The city’s skyline is set to pulse with the brilliance of more than 10,000 pyrotechnic effects, all choreographed to music and movement that reflect Detroit’s rhythm and resolve. The 2025 Ford Fireworks will lift off over the Detroit River on June 23 at 10 p.m., reminding this city of its power to bring people together, uplift spirits, and claim joy, boldly and publicly. This isn’t about spectacle for the sake of flash. This is about culture. About legacy. About Detroit.
Produced by The Parade Company and made possible through a decades-deep partnership with Ford Motor Company, this year’s event marks the 67th annual celebration of what’s grown into one of the most iconic fireworks shows in the country. And this year’s theme—“Detroit Summer Vibes! Bring ‘Em On!”—is more than a tagline. It’s a declaration.
“This show is one of the most celebrated in America, and we are elated to bring Detroit and well beyond this spectacular summer fireworks display,” said Tony Michaels, president and CEO of The Parade Company. His words reflect what so many Detroiters already know: this night is about more than fireworks. It’s about identity. It’s about home.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of people line the riverfront, gathering at Hart Plaza, Belle Isle, and rooftops across downtown to watch the show illuminate the night sky. This year’s presentation will dazzle for 24 minutes, produced in collaboration with Zambelli Fireworks, the legacy family-owned company known globally for crafting world-class firework displays.
It’s a moment that reclaims public space for celebration. That affirms Black joy in public as a form of resistance and restoration. That uplifts families, couples, children, elders—all gathered under one sky, watching Detroit shine.
“Ford is proud to be a longtime partner of The Parade Company and to support one of the most spectacular fireworks displays in the country,” said Mary Culler, president of Ford Philanthropy. “We look forward to bringing everyone together to celebrate and honor America, our great city and the people and communities that make Detroit so special.”
These words ring especially strong when you understand the roots of Ford’s footprint in Detroit. The company’s relationship with this city runs through generations. But it’s the people of Detroit who give these partnerships meaning—who show up, who dance on sidewalks, who hold children on shoulders to see sky streaks of blue, gold, red, and green.
The Ford Fireworks isn’t just about pyrotechnics—it’s the gathering itself that gives it purpose. It’s the music blaring from lawn speakers, the folding chairs lined up early in the morning, the elders who’ve come every year since they were children, now guiding their grandchildren through the same experience.
WDIV-Local 4 will carry the event live for those who can’t make it downtown, bringing the show into homes across Michigan. 760 WJR and Paul W. Smith will provide special radio coverage, making sure every corner of the community has access to the celebration, whether through a TV, a car radio, or streaming from a phone.
But for those looking to elevate the experience, the Ford Fireworks Rooftop Fundraiser offers another level. Presented by Ford Motor Company, the rooftop event promises front-row views of the sky show, paired with food from Andiamo, music by Your Generation in Concert, and an atmosphere made for dancing, reminiscing, and reveling in Detroit’s beauty. Tickets for the rooftop fundraiser are $350, with children six and under priced at $125. Proceeds support the Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Foundation—yet another reflection of how Detroit’s joy is rooted in service, tradition, and community investment.
To reserve a table or secure tickets, people can call 313-923-7400 or visit theparade.org. But act fast—this event sells out, year after year.
Beyond the fireworks, beyond the music and the glow, this celebration holds cultural weight. It belongs to a city that’s known hardship, yes—but also knows how to lift up its people, how to reclaim joy, and how to do it loudly.
Detroit’s summer doesn’t start with a whisper. It begins with thunderclaps of light across the river, with cheers echoing through buildings, and with people standing shoulder to shoulder, looking up, remembering what makes this city unstoppable.
The Ford Fireworks has been nominated for “Best Place to See Fireworks” by USA Today, a nod to what locals have long known. This is not just a great show—it’s a communal rite. Voting is open daily until May 12 at 11:59 a.m. EST at theparade.org and across The Parade Company’s social media channels. This nomination matters—not for clout, but for recognition of what Detroit builds every single summer: something worthy of national eyes, rooted in local pride.
Each flash across the skyline is a visual chorus, singing stories of resilience, celebration, and unity. It’s not just what we see. It’s what we feel standing under it.
This is for the parents who packed coolers before sunrise. For the teens meeting friends by the monument. For the vendors who know this night will feed their families. For the kids whose first memory of fireworks will be etched above the river that raised their city.
This event belongs to all of Detroit. And Detroit belongs to no one but its people.
As the countdown begins toward June 23, the city starts preparing—not just for a show, but for a moment. A moment that reminds us what happens when public space is filled with light, laughter, and legacy. When corporate partnerships serve community joy. When Detroit says loud and clear: we are here, we are vibrant, and we will shine.
This is not about spectacle. It’s about solidarity. It’s about summertime in a city that knows how to survive, how to thrive, and how to throw a celebration that reflects it all.
Detroit Summer Vibes. Bring ‘Em On.
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