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Washington prepares for world-record fireworks, but will it end in a smoke show?

An “unforgettable” tribute to America, or a health hazard that will terrorise animals and pollute the environment?
That is the question as Washington prepares to break…

By Samantha Johnson / July 3, 2026

An “unforgettable” tribute to America, or a health hazard that will terrorise animals and pollute the environment?

That is the question as Washington prepares to break the record for the world’s largest fireworks display on the United States’ 250th birthday on Saturday.

The Trump administration’s “Freedom250” project has hired Pennsylvania-based Pyrotecnico to launch more than 850,000 fireworks shells across 10 sites around the Lincoln Memorial and Potomac River, starting at 10.30pm and lasting 40 minutes.

That is around 40,000 more than the current Guinness World Record, set in Bocaue, Philippines in 2016, and roughly 50 times more than Washington’s usual annual show.

“Freedom250” has billed it as the “unforgettable” capstone for a day of performances, flyovers and acrobatics displays at the National Mall, claiming it will bring hundreds of thousands of visitors and calling it a generational event.

They have not however disclosed the bill for the affair and did not respond to a request seeking the sum.

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