Lainey Wilson, Chance the Rapper Joining Boston Pops Spectacular

The Boston Pops have dazzled audiences for more than 50 years with their Fourth of July fireworks concert at the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade. I can only imagine what conductor Keith Lockhart has in store for the nation's 250th anniversary celebration this year.

Who Is Performing at the 2026 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular?

7 News Boston reported, "Lainey Wilson, Chance the Rapper, and Trombone Shorty have been named as the special guest artists for the 2026 Boston Pops July 4 Fireworks Spectacular."

Wilson is a Grammy Award-winning country artist. Chance the Rapper is a three-time Grammy winner, and Trombone Shorty, a New Orleans native, crosses many genres with his deep, Big Easy sound.

The Boston Children's Chorus, Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps, Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes and Drums, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and USS Constitution Color Guard will also perform, according to the Boston Pops' website.

How the Event Honors America’s 250th Anniversary

The 2026 Boston Pops July 4 Fireworks Spectacular is considered the "Signature Event of the Commonwealth's MA250 (Massachusetts 250) initiative honoring the 250th anniversary of America's founding."

"Massachusetts is where the American Revolution began," Governor Maura Healey said. "This year's Spectacular will honor our past while celebrating the energy, creativity, and diversity that define Massachusetts today."

"The amazing Boston Pops, America's orchestra, will perform patriotic favorites as well as two world premiere pieces composed for this historic occasion," Lockhart said. "With our biggest-ever fireworks display, this year's event is going to be one for the record books, and I can't wait to strike up the band."

What to Know Before Attending the Boston Pops Concert

If you are thinking about going to the 2026 Boston Pops July 4 Fireworks Spectacular, think twice. Massive crowds will result in horrendous traffic, and elbow-to-elbow crowding conditions are guaranteed.

How to Watch the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on TV

WHDH-TV Channel 7 and CNN will broadcast the event to viewers around the world.