE events, and this also includes the Coney Island Fireworks event on Friday, July 4th which follows.
Friday, July 4th, 2025 there will be fireworks at Coney Island. The fireworks used to begin shortly after the end of the Macy's 4th of July fireworks on the East River, which was generally a bit before 10 pm. But the Coney Island fireworks could also begin around dusk which creeps in between 9 and 9.30 pm.
Best Viewing Locations & Times. The Coney Island fireworks are staged along the Riegelmann Boardwalk at West 12th - West 15th Streets on Coney Island in Brooklyn. The Coney Island fireworks are always held off the beach, and the street coordinates above are generally in the area of the Steeplechase tower in Steeplechase Park [Luna Amusement] on Coney Island in Brooklyn.
Contact. For details, copy & paste - https://www.allianceforconeyisland.org
4. Macy's July 4th Fireworks on the East River - Best Viewing Locations in Brooklyn NYC 7/4/2025
Macy's July 4th Fireworks 2025 along the East River Provides Good Viewing from Western Brooklyn along the East River Waterfront
2025 East River Barge Locations - Manhattan Independence Day Fireworks
UPDATED 7.4.25 BEST VIEWING LOCATIONS _ See below for initial prognosis.
- CLICK here to view detailed information with maps, for best viewing locations for the Macy's July 4th fireworks in Manhattan.
- CLICK here to view detailed information with maps, for the best viewing locations for the Macy's July 4th fireworks in Brooklyn.
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.
- CLICK here to view detailed information with maps, for best viewing locations for the Macy's July 4th fireworks in Manhattan.
- CLICK here to view detailed information with maps, for the best viewing locations for the Macy's July 4th fireworks in Brooklyn.
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 Times & Locations from Manhattan & Brooklyn July 4th Fireworks 2025 NYC
The Best Viewing Times & 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.
-
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. The waterfronts in Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Red Hook should also be good, and possibly Dumbo and 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.
- CLICK here for more details regarding the best viewing locations to watch the 4th of July NYC fireworks in Brooklyn NYC.
III. NYC Fireworks July 4th 2025 - Manhattan NYC
OLD _ NOTE DATE / YEAR _ Sunday, June 25, 2023 at Army Terminal Pier 4 beginning at 9.45 pm, fireworks to celebrate Pride Parade / Pride Week.
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
-
UPDATED 7.4.25 BEST VIEWING LOCATIONS _ See below for initial prognosis. The 100,000 tickets for viewing access in mostly Brooklyn and some Manhattan became available on Monday and were completely gone by Wednesday morning.Personally, I don't like the ticketing idea, so please forgive me for contemplating the possibility that someone who has been as self-serving as Eric Adams, might use some of the premiere ticketed viewing spots to ingratiate himself with his re-election campaign funders and supporting community group leaders. And for also contemplating the possibility that an allegedly corrupt Mayor such as Eric Adams, might also use the contact list of ticket holders - which is city property - for personal use / his mayoral campaign, as well.
So, that said, there are basically two premiere viewing locations: Lower Manhattan and Northwest Brooklyn.
FDR Access Points in lower Manhattan. Along the East River, you'll find decent viewing locations between the Staten Island Ferry and the south end of East River Park - all along the East River / FDR. Most of that stretch of the FDR will be open to the public and vehicular traffic will be cut off. BUT there are only a few access points they are using for crowd control purposes. And they are - from north to south - 1) Montgomery Street, with entry starting at Madison, 2) Robert Wagner Place, which is just east of City Hall and the NYPD HQ, along the walk ramp along the Brooklyn Bridge [this is likely to fill fast as these are front and center seats], and 3) Broad Street off Water Street which is adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. See Lower Manhattan graphic above or at right. I believe most of these spots are NOT TICKETED, so first come, first serve.
- CLICK here to view detailed information with maps, for best viewing locations for the Macy's July 4th fireworks in Manhattan.
Best Viewing Spots are Ticketed by Eric Adams in Northwest Brooklyn. In northwest Brooklyn the BQE highway will remain open. The Brooklyn Promenade is closed as it has been reserved for City employees [and Adams' campaign funders and supporters?].The green space along the East River waterfront in Brooklyn, ranging from Pier 5 in the south, to Brooklyn Bridge Park underneath the Bridge, to Pebble Beach in Dumbo / Vinegar Hill are all reserved for ticket holders. The ticket holders will start entering those spaces from about two to three blocks east of the green space areas along the East River, which means non-ticket holders won't likely have immediate access to those blocks either, but might be able to enter after the fireworks begin. See Northwest Brooklyn graphic above or at right.
- CLICK here to view detailed information with maps, for the best viewing locations for the Macy's July 4th fireworks in Brooklyn.
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 for Manhattan July 4th Fireworks 2025 NYC
The Best Viewing Locations for Manhattan 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.
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 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.
- 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 West. 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 West. 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.
- CLICK here for more details regarding the best viewing locations to watch the NYC 4th of July NYC fireworks in Manhattan NYC.
IV. NYC Fireworks July 4th 2025 - Queens NYC
0. Independence Day Fireworks in Cunningham Park Queens - Saturday, 6/7/25 beginning at 9.15 pm
Description. Fireworks following the New York Philharmonic concert which begins at 8 pm. Fireworks start around 9.15 pm +/-.
Location. In Cunningham Park. Enter at 193rd Street and 81st Avenue in Fresh Meadows in Queens.
Contact. For details, copy & paste - https://www.nyphil.org/concerts-tickets/explore/parks/ or | https://www.nycgovparks.org
1. Bayside Independence Day / 4th of July Fireworks 2025 at Fort Totten Park in Queens NYC - Wednesday, 6/18/25
Description. This Independence Day celebration on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 begins at 6 pm with musical entertainment and food trucks vending that runs until about 9 pm. Then the fireworks begin at 9.15 pm. The fireworks display is managed by the Grucci Brothers which historically did the Macy's 4th of July fireworks. Historically parking and admittance opened at 5 pm, but this sentence is UNCONFIRMED for 2025.
Location.
Contact. This is a non-alcholic event and containers will be inspected. Free. For details, copy & paste - https://www.baysidehistorical.org or https://www.grucci.com/main.html?pgid=39 or
1.5 _ Saturday, June 21, 2025 from 7 to 9 pm - Rockaways Flag Day Celebration Fireworks - at Beach 94th or 116th Street in the Rockaways. Music at 7 pm and fireworks at 9 pm. Organized by the Queens Chamber of Commerce, NYC Parks & NYC Councilmember Joann Ariola. For details see - https://www.grucci.com/main.html?pgid=39 or https://www.facebook.com/groups/346878535454797/posts/rockawaywe-are-bringing-in-summer-with-a-bang-tonight-join-us-on-beach-116th-st/3416043211871632/
2. Astoria Park Independence Day / July 4th Fireworks in Queens NYC - Thursday 6/26/25 from 7.30 - 9.30 pm
Description. The Astoria Park Fireworks will happen on Thursday, June 26th, 2025. The festivities begin at 7.30 pm with music by a jazz band and the fireworks usually go off around dusk which is generally between 9.15 and 9.30 pm.
Location. The best viewing location is from the Great Lawn, but be advised that each year these fireworks become more popular. Free. Also this year [2025] due to renovation construction, the event is still in Astoria Park but has moved within the park. We hear conflicting reports - a) that it's in the field north of the Hell Gate Bridge [but not sure that's a good view] or from the lawn on the south side of the pool and parking lot [which is probably a better view but mixed in terms of comfort].
This fireworks display is also put together by the Grucci Brothers, the same fireworks company that has been doing the Macy's 4th of July fireworks along the East River since it began in 1976 [but not this year 2025]. The photo above or at right was taken at the Astoria Park fireworks in a prior year.
Contact. The Central Astoria Development Coalition sponsors the annual fireworks display in Astoria Park and historically the music is performed on a stage overlooking the East River in front of the great lawn of Astoria Park [between the pool and Hellgate Bridge]. For details, copy & paste - https://centralastoria.org/
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.
3. Macy's July 4th Fireworks on the East River - Best Viewing Locations in Queens NYC 2025
Macy's July 4th Fireworks 2025 along the East River May Provides Remote Viewing from Queens Tall Buildings and Hotel Rooftops
Description. The Macy's 4th of July fireworks will be shown along the East River this year. Macy's had presented the fireworks display on the Hudson from 2008 - 2013, before moving them back to the East River in 2014, where they had been shown until 2024, at which time they returned for a year to the Hudson River. The Grucci Brothers had been doing the Macy's 4th of July fireworks in NYC, which they've been doing for decades, and possibly since the inception of the event in 1976. This year Macy's hired a company from California, Pyro Spectaculars, to do them.
UPDATED 7.4.25 BEST VIEWING LOCATIONS _ See below for initial prognosis.
- CLICK here to view detailed information with maps, for best viewing locations for the Macy's July 4th fireworks in Manhattan.
- CLICK here to view detailed information with maps, for the best viewing locations for the Macy's July 4th fireworks in Brooklyn.
Best Viewing Locations For Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Queens 2024
Generally Time / Manhattan Location Prep. The fireworks are expected to begin about 9.15 - 9.30 pm. Folks planning to view them on the lower east side of Manhattan will need time to get into position no later than sometime in the afternoon. It's also recommended that you forego the lawn chairs and other extra baggage to the extent you can, especially the later you move into position, as this will encumber you getting past the NYPD lines and through the crowd [see separate section on what to not take with you to the top viewing areas].
LIC, Williamsburg & Greenpoint. This year, unlike the recent past, it's not likely that blocks along the East River within the LIC, Williamsburg and Greenpoint neighborhoods will be cordoned off by the police because the fireworks barges are located very far south along the East River this year [equivalent of Downtown / Seaport / Financial District]. In prior years some of the barges were located at the equivalent of Midtown, which is across from LIC. In the past, this NYPD effort at crowd control began around 3 to 4 pm in the afternoon and tightened up fairly quickly as the crowds grew. Because western Queens and northern Brooklyn neighborhoods are remote locations this year, the demand for viewing from there is likely to be diminished considerably.
Macy's Fireworks 2025 Barge Locations. While you can see the 2025 barge locations on the map above, you get a better view of the optimal viewing locations along the East River shoreline in Queens and Brooklyn on the map immediately below. The map above shows you a close up of where the barges & Brooklyn Bridge launch locations will be, so you can figure out where you want to view the fireworks. The map below, shows you that unlike in prior years, the barges are located so far south that the fireworks isn't going to be very viewable from Long Island City or Greenpoint, except possibly via rooftops on tall buildings. The wild card in all of this, is what impact the two launch locations atop the Brooklyn Bridge at each tower will have.
4th Of July Fireworks In Queens 2025 - Barge Locations / Local Viewing Places
2025 Barge Positions have been released. The barges will be positioned in the East River between the heliport in lower Manhattan and Pier 17 just south of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Manhattan & Brooklyn Provide Best Viewing Locations. Every year the positioning of the barges and the number of them is designed to maximize the viewing options for an audience estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. The show will be more easily viewable from the shores of the East River in Lower Manhattan as well as along the Brooklyn East River shoreline including Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, the western edges of Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Red Hook, and possibly the southwestern tip of Williamsburg. Governors Island is closed, but would have been an ideal location. Use the link below at the bottom of this page to see our full description of viewing the fireworks from Manhattan.
Western Queens Neighborhood, LIC, at Best Likely will only Provide Remote Viewing Macy's July 4th Fireworks NYC
See map above or at right for barge and public viewing locations along the East River.
LIC Queens. In prior years the Macy's Fireworks along the East River, was viewable from the Long Island City waterfront, because some of the barges used to launch the fireworks were positioned in Midtown. Long Island City is located across from Midtown.
This year [2025] all of the barges are located south of the Brooklyn Bridge. And while there will be two launch locations located atop the Brooklyn Bridge [not done before], these are located about four miles away, versus having a front row seat from the Long Island City waterfront in prior East River Macy's Fireworks years.
Roosevelt Island. Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island may also be an option, but the Midtown, Village and Lower East Side high rises, in tandem with the 4 miles distance from the fireworks launch pads, are likely to yield a very distant show. And sometimes Roosevelt Island slows / controls the traffic crossing to the island from Queens, so check their website before departing - https://rioc.ny.gov/
THIS APPLIES TO THE LOWER EAST SIDE OF MANHATTAN & POSSIBLY THE BROOKLYN WATERFRONT, BUT NOT LIKELY QUEENS THIS YEAR [2025]. 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 so you can move around. In 2023 we were informed that lawn chairs, blankets, and backpacks / containers / other large bags will not be permitted past the barricades into the public viewing locations for security purposes. Spectators are subject to search by NYPD.
Contact / Tickets. For details and / or tickets to shows associated with the fireworks display see - https://www.macys.com
Use links below for additional 4th of July festivities 2024 in all five of NYC boroughs.
4. Independence Day / July 4th Fireworks at Breezy Point in the Rockaways - Saturday, 7/5/25 from 8 - 8.20 pm*
Description. Fireworks and July 4th celebration. * Note that the time posted this year [8 - 8.20 pm] seems early, as historically it's been booked an hour later. I found one unofficial site that posted 9 pm as the start time.
Location. Breezy Point which is a neighborhood located along the west end of the Rockaways.
Contact. Organized by the Breezy Point Coop. For details, copy & paste - https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-01301
- CLICK here for more details regarding the best viewing locations to watch the NYC July 4th fireworks in Queens NYC.
V. NYC Fireworks July 4th 2025 - Staten Island NYC
1. Fireworks at Staten Island Ferry Hawks games including 4th of July 2025
Description. Staten Island Ferry Hawks will be hosting multiple [in 2024 it was nine] fireworks displays from May 3 - September 6, 2025.
Location. At SIUH Community Park at 75 Richmond Terrace which is a short walk from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in St. George. The game time is 7 pm and the fireworks start at dusk / after the ball game.
Contact. For Ferry Hawks tickets and full fireworks schedule, copy & paste - https://ferryhawks.com/sports/2025/1/27/2025-home-schedule.aspx
2. NY Philharmonic Free Indoor Concert - Sunday 6/8/25
Description. Sunday, June 8, 2025 beginning at 2 pm - NY Philharmonic - at the St. George Theatre. Free.
Location. At 35 Hyatt Street in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island.
Contact. For tickets and details copy & paste - https://www.nyphil.org/concerts-tickets/explore/parks/ or https://stgeorgetheatre.com/new-york-philharmonic-free-indoor-concert/
√ Sunday, June 15, 2025 from 6 to 7.30 pm - Staten Island Philharmonic Concert - on the South Meadow Lawn at Snug Harbor in the Randall Manor neighborhood of Staten Island. Free.
Use this link to see a SI Philharmonic Concert posted on the Snug Harbor Events page for 7/4/25, but it could be a posting error, as the SI Philharmonic didn't post anything for such a concert. For details see - https://snug-harbor.org/event/staten-island-philharmonic-4th-of-july/?instance_id=8564
3. Fort Hamilton Independence Day Celebration - Saturday, 6/14/25
Description. Fort Hamilton Bay Ridge _ Saturday, June 14, 2025 beginning at 4.30 pm - Concert & Firworks of 200th anniversary. Free. This includes food trucks, vendors and a fireworks display on the lawn of the military base adjacent to the Bay Ridge neighborhood on Brooklyn. Fireworks and entertainment generally run from about 6 to 10 pm. As this is on a still active U.S. military base at 404 Sterling Drive in Brooklyn, non-military personnel must register in advance [generally by about 3 weeks prior] to attend. Note that the July 4th fireworks program which this event replaced usually requires Admission is $5 for non DoD [Department of Defense] members. For details copy & paste - https://hamilton.armymwr.com
Location. An active U.S. military base at 404 Sterling Drive in Brooklyn.
Contact. For details copy & paste - https://hamilton.armymwr.com
These fireworks should be remotely viewable from the east shore of Staten Island.
4. Independence Day Celebration in Historic Richmond Town SI 2025
Friday July 4, 2025 from 11 am to 4 pm - Historic Richmond Town will be celebrating Independence Day. George Washington & Benjamin Franklin and others host an Independence celebration in an historic setting with old fashioned Americana events and projects. Activities include fireworks, food, muskets and meeting artisans, tradesmen, tin makers, carpenters, broom and basket makers and visiting a native American encampment. Tickets are $10 / $5 kids.
Location. At Historic Richmond Town at 441 Clarke Avenue in the Richmond neighborhood which is near the Lighthouse Hill neighborhood.
Contact. For tickets and details copy & paste - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org
5. Fireworks at Perth Amboy in the Raritan Bay which is Viewable from Staten Island 2025
Description. Wednesday, July 2, 2025 from 4 pm to 9.30 pm - the Perth Amboy Festival & Fireworks - over the Raritan Bay. Folks on the southern end of Staten Island, can enjoy the Perth Amboy fireworks show from the Conference House park in Tottenville. The fireworks generally begin between 9 and 9.30 pm. This year [2025] they tell us the fireworks will begin at 9.20 pm.
Location. The map at right shows how close the Conference House is located to the Sandowski Parkway where the Perth Amboy Fireworks show will be launched. The Conference House is located along the right / eastern shore of the Arthur Kill Watershed [body of water that separates NJ and SI], which is less than a half mile in distance.
Contact. For tickets and details copy & paste - https://www.perthamboynj.org/ and https://www.perthamboynj.org/cms/one.aspx?portalId=11205008&pageId=20852410 and https://theconferencehouse.org
6. Staten Island Boro President Organized Fireworks at Midland Beach SI 2025
Description. Thursday, July 3, 2025 beginning at 7 pm & 9 pm respectively - 4th of July concert & 4th of July fireworks show. Vinnie Medugno and the Cocoa Band. Both the concert and the fireworks are FREE.
Location. At Turtle Circle at Midland Beach along the east shore of Staten Island near Staten Island University Hospital in Dongan Hills on Staten Island.
Contact. For details, see - https://www.instagram.com/sibpvito/?hl=en or https://www.statenislandusa.com or https://www.facebook.com/SIBPVito/
7. Travis Town's 115th 4th of July Parade 2025 & Celebration on Staten Island NYC
Description. Travis Town _ Friday, July 4th, 2025 beginning at 11.30 am - Travis Independence Day Parade and celebration that harks back to a simpler time. The roads close at 11.15 am. The ceremonies begin at 12 noon at Independence Park honoring some of the local parade celebrities. The parade starts at 12.30 pm.
Location / Parade Route. The parade route is triangular beginning at the Showplace Entertainment Center at 141 East Service Road, marches west on Victory Blvd to Glen Street. Then to Cannon Avenue, before heading south on Victory Blvd ending back at the Showplace Center. 4th of July parades on Staten Island.
Contact. For tickets and details copy & paste - https://travisparade.org/
8. Staten Island Ferry Hawks July 4th Fireworks & Empire Outlets Celebration on Staten Island NYC
Description. Friday, July 4, 2025 Crafts from 12 to 8 pm & Fireworks after the Ferry Hawks Game [9 - 9.30 pm] - 4th of July Arts & Crafts at the Empire Outlets Mall & Fireworks at the Ferry Hawks. This will be the first of the season arts and crafts fair at Empire Outlets. After the Ferry Hawks game, there will be fireworks which folks can view from the outdoor areas of the mall. The Macy's fireworks display begins about 9.30 pm just south of the Brooklyn Bridge in the East River which should also be remotely viewable.
Location. The Ferry Hawks baseball diamond is located in SI University Hospital Community Park which is next to Empire Outlets shopping mall which is located adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island.
Contact. For details copy & paste - https://ferryhawks.com | https://www.empireoutlets.nyc/ or FB - https://www.facebook.com/EmpireOutletsNyc/
9. Coney Island July 4th Fireworks 2025 & Coney Island Summer Friday Nights Fireworks 2025 - Remote Viewing from Staten Island
Friday, June 20, 2025, Coney Island will launch the first of its weekly Friday evening fireworks shows of the summer, beginning around 9.30 pm along the Riegelmann Boardwalk at West 12th Street on Coney Island in Brooklyn. The Coney Island fireworks are always held off the beach, generally in the area of the Steeplechase tower in Steeplechase Park on Coney Island in Brooklyn. These are FREE events, and this also includes Friday, July 4th.
Friday, July 4th, 2025 there will be fireworks at Coney Island. The fireworks used to begin shortly after the end of the Macy's 4th of July fireworks on the East River, which was generally a bit before 10 pm. But the Coney Island fireworks could also begin around dusk which creeps in between 9 and 9.30 pm.
Best Viewing Locations from Staten Island. All of these Coney Island fireworks displays should be remotely viewable from the Roosevelt Boardwalk [3 - 5 miles] down to Great Kills Beach [4 - 7 miles] on Staten Island. Essentially this encompasses the area between Fort Wadsworth and Great Kills, which encompasses the South Beach and Midland Beach neighborhoods, among others. The Lighthouse Point neighborhood, owing to its altitude [highest area in NYC], might also have a fair, but quite distant, view.
Contact. For details, copy & paste - https://www.allianceforconeyisland.org/
10. Viewing Macy's July 4th Fireworks 2025 from Staten Island NYC
Macy's July 4th Fireworks 2025 along the East River Provides Remote Viewing from Northern Staten Island
Description. The Macy's 4th of July fireworks will be shown along the East River this year, and this year they will be shown far south in the East River compared to prior recent years.
UPDATED 7.4.25 BEST VIEWING LOCATIONS _ See below for initial prognosis.
- CLICK here to view detailed information with maps, for best viewing locations for the Macy's July 4th fireworks in Manhattan.
- CLICK here to view detailed information with maps, for the best viewing locations for the Macy's July 4th fireworks in Brooklyn.
Best Viewing Locations For Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Staten Island 2025
Generally Time / Location Prep. The fireworks are expected to begin about 9.15 - 9.30 pm.
To view the Macy's fireworks from Staten Island - see map at right. The distance from the northern tip of Staten Island to the Macy's July 4th fireworks launch is between 7 and 9 miles, so it's quite far away, but it's generally unobstructed as it is over water.
Folks planning to view them from the east side of Manhattan will need time to get into position no later than by sometime in the afternoon. It's also recommended that viewers forego the lawn chairs and other extra baggage to the extent they can, especially the later they move into position, as this will encumber getting past the NYPD lines and through the crowd. For more details on viewing the fireworks in Manhattan, use the Manhattan Fireworks link at the bottom of this page.
Contact. For details copy & paste - https://www.macys.com or https://www.macysinc.com/newsroom/news/news-details/2025/Macys-4th-of-July-Fireworks-Show-Live-From-the-Brooklyn-Bridge-and-the-East-River-With-Sparkling-Displays-and-Electrifying-Musical-Performances/default.aspx
11. Tottenville Independence Day Celebrations at the Conference House Staten Island 2025
Sunday, July 6, 2025 beginning at 4 pm, there's a free concert being performed by the Staten Island Philharmonic featuring "Happy Birthday America". Free.
Location. At the Conference House at 7455 Hylan Blvd in Tottenville. It's a good old fashioned Americana afternoon.
Contact. For tickets and details copy & paste - https://theconferencehouse.org and http://siphilharmonic.org
- CLICK here for more details regarding the best viewing locations to watch the 4th of July NYC fireworks on Staten Island NYC.
LINKS TO - July 4th Fireworks in All Five Boros of NYC 2025
The NYC 4th of July fireworks are viewable from all five boroughs.
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
