BOSTON — Update 5:00 p.m., July 4: State Police are re-opening all security checkpoints into the Esplanade and will resume the screening process ahead of Tuesday night’s fireworks.
Officials said all visitors will be allowed in to watch the concert and fireworks, which will begin as scheduled at 10:30 p.m.
Update 2:30 p.m., July 4: Due to expected heavy rain and the possibility of lightning thru 5 p.m., Massachusetts State Police are temporarily suspending entry onto the Esplanade at the security checkpoints.
This is being done so that if the venue needs to be evacuated in case of lightning, fewer visitors will have to be evacuated, MSP says.
Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart says he was confident the weather would not be a show-stopper for a lot of the die-hard fans. “If it just stays mildly raining like this we will have a wet but happy group of people,” said Lockhart.
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The Fourth of July is here which means the annual Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular is returning to the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade on Tuesday.
[ Fourth of July 2023: Town-by-town list of fireworks displays in Massachusetts ]
HOW TO WATCH
The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular can be viewed on Bloomberg TV and heard on Bloomberg radio from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.
LOCKHART RETURNS
Keith Lockhart will once again conduct the Boston Pops with performances including patriotic favorites and the perennial musical finale, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, followed by a thrilling fireworks display over the Charles River beginning at about 10:30 p.m.
In a statement, Lockhart said, “We could not be more excited about our plans for this year’s Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular. Performing our annual July 4 concert on the Charles River Esplanade is always a tremendous thrill and a huge honor for us, and the fantastic musical talent we’ve lined up will make 2023 a year to remember – and one not to miss.”
STAR-STUDDED LINEUP OF GUESTS
This year’s Spectacular will feature an impressive lineup of guest artists, including award-winning R&B group En Vogue as headliners.
En Vogue has sold 20 million records worldwide and has won seven MTV Video Music Awards, three Soul Train Awards, and two American Music Awards, in addition to earning seven Grammy Award nominations.
En Vogue is known for hits like “Hold On,” “Free Your Mind,” “Never Gonna Get It,” “Giving Him Something He Can Feel,” “Don’t Let Go,” and “Whatta Man.”
Other guests slated to take the Esplanade stage:
- Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez
- Country duo LOCASH
- Three cast members from the Pops’ recent concert presentation of “Ragtime: The Symphonic Concert” -- Alton Fitzgerald White, Elizabeth Stanley, and Andrea Jones-Sojola
- Several selections with the U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus
BLOOMBERG ON-AIR TALENT
Carol Massur and Romaine Bostick of Bloomberg Television will co-host the 2023 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular performance and concert television and radio broadcasts.
PUBLIC SAFETY INFORMATION AND SITE RESTRICTIONS
- Rehearsals on July 2 and 3 are closed to the public.
- Gates will open to the public at 12 p.m. on July 4.
- Alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis are prohibited on the Esplanade, per Mass DCR rule.
Details about when Storrow Drive will be closed to vehicles will be provided by state officials closer to the day of the show.
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