On July 4, 2026, Washington, D.C. hosted the Freedom 250 fireworks display on the National Mall, officially confirmed by Guinness World Records as the largest fireworks show in history with 840,537 fireworks launched. The event, organized by Event Strategies Inc and executed by Freedom 250 and Pyrotecnico, Inc, celebrated the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Despite weather-related delays that led to evacuations from the National Mall, hundreds of thousands of spectators witnessed the nearly 40-minute spectacle, which was launched from multiple sites due to its immense scale, as explained by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

President Donald Trump, who delivered a speech during the "Salute to America" celebrations, estimated that the crowd size was reduced from 350,000 to 150,000 due to the weather. The fireworks display took place over the Washington Monument and was part of a broader set of events including speeches at national landmarks, a gathering of military veterans, and an international naval review in New York Harbor.

The previous record for the largest fireworks display was held by a megachurch's 2016 New Year's Eve show, which featured 810,904 fireworks.

In a statement reported by The Washington Post, the White House said, "No other president in history could have accomplished the incredible feat that President Trump did at our Nation’s historic 250th birthday celebration, which included an incredible air show, a record-breaking fireworks display, and an inspiring speech delivered before hundreds of thousands of American patriots."

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