Mary J. Blige, Brad Paisley, and NE-YO will headline a major musical celebration from One Times Square on Friday, July 3, as part of a national celebration counting down to the Fourth of July and the United States’ 250th anniversary. Actor and comedian Jim Gaffigan will host the “Giving 4th Broadcast Benefit Show,” an event organized by America250, the nonpartisan congressional commission responsible for directing the country’s semiquincentennial celebrations. The production aims to raise money for various philanthropic organizations across the nation while establishing a new holiday custom centered around community service.
The special marks the debut of ‘Giving 4th,’ an initiative designed to make Independence Day a lasting national tradition of community service and philanthropy. Organizers say the broadcast will feature performances, celebrity appearances and stories highlighting charitable organizations, while encouraging viewers to contribute to causes meaningful to them. The event also serves as the opening celebration for America250, the congressionally established, nonpartisan commission leading the nation’s semiquincentennial observance.
A centerpiece of the evening will be an unprecedented series of eight Times Square Ball drops, with separate countdowns recognizing midnight across every American time zone, from Guam to American Samoa. The New York production serves as the launchpad for a weekend of coast-to-coast holiday broadcasts, which will be accompanied by a secondary marquee concert at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 4. The West Coast event, dubbed “America’s Block Party Benefiting Giving 4th,” will be hosted by Queen Latifah and feature performances from Chris Stapleton, The Smashing Pumpkins, Maren Morris, and Chaka Khan. Organizers have partnered with the global generosity movement GivingTuesday to monitor charitable donations generated by the events, intending to combat the standard midyear decline in funding commonly experienced by domestic nonprofits.
The Giving 4th Broadcast Benefit Show begins at 9 p.m. EDT on July 3 and will be livestreamed through America250’s official website and app. Organizers say the benefit is designed to leave a lasting legacy beyond the nation’s 250th birthday by establishing an annual tradition of giving back alongside Independence Day celebrations, with additional events and performances scheduled nationwide throughout the holiday weekend.
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