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Fourth of July Fireworks 2026: Shows, Parades and Events Around the Bay Area

Fourth of July this year will be a special one, as Americans across the country celebrate the country’s 250th birthday.
Nisa Khan, Carly Severn, Audrey Garces
Fireworks illuminate the sky over San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge as seen from Marin Headlands in Sausalito, California, on July 4, 2024.  (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

This Fourth of July marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And the Bay Area will be taking its celebrations to a whole new level accordingly.

A major highlight will be San Francisco’s annual free fireworks show taking place not at its usual Fisherman’s Wharf location but on the Golden Gate Bridge itself – only the third time this has happened in almost a century.

(What will not be happening on July Fourth: a FIFA World Cup match between Team USA and Team England in Philadelphia, despite the wishes of some on the internet.)

Along with fireworks galore, there will be a host of events throughout the Bay Area reflecting on America’s past and present — not just parades and parties, but crucial remembrances, exhibits and teach-ins.

So keep reading for what to know about fireworks (and drone) shows on the Fourth of July, 2026, from where you can safely view an official fireworks show, tips on comforting your pets, or navigating the holiday’s sights and sounds if you are living with post-traumatic stress disorder.

If you’re planning on buying your own fireworks, be careful. Since unofficial fireworks can cause truly dangerous situations — burning and seriously injuring people, sparking wildfires, and causing major property damage — fireworks are also banned in many parts of California. You can jump straight to our section on tips and regulations around fireworks to learn more.

Fourth of July fireworks and drone shows around the Bay Area 

July 4 this year falls on a Saturday, and most fireworks and festivities will be happening that day, usually starting after dusk, around 9:30 p.m.

But not all of the celebrations will take place on that Saturday, so be sure to check the date and time of the event before you head out. Some events may require tickets in advance, so be sure to keep an eye out for that or possible cancellations due to interruptions like bad weather.

The silhouettes of two or more people are thrown into relief by the explosions of fireworks in the distance over a city setting.
Illegal fireworks light up the sky in the Potrero Hill neighborhood on July 4, 2020, in San Francisco. (Santiago Mejia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

San Francisco

This year’s fireworks in San Francisco will be set off from the Golden Gate Bridge on Saturday, July 4, rather than the show’s usual spot at Fisherman’s Wharf.

The city has a thorough page on details about the Golden Gate Bridge fireworks, but the highlights are that the show is free and will start around 9:30 p.m. The best viewing locations are Crissy Field, Marina Green and Pier 39 and Northern Embarcadero. For those who don’t mind spending a bit of money, there will be private cruise options for the fireworks viewings, with tickets available on Eventbrite.

A heads-up: The city’s website recommends avoiding the Ferry Building and Embarcadero waterfront, since there will be no view of the fireworks there. Views of the Golden Gate Bridge fireworks will also be limited at Ocean Beach.

East Bay

Illegal fireworks are detonated in this view from the King Estate Open Space Park in East Oakland, California, on July 4, 2021. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)

South Bay

North Bay

Fourth of July parades, festivals and parties around the Bay Area

San Francisco

Fireworks illuminate the city during a Fourth of July celebration as seen from San Francisco’s Bay Bridge at Fort Baker in Sausalito, California, on July 4, 2025. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

East Bay

South Bay

North Bay

America 250 exhibits and longer-term events

Something else to bear in mind: Until July 6, California State Parks is also offering a downloadable free pass to celebrate America 250, which can be used for free entry to all state historic parks through Dec. 31.

Crucial reminders for fireworks safety in the Bay Area

How personal fireworks — and bonfires — can injure or kill you

Even before considering the huge risks of sparking a wildfire (more on this below), setting off your own fireworks — even when legally purchased in one of the areas that permits them — can be incredibly dangerous.

At a 2023 safety briefing, Dr. Clifford Sheckter, Director of the Regional Burn Center at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, gave graphic examples of the kinds of injuries — and even deaths — that attempting to set off your own fireworks can incur. On mortar-style fireworks, Sheckter warned that “if those go off in your hand, you are losing fingers, if not your whole hand. If this goes off by your face, you could end up blind.”

And while sparklers might strike many folks as a small, innocuous kind of personal firework on July Fourth, Sheckter noted that not only are they illegal in many areas, but sparklers can also pose massive threats to children. “Kids think it’s a popsicle: They put it in their mouths, they put it near their faces, they give themselves pretty severe burns and end up on the burn unit for one to two weeks,” he warned.

An ambulance outside of a hospital.
A San Francisco Fire Department ambulance leaves the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Jan. 14, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Lt. Jonathan Baxter, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Fire Department, also told KQED in 2019 that sparklers are illegal in San Francisco (and yes, sparklers are considered fireworks according to the state).

“Sparklers burn at 1,800 degrees, which is [hot] enough to burn gold,” Baxter said. “So if it can burn gold, you can imagine what it can do to your hand.”

Sheckter particularly stressed the importance of not mixing alcohol and drugs with fireworks or fire, noting that “one of the most common injuries” his burns unit sees around the Fourth of July is incurred by people “mixing alcohol and bonfires.”

“If you get wasted and fall into a bonfire, you’re either going to die, or you’re going to end up severely burned and on my burn unit for the next six months,” Sheckter said, warning of so-called sixth-degree burns that can extend down into a person’s bones. Injuries from these kinds of burns, Sheckter said, are very difficult to reconstruct and often necessitate tissue grafts or prostheses. Curious children wandering around campsites and grasping coals, embers or fire pit rings are also a common source of pediatric injuries.

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How personal fireworks can spark wildfires at this time of year

In 2021, over 150 fire scientists were moved enough to join many fire officials across the West in urging residents to abandon their plans to launch personal fireworks on July Fourth because of the wildfire risks.

Mishandled fireworks, specifically around the Fourth of July in California, have caused real damage in the past. In 2014, a reveler set off fireworks in Yolo County near the Monticello Dam, igniting a 6,500-acre blaze that took days to put out, injured five firefighters and drove dozens of people from their homes.

Read the full list of tips on preventing causing a wildfire with your fireworks.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District also warned that “smoke from exploding fireworks results in elevated levels of particulate matter close to the ground, making it difficult for people to breathe, and may trigger asthma attacks, coughing, wheezing and eye irritation.”

“At the local level, personal fireworks can cause unhealthy buildup in particulate matter pollution over the July 4 holiday,” a 2023 statement reads. “‘Safe and sane’ fireworks, like those purchased at pop-up fireworks stands, contain metal salts used to produce colors and can also cause excessive smoke.”

Whether you’re planning to light up some fireworks or simply watch them from afar, here are a few safety tips compiled from experts around the state.

Check if your community allows for personal fireworks

Some types of fireworks — or any fireworks at all — are illegal in California.

“A legal firework has gone under testing by the state to ensure that the characteristics of it are inherently safer than those that don’t get our safety seal,” Daniel Berlant, deputy director of community wildfire preparedness and mitigation at Cal Fire, told KQED in 2022. “Really, any firework that explodes, goes up in the air or moves around the ground uncontrollably are considered illegal fireworks.”

Check this list to find out whether fireworks are legal in your city this Fourth of July (and be sure to check any dates that apply).

A display of fireworks in the city.
Unsanctioned fireworks displays are seen over the East Bay on July 4, 2013. (Eugene Eric Kim/Flickr)

Know that in some communities, even viewing an illegal fireworks show can get you into hot water. For example, in 2023, the City of San José began “holding spectators responsible for their role in the use of dangerous and illegal fireworks” by making anyone who is “knowingly present and watching a fireworks exhibition” subject to a fine.

Fireworks are also not permitted in California state parks or National Park Service land.

Check what kinds of fireworks are allowed

Although certain fireworks are legal in much of California, the state has a zero-tolerance policy for both the sale and use of illegal fireworks, and violators may face fines of up to $50,000 and jail time.

Illegal fireworks include firecrackers, Roman candles, skyrockets, bottle rockets, aerial shells and other fireworks that move on the ground or in the air uncontrollably.

Want to do a quick check? Look for the Safe and Sane label that indicates fire marshal approval. But sometimes even Safe and Sane fireworks are banned, like in San José.

If you do set off fireworks, plan your location wisely

As well as being sure whether fireworks are even legal in your city this Fourth of July, consider where you’re setting them off.

“We really are urging people to be extra cautious in wildland areas,” said Cal Fire’s Berlant, who notes that even in urban areas, fireworks can still spark a wildfire.

Unsanctioned fireworks are seen over Oakland on July 4, 2017.
Unsanctioned fireworks are seen over Oakland on July 4, 2017. (Theodore Roddy/YouTube)

Berlant recommends you make “sure that Safe and Sane fireworks are used in areas that are cleared from vegetation” and are lit in “parking lots or in driveways that are surrounded by nothing that could catch on fire.”

Be ready to douse a fire

Never point fireworks at yourself or another person, and never attempt to relight or fix a firework that won’t light. Designate a sober, responsible adult to light up the fireworks. Light one firework at a time, far away from dry grass, and have a bucket of water or a hose handy in case something goes wrong. Also, this may sound obvious, but alcohol and fireworks do not mix well.

Properly dispose of fireworks

At the end of the celebration, all used and misfired fireworks should be submerged in water for 15 minutes and wrapped in a plastic bag to keep them from drying up. Then, toss them in the household trash. Any unused fireworks that have not expired should be kept in a cool, dry place away from children.

KQED also has a thorough guide on firework safety for people with PTSD and what to do with anxious pets during July Fourth celebrations.

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