Find
out where to see the biggest and best 4th of July fireworks shows, no matter where you are in L.A.
Whether you intend to or not, you’re going to see some 4th of July fireworks—or at the very least hear them thanks to Angelenos’ summer-long affair with very-much-illegal amateur pyro. But Independence Day itself brings about a whole other tier of patriotically loud, colorful explosions in the night sky thanks to a bunch of professionally-staged 4th of July fireworks shows. After a day at one of the best beaches in L.A., cooling off with the city’s best ice cream and grilling with friends and family, cap things off with a bang. From the Long Beach waterfront to Hollywood, here’s where to see 4th of July fireworks this year.
RECOMMENDED: Find more fun for the 4th of July in L.A.
The best places to see Fourth of July fireworks
AmericaFest at the Rose
Bowl is an explosive celebration of all things red, white and blue. The fireworks won’t shoot off until 9pm, but the Rose Bowl will open hours earlier for a kid-friendly carnival. If you don’t want to venture into the stadium (i.e. pay money), the show is viewable from the areas around the Arroyo, most easily accessible along the Colorado Street Bridge and the neighborhoods west of the 210, and, somewhat distantly, from parking garage rooftops in Old Pasadena. There’s something about watching fireworks over the ocean. Every year in Marina del Rey, fireworks explode over the marina channel and spectators gather all over to watch: at Burton Chace Park or Fisherman’s Village as well as from Marina “Mother’s” Beach, waterfront hotels and restaurants, and on boats. Fireworks start at 9pm and usually last for
about 20 minutes. Arrive early to the area’s county lots. The Hollywood Bowl hosts a fireworks-filled summer bash each year, and this time around Steve Martin and Martin Short will have the honor of tackling the show. Bring a bottle of wine and sit through the show (tickets start at $21 way in the
back) and then stick around for the post-concert pyro.Rose Bowl
Marina del Rey
Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Roll out a blanket, crack open some beers, listen to some tunes and pose in the photo booth during three nights of fireworks over Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Cinespia is supplementing its cemetery screenings on July 2 through 4 (The Fast and the Furious, Purple Rain and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, respectively) with a pryo-filled after-party.
Grand Park
If you’re on the hunt for a cheap, lively way to celebrate Uncle Sam, shake it over to Grand Park, and watch Downtown L.A. light up for free. This Fourth of July, Grand Park hosts a unique block party, featuring scrumptious food truck fare, live music and more. The music begins while the sun is still high in the sky, so bring yourself an all-day picnic—no booze allowed, only empty water bottles—and relax. Best of all, the event is Metro accessible. Look out for the fireworks after 9pm on the north side of the park, above the Music Center Plaza.
Long Beach
The Queen Mary isn’t quite ready to partake in a fireworks show again, but the rest of Long Beach sure is. This Fourth of July, you’ll find pyro over Queensway Bay around 9pm for a free show easily viewable from most of the Long Beach waterfront’s attractions. If you’d rather watch from the water, Harbor Breeze Cruises has two different boats departing from Rainbow Harbor ($75) on the Fourth, as well as a July 3rd cruise ($40) for a 9pm show on the eastern edge of the city over Alamitos Bay.
Pacific Palisades
Cruise on up to the Palisades for a beachy Independence Day extravaganza. Things kick off in the afternoon with a 2pm WWII fighter plane flyover to herald the start of the parade. The baton twirlers and marching trombonists will begin their promenade on Sunset Boulevard, between Via de la Paz and Drummond. There’s usually a late-afternoon concert, followed by a 9pm fireworks show at Palisades Charter High School (tickets required).
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium hosts fireworks on Friday nights throughout the season, but they do it up extra on the Fourth of July. Buy tickets to see the team take on the Colorado Rockies on the Fourth and then stick around for a fireworks show you can see from your seat; line up on the field level near the end of the game and you can even watch from the outfield grass.
Burbank
Burbank’s Starlight Bowl is putting together a whole day of 4th of July festivities, starting with a flyover, a color guard presentation and then performances by the Company Men and the Soul of Broadway. Then it’s on to the fireworks show around 9pm. If you’re not really into the programming but still want to see some pyro, we’d suggest scoping out Castaway just across the canyon, which typically offers fireworks seating and some pretty killer views of the Valley.
Dignity Health Sports Park
For more than two decades, the L.A. Galaxy have followed up each July 4th match with a fireworks show afterwards. Head to Carson to see the team take on CF Montréal, and stick around for a pyro display following the match.
Huntington Beach
Make your Fourth of July an all-day blowout by heading down to this legendary, long-running fest at the Huntington Beach Pier. The festivities kick off with a 5K run and fitness expo. Walk the parade route to the beach and then put on your Uncle Sam hat for the four-day Pier Plaza Festival, where you’ll find live entertainment, family activities and all-American eats. Scope out a spot or grab a VIP seat for the fireworks display at 9pm, which ends in an epic 500-round finale.
Disneyland
Disneyland shoots off fireworks practically every night of the year, but you can see “Celebrate America!,” a patriotic red-white-and-blue display especially for the Fourth. Just a heads up that you currently need a reservation to visit Disneyland (though the fireworks are visible sans music from pretty much anywhere near the park—look to the sky around 9:30pm).
Universal Studios
For just the third time, the storied movie studio and theme park will fire off a Fourth of July pyro extravaganza with fireworks synchronized to both Universal-themed music and patriotic standards. And this time around, Universal Studios has expanded its fireworks show to three straight nights around 9pm (July 2, 3 and 4). You’ll be able to view the fireworks from the Universal Plaza in the upper lot as well as near the Transformers ride on the lower lot (if you were thinking of getting away with watching from CityWalk, Universal says you should expect limited to no visibility from the shopping district).
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Theme parks, fireworks and Coca-Cola—talk about a patriotic trio. Six Flags will shoot off fireworks over three straight nights at its Valencia park. As far as the carbonated sponsorship goes, you’ll be able to slurp town a blue Sprite concoction while you’re there. Look out for the fireworks over the Full Throttle Plaza around 9:15pm.
Fairplex
What’s more American than spending your Fourth of July watching some sort-of-celebrities beat each other up? That’s the idea behind Kaboom, an annual celebration at the Fairplex that features a celebrity boxing match and family picnic, followed by a fireworks spectactular (usually around 9:15pm).
Big Bear
We’ll be upfront: Yes, Big Bear fires off some impressive pyro, but you really shouldn’t go if you don’t already have overnight accommodations. The traffic getting into and out of the mountain resort, as well as around the lake, is abysmal over any long weekend. Toss in some fireworks as well and everything around the mountain lake becomes a downright nightmare. If you are going to be there, you’ll find the best visibility for the half-hour show (which fires off between 8:45 and 9:15pm) on the eastern half of the lake, with mostly clear views from the north shore (there’s also a mountaintop party at Snow Summit). But remember, you’ve been warned.
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