Americans across the country will celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary of independence with a series of star-studded performances and nationwide festivities. CBS has announced a primetime special, “The Great American Block Party 250,” airing on Saturday, July 4, at 8 p.m. ET. The event will be hosted by “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil and “Entertainment Tonight” co-host Nischelle Turner, broadcasting live from the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.
The televised special will showcase exclusive musical sets from the Zac Brown Band, Jon Batiste, the Goo Goo Dolls, and The War and Treaty. Additionally, the broadcast will incorporate performances from other major cities, including Queen Latifah at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, alongside The Roots and Jill Scott, who are scheduled to perform at the One Philly: Unity Concert for America.
Organizers have planned for the celebration to conclude with what is described as the largest fireworks show in history over the nation’s capital. Beyond the main events in Washington, the program will highlight celebratory moments occurring in Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Charleston, New York, Philadelphia, Mount Rushmore, and Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The special will also mark the official opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library located in Medora, North Dakota.
Viewers can watch “The Great American Block Party 250” on CBS or stream the event via Paramount+ and CBS News 24/7. Official assets for the broadcast, identified by the source reference 2026/06/17/05fe88f1-533a-404a-b881-1cc8243c6aa4/thumbnail/1200×630/928c9fb078ecb682156ad8773e691316/keyart-abp-250-v2-1920×1080.jpg, are available through the network’s digital archives.
