The special will celebrate 41 years of airing in 2021. It will begin on July 4th at 8 p.m. ET and feature a host of musicians who will perform a concert to honor American Freedom and Liberty. The COVID-19 restrictions in the United States have been lifted for most of the year. However, the special will not be held on the West Lawn at the U.S Capitol for the second consecutive year. Concert performances were recorded without live audiences so that the public could enjoy the performance from their homes.
Vanessa Williams will host the show. The National Symphony Orchestra under Jack Everly will perform "Olympic Fanfare" to celebrate the U.S. participation at the forthcoming Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The Orchestra will perform the "1812 Overture" with the Joint Armed Forces Chorus during the fireworks. Renee Fleming will sing the National Anthem, while the Joint Armed Forces Chorus will perform the "1812 Overture" during the fireworks. Deadline reports that U.S. Army Band Pershing's Own, U.S. Armed Forces Color Guard and U.S Army Herald Trumpets will also perform.
Other performers include Jimmie Allen and Jimmy Buffett, Auli’i Cravalho Cynthia Erivo Mickey Guyton, Gladys Knight Jennifer Nettles Laura Osnes Pentatonix Ali Stroker, and Alan Jackson.
The fireworks will be live broadcast, but PBS stated that the event will be filmed by more cameras than ever before, including rooftop views from all over the city.
You can watch the event live from your home via a number of methods, starting at 8 p.m. EDT Sunday. It will be broadcast live on PBS (viewers should consult local listings to find specific airdates and times in their area), but it will also be streamed online. The live broadcast will be accessible on Facebook, Youtube, and the PBS website. Two weeks later, the show will also available on Video on Demand.
