Nick Jonas joins Nashville Star-Spangled Bash on ABC
Disney Celebrates America: Nashville's Star-Spangled Bash is underway in downtown Nashville, capping ABC's 24-hour America 250 broadcast with Ryan Seacrest hosting and live performances including Nick Jonas alongside Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw and Boyz II Men. The three-hour special airs coast to coast at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, Disney+, Hulu and other Disney platforms, before a Nashville Symphony-scored fireworks and drone finale.
Key Takeaways
- Nick Jonas is among the headliners at Ryan Seacrest's live Nashville Star-Spangled Bash, part of Disney Celebrates America's July 4 primetime finale.
- ABC's 24-hour multiplatform broadcast marks America's 250th anniversary with coverage across all 50 states, led by David Muir.
- Friday's Let Freedom Sing! day-one concerts were canceled after severe storms, but July 4 shows and the televised bash continued as planned.
- Fireworks and drones launch at 9:30 p.m. at Ascend Amphitheater, scored live by the Nashville Symphony for roughly 30 minutes.
- Viewers can watch on ABC, Disney+, Hulu, ESPN App, Freeform, FX and NatGeo without cable via ABC News Live simulcasts.
What Is Disney Celebrates America: Nashville's Star-Spangled Bash?
ABC is marking America's 250th anniversary with 24 hours of programming called Disney Celebrates America, a multi-platform broadcast led by World News Tonight anchor David Muir featuring coverage across all 50 states from July 3 through July 4.
After a special edition of World News Tonight on Saturday night, ABC hosts the Star-Spangled Bash in Nashville. Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to gather downtown for performances from iconic artists including Nick Jonas, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Boyz II Men, Brothers Osborne, Lauren Daigle, Little Big Town, The All-American Rejects, NE-YO and Sublime.
The bash is produced in collaboration with the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp and ITV America Nashville. It also promises one of the largest fireworks and drone shows in the United States, set to a live score by the Grammy Award-winning Nashville Symphony.
Why Was Nashville's Let Freedom Sing! Canceled on July 3?
Nashville's annual Let Freedom Sing! celebration, tied to the same downtown July 4th campus as the televised bash, was canceled for its first day on Friday, July 3, because of severe weather moving through Middle Tennessee.
Event organizers announced the cancellation as thunderstorms brought heavy rain, frequent lightning and the threat of flash flooding across the region. The storms also caused scattered power outages, with thousands of Middle Tennessee Electric and Nashville Electric Service customers affected Friday evening.
Officials urged residents to continue monitoring weather conditions and to avoid flooded roadways. Visit Music City indicated July 4 events would still proceed, and ABC's live Star-Spangled Bash remained the marquee national broadcast for the holiday.
When Do the Nashville Fireworks Start?
According to The Tennessean, the Let Freedom Sing! fireworks and drone show begins at 9:30 p.m. at the Ascend Amphitheater stage and lasts about 30 minutes. The display is accompanied by a performance from the Nashville Symphony under conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez.
On the Jack Daniel's Broadway Stage, headlining performances from Boyz II Men, Brothers Osborne, Clint Black, Lauren Daigle, NE-YO, Nick Jonas and Sublime run from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. before the pyrotechnic finale. The ABC telecast runs 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, overlapping the in-person concert and fireworks.
Where Can You Watch Nick Jonas and the Star-Spangled Bash?
Disney Celebrates America: Nashville's Star-Spangled Bash airs live Saturday, July 4, from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET on ABC and simulcasts on ABC News Live, the ESPN App, Freeform, FX and NatGeo. Streams are also available on Disney+ and Hulu.
For more live TV and streaming alerts like this, follow our Streaming & TV Alerts coverage. ABC News is posting rolling updates throughout the 24-hour Disney Celebrates America broadcast at its live updates hub.