The United States hit its 250th birthday this weekend. New York City threw the kind of party that actually matched the hype. Macy’s unleashed an unprecedented 85,000 shells in 30 distinct colors over a blistering 27-minute stretch.
And the logistics were wild. Organizers loaded up six barges spread across both the Hudson and East Rivers. They kicked off the visual assault at 9:02 p.m. sharp. But the pyrotechnics had some serious competition this year. For the first time in the event’s golden anniversary run, a specialized laser light show beamed directly from the Brooklyn Bridge.
Terry Crews anchored the NBC broadcast to capture the whole thing. The musical lineup brought out heavy hitters to match the spectacle. Post Malone, Blake Shelton, and Noah Kahan ran the stage. Salt-N-Pepa and Shaboozey kept the momentum going right up until the sky lit up.