Governor Healey names Boston Pops concert as Mass 2 50 July 4 centerpiece, unveils star lineup and broadcast plans
May 13, 2026 | Office of the Governor, Executive , Massachusetts
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Governor Maura Healey announced at a Mass 2 50 press event that the July 4 Boston Pops concert on the Esplanade will be the Commonwealth’s centerpiece for the semi‑quincentennial celebrations.
“We’re planning an unforgettable blockbuster of an event,” Healey said, describing the program as free, open to all, and nationally televised.
Conductor Keith Lockhart of the Boston Pops detailed the production: three Grammy‑winning headliners across country, hip hop and New Orleans‑style jazz — Lainey Wilson, Chance the Rapper and Trombone Shorty — will join the Pops. The program will include two world‑premiere pieces composed for the concert and a poetry reading set to new music.
Lockhart said the fireworks will be choreographed to music performed live by the Boston Pops and that, for the first time, a drone show will accompany a signature overture. “We expect the in person crowd to break records, maybe over 500,000,” he said, and confirmed that the event will be broadcast locally on WHDH Channel 7 and streamed via the CNN app and cnn.com, with portions carried on CNN’s international America 2 50 programming.
Organizers said the concert is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and run until about 9:30 p.m. The program will also feature supporting ensembles including the Boston Children’s Chorus, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, drum and bugle corps, and the USS Constitution Color Guard.
Why it matters: The Esplanade concert is being positioned as a national‑facing showcase for Massachusetts history, arts and tourism during a summer of major events in the region. Organizers emphasized inclusivity — the performance is free — while noting the logistical scale, safety coordination and national broadcast reach needed to stage an event of this size.
What’s next: Organizers and the Boston Pops said more programming and supporting artist announcements are forthcoming, and that final safety, transportation and broadcast logistics will be shared with the public as the event approaches.
“We’re planning an unforgettable blockbuster of an event,” Healey said, describing the program as free, open to all, and nationally televised.
Conductor Keith Lockhart of the Boston Pops detailed the production: three Grammy‑winning headliners across country, hip hop and New Orleans‑style jazz — Lainey Wilson, Chance the Rapper and Trombone Shorty — will join the Pops. The program will include two world‑premiere pieces composed for the concert and a poetry reading set to new music.
Lockhart said the fireworks will be choreographed to music performed live by the Boston Pops and that, for the first time, a drone show will accompany a signature overture. “We expect the in person crowd to break records, maybe over 500,000,” he said, and confirmed that the event will be broadcast locally on WHDH Channel 7 and streamed via the CNN app and cnn.com, with portions carried on CNN’s international America 2 50 programming.
Organizers said the concert is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and run until about 9:30 p.m. The program will also feature supporting ensembles including the Boston Children’s Chorus, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, drum and bugle corps, and the USS Constitution Color Guard.
Why it matters: The Esplanade concert is being positioned as a national‑facing showcase for Massachusetts history, arts and tourism during a summer of major events in the region. Organizers emphasized inclusivity — the performance is free — while noting the logistical scale, safety coordination and national broadcast reach needed to stage an event of this size.
What’s next: Organizers and the Boston Pops said more programming and supporting artist announcements are forthcoming, and that final safety, transportation and broadcast logistics will be shared with the public as the event approaches.
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