The current record was set during a New Year’s Eve celebration in Manila in 2016, when roughly 809,000 fireworks were used during a show that lasted more than an hour.
More than 860,000 fireworks are expected to be launched from the National Mall during next year’s Fourth of July celebration for the US’ 250th birthday, an amount that would surpass the current world record for the largest fireworks display.
The current record was set during a New Year’s Eve celebration in Manila in 2016, when roughly 809,000 fireworks were used during a show that lasted more than an hour. The planned DC celebration would far exceed the city’s traditional Fourth of July fireworks shows, which typically launch between 17,000 and 20,000 shells.
The celebration will be organized by Freedom 250, a public-private partnership launched last December. A spokesperson said a final cost estimate for the fireworks display is not yet available because planning is still underway.
According to the Washington Post, Pyrotecnico, the vendor for the show, said the show is expected to be about 40 minutes and will be “not only a once-in-a-generation patriotic spectacle but a landmark moment in fireworks history.”
The company said more than 50 trucks and a crowd of roughly 60 workers will be used to carry out the performance, with the fireworks being launched from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, West Potomac Park, and the Potomac River.
The White House’s Freedom 250 website described the event as “one of the grandest displays of patriotism that the world has ever seen,” adding that more than 1 million people are expected to gather on the National Mall for a full day of programming. The event is also expected to feature keynote remarks from President Donald Trump.
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