This year, Americans have quite a bit to celebrate on the Fourth of July, with the COVID-19 Pandemic starting to feel more like a distant memory, and there may be no better way to celebrate than taking in the festive fireworks displays in various parts of the country, including the Washington DC-based celebration, “A Capitol Fourth,” on PBS.

The special, which will be celebrating 41 years on air in 2021, is set to begin at 8 p.m. EDT on July Fourth and will feature a slew of musical performers who will put on a concert celebrating American Freedom and Liberty. Though COVID-19 restrictions have largely been lifted across the United States, the show is once again not being held on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol for the second year in a row, and concert performances were pre-taped without a live audience for the public to enjoy watching from home.

The Vanessa Williams-hosted show will feature the National Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Jack Everly, performing “Olympic Fanfare,” to honor the U.S. participation in the upcoming Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were postponed one year due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The Orchestra will join with the Joint Armed Forces Chorus for the “1812 Overture” during the fireworks. The National Anthem will be sung by Renee Fleming, and the Armed Forces Color Guard, U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” and U.S. Army Herald Trumpets will also perform, Deadline reports.

Other performances will include Jimmie Allen, Jimmy Buffett, Auli’i Cravalho, Cynthia Erivo, Mickey Guyton, Alan Jackson, Gladys Knight, Jennifer Nettles, Laura Osnes, Pentatonix, Ali Stroker and Train.

As for the fireworks themselves, they will still be broadcast live, with PBS stating that they will be filmed by “more cameras than ever, including vantage points from rooftop locations across the city.”

Those hoping to watch the event from home will be able to do so in a variety of ways, beginning at 8 p.m. EDT on Sunday. Not only will it be broadcast on PBS (viewers should check local listings for specific airdates and times for their location), but a live stream will also be available online. Viewers can watch the action on Facebook, Youtube and the PBS website, and the show will also be available on Video on Demand services for two weeks after the live broadcast.

“A Capitol Fourth” will air Sunday at 8 p.m. EDT on PBS.

Capitol Fourth PBS-DC Fireworks
Fireworks are seen during the 40th anniversary of a “A Capitol Fourth” in Washington DC on July 4, 2020. Getty Images for Capitol Concerts
RELATED STORIES
Coronavirus