Universal Studios Hollywood Adds Fireworks for July 4

June 28, 2021, 4:03 PM · Universal Studios Hollywood will celebrate the Fourth of July with a major fireworks show, the park confirmed today.

The show, set to Universal movie music, will kick off at 9pm on July 4 and be included with park admission.

Fireworks aren't usually on the schedule at Universal Studios Hollywood, which not only stands next to Universal's studio backlot but also those of Warner Bros. and Disney. California air quality regulations also make getting permits for fireworks productions less than trivial in the region. Not that that stops the countless illegal fireworks displays that fire off from backyards and rooftops across southern California every summer.

Illegal fireworks were pretty much all we got in southern California last year, when stay at home orders forced the cancellation of almost all scheduled productions. But night-time shows are beginning to return at local theme parks, with SeaWorld San Diego having brought back its Ignite fireworks and Disneyland announcing that it will resume its Mickey's Mix Magic show on July 4. Universal's Independence Day fireworks provide local theme park fans another option for celebrating the Fourth.

Other new attractions at Universal this summer include the plussed Jurassic World - The Ride, with its new Indominus rex finale, and The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash, which is leading the new attractions from southern California in our recent reader vote.

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Replies (1)

July 2, 2021 at 2:32 PM

The San Fernando Valley is a tinderbox right now. Universal is taking a risk on burning down their backlot yet again.

I CERTAINLY hope that doesn't happen, and I don't know where the launch area is, so I'm not saying it WILL happen.

But this seems risky, especially for a park that doesn't have experience with a nighttime spectacular like this (they DEFINITELY have experience in pyro, as anyone who has see the WaterWorld Stunt Show can attest, but...that's not on this scale).

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