Summary

  • The United States is marking its 250th birthday with nationwide events, including a series of concerts and flypasts, as well as fireworks displays

  • President Donald Trump's speech is due to begin shortly after being delayed due to bad weather

  • The National Mall stage and Great American State Fair are open again in Washington after being evacuated

  • Temperatures over 100F (38C), as well as rain and the threat of thunderstorms, have disrupted some celebrations

  • US citizens have been telling the BBC their thoughts about the anniversary of Independence Day

Live Reporting

Edited by Kathryn Armstrong, Ann Butler and Robin Levinson-King

  1. Trump's presidency reignites founding debate: How much power is too much?

    Sarah Smith
    North America editor, in South Dakota

    Donald Trump speaks into a microphone in front of a blue background. The number 250 is surrounded by a ring of stars on the blue back dropReuters

    President Donald Trump seems to relish creating conspicuous displays of his personal power.

    He surrounds himself with cabinet members and officials who publicly praise him.

    He attacks world leaders who have fallen from his favour.

    And he pressures some of the biggest US corporations to do his bidding.

    Approaching the halfway point of his second term in the White House, Trump recently told an interviewer "there are no limits" to his power.

    It's a sentiment that seems the antithesis of the so-called American experiment, which began 250 years ago when the country declared its independence from British monarchical rule.

    What would those revolutionaries make of the current head of state? Not much, his critics say.

    Millions have marched in anti-Trump protests around the US and the world under the banners of "No Kings", "Democracy Not Monarchy" and "We have a Constitution, Not a King".

    They say Trump is pushing his power further than previous presidents have dared to try.

    You can read my full analysis here.

  2. Events cancelled or delayed across the country due to inbound storms

    It isn't just the celebrations in Washington DC that have been interrupted by inclement weather.

    In Philadelphia, the One Philly: Unity Concert for America event is being evacuated due to approaching severe weather.

    The city's Office of Emergency Management urged attendees to "move quickly and calmly to the nearest exit" after the concert was stopped due to the impending storm, warning of high winds, heavy rain and frequent lightening.

    Firework displays in New York City and Tulsa were brought forward to try and dodge incoming storms, while the Baltimore display has been pushed back.

  3. President has arrived at venue ahead of delayed speech

    Bernd Debusmann Jr
    White House reporter

    A man can be seen through a rectangular window, watching news coverage on a large television screen.Bernd Debusmann Jr

    I've just arrived at the venue, where I'm located on a platform overlooking the stage.

    To my front is a "Salute to America" sign in neon lights. The "C" in America appears to be malfunctioning.

    Behind me is a large temporary structure with large windows. Inside, I see Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Steve Lutnick and various other officials, alongside Donald Trump Jr, several men in cowboy hats, MAGA caps and women in glittering dresses. Markwayne Mullin and Ivanka Trump have also been spotted.

    The president is inside and he just waved to the crowd to loud applause, while he seems to be watching Fox News' coverage of the event.

    A large stage is lit up in blue, with signs reading "Salute to America" and "Freedom 250" visible.Bernd Debusmann Jr

  4. Washington monument lights up with 'Freedom'

    Iona Hampson
    Reporting from the National Mall

    The Washington Monument in Washington DC is lit up with the phrase Freedom ahead of President Trump's speech during a Freedom 250 event on Saturday night.Iona Hampson / BBC

    The Washington Monument in Washington DC is lit up with the phrase Freedom ahead of President Trump's speech during a Freedom 250 event.

    We are back inside the Salute to America area for tonight's Freedom 250 event after reentering security.

    Yes, some may have gone home but thousands have returned to see the president and the fireworks display. The crowd roared as the Washington monument lit up with the word Freedom.

    There's a steady steam coming back in, the bleachers are filing out and many are returning to the priority seating at the front.

  5. Gates reopen at National Mall as authorities urge patience

    Rich Preston
    Reporting from Washington

    The gates have now opened at the National Mall and people have made a rush for the security screening areas.

    The Secret Service has promised they will make the re-screening process as quick and smooth as possible.

    But there are thousands of people here desperate to get back to the venue. This will take a while.

  6. In pictures: Americans celebrate their country's 250th birthday

    Americans donned red, white and blue and braved record-breaking heat and thunderstorms to celebrate their country's 250th anniversary.

    Here are some of our favourite pictures:

    Two people wearing stars and stripes shirts speak with police on the National MallReuters

    Revellers on the National Mall were evacuated because of thunderstorms in Washington, DC.

    People in Washington, DC huddle on the steps in the rainReuters

    Thunderstorms interrupted events in the nation's capital.

    Parade participants wave to the crowd during an Independence Day parade as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary in Staunton, VirginiaReuters

    Women and girls took part in a pageant in Virginia

    Members of the public take photographs of a man dressed as the Declaration of Independence in PhiladelphiaEPA/Shutterstock

    Members of the public take photographs of a man dressed as the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia

    Six sailors stand at the end of a mast with its sails rolled in. The Statue of Liberty can be seen clearly behind the boatGetty Images

    Sailors look over at the Statue of Liberty as they sail along the Hudson River in New York

    A members of the National Guard wearing a camouflage uniform hands a water bottles to a man in a pink, patterned shirt with a small US flag slotted in his pocketGetty Images

    National Guard members hand out water bottles outside the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, DC

    A woman dressed as an eagle with red, white and blue wings. She has a puppet of an eagle's head strapped over her nose and mouthGetty Images

    A woman dresses as an eagle with red, white and blue wings in Washington, DC

  7. The bloody 1770 image that fuelled the American Revolution

    A confrontation in Boston on a cold March day between residents and British troops served as a major catalysts for US independence six years later.

    The crowd hurled oyster shells, coal and hunks of ice at the soldiers, until the disturbance took a devastating turn. The British opened fire, leaving three men killed and two mortally wounded.

    In Britain, the event was known euphemistically as "the incident on King Street", but locally it was named "the Boston Massacre".

    Three weeks after the massacre, a copperplate engraving made by the prominent silversmith Paul Revere, appeared for sale in Boston newspapers. It was titled “The Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King Street, Boston on March 5, 1770, by a party of the 29th Regiment.”

    Its gory depiction of felled patriots streaming with blood being fired on by a line of smirking soldiers served to stoke anti-British sentiment and fan the flames of the rebellion.

    Read more of our coverage here.

  8. Events resume at DC National Mall and Trump says speech set for 2300

    Bernd Debusmann Jr
    White House reporter

    Just moments after we heard the same from the White House, President Trump took to Truth Social to say that his remarks are still expected at 23:00 local time (04:00 BST).

    In his post, Trump again said that he would be there "no matter what".

    "It's Saturday night, let's have some fun," he wrote. "They say 11:00 O'Clock speech. Who cares?"

    "Our great veterans, especially the old timers, many of whom are there, went through hellfire, and it didn’t stop them," he added. "It's not going to stop us either! I’m not going to let some rain stop our 250th. I’m leaving the White House soon."

    Organisers have now confirmed the National Mall stage and Great American State Fair will reopen at 21:45 local time to guests for the Salute to America events.

    "Rain or shine, the American people deserve a celebration worthy of our nation's historic 250th birthday," Freedom 250 - the group organising the festivities - wrote in a statement.

  9. New York City celebrates with traditional fireworks in harbor

    Firework shows have begun in the US, with New York kicking off some of the nighttime festivities.

    Earlier, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani flipped the switch to make the lights on the Empire State Building red, white and blue.

    Macy's Fourth of July fireworks explode as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary on Independence Day in New York City on 4 July 2026.Reuters

    Macy's Fourth of July fireworks explode as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary on Independence Day in New York City on 4 July 2026.

    Macy's Fourth of July fireworks explode as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary on Independence Day in New York City on 4 July 2026.Reuters

    Fireworks in New York

    Macy's Fourth of July fireworks explode as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary on Independence Day in New York City on 4 July 2026.Reuters

    New York City

  10. Crowd breaks into The Star-Spangled Banner, US national anthem

    Jonathan Csapo
    BBC Producer

    A crowd sheltering from the storm at the Jefferson Memorial just broke out into a rendition of the US national anthem - a sort of contrast to the chaos of evacuating the mall before the storm arrived.

    Read more about The Star-Spangled Banner's surprising origins

    Crowd sheltering at Jefferson Memorial sings US national anthem

  11. Trump says speech might be shorter

    Bernd Debusmann Jr
    White House reporter

    President Trump seems confident that the show will go on.

    In a phone call with Fox News just moments ago, Trump reportedly said that while his speech may be a "little bit shorter", he plans to do it, no matter what.

    "If they can storm the beaches on D-Day, I can deliver a speech," the network reported he said.

    A White House official tells the BBC that remarks are expected at 23:00 local time (04:00 BST), followed by fireworks, at the venue.

  12. Trump's speech is delayed, White House representative tells Fox News

    Bernd Debusmann Jr
    White House reporter

    Those of us physically at the White House have not heard official anything from staffers here about whether President Trump's speech is delayed, and our view of what is happening in the surrounding area is very limited.

    But just a short while ago, the White House's chief of protocol, Monica Crowley, called Fox News to deliver an update.

    According to Crowley, the event is neither postponed nor cancelled as things stand.

    "It is delayed as of right now," she said, adding that organisers and the White House are receiving updates every 15 minutes.

    She confirmed, however, that those who were screened at the National Mall "security bubble" who left the area will have to be re-screened as they enter. It is unclear how long that would take.

    We have yet to hear from President Trump this evening on-camera or on Truth Social.

  13. No more flyovers

    Screens at the Washington mall event have just advised that remaining flyovers for the night have been cancelled.

    F22 Raptor fighter jets escort the new version of Air Force One over the National Mall in Washington DC on July 4 before thunderstorms threatened.Aaron Schwartz/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock

    F22 Raptor fighter jets escort the new version of Air Force One over the National Mall in Washington DC on July 4 before thunderstorms threatened.

  14. Police ride through fairgrounds clearing out public as storm looms

    Police rode motorcycles and evacuated visitors to nearby shelters at the fair at the mall area in Washington.US President Donald Trump was scheduled to speak later this evening but that may be delayed. The White House has not made an official announcement yet.

    A large screen advised that the weather would mean the delay of a series of musical acts as well.

    Police ride motorcycles, while people seek shelter during the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. Independence, as inclement weather moves across the area, in Washington,REUTERS/Cheney Orr
    A view of the Great American State Fair after an evacuation was ordered because of approaching thunderstorms on the National Mall in WashingtonPhoto by GRAEME SLOAN/EPA/Shutterstock

  15. Public sent to Thomas Jefferson Memorial and national museums as shelters from storm

    As we reported earlier, officials have been urging attendees at the Washington Fourth of July celebrations to take cover from the storm in one of the museums that line the Mall, such as the Museum of Natural History, Museum of American History, or Museum of African American History and Culture.

    Freedom 250 has expanded the list of available shelters to include the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Ronald Reagan Building, and the office buildings for the departments of Commerce, Education, and Agriculture.

    "The safety of our guests, performers, and staff is our top priority," their statement read, urging all guests to evacuate event grounds and seek temporary shelter nearby.

    Law enforcement officers and members of the US Secret Service have been seen helping people leave the event space.

    Law enforcement officers help attendees evacuate the area as a storm approaches Washington DC.Reuters

  16. 'Once in a lifetime,' Americans descend on the capital from all over the US

    Peter Bowes
    North America correspondent, in Washington

    Tammy Wapshott smiling, wears a hat with sunglasses, a pair of navy headphones slung around her neck.

    Tammy Wapshott is celebrating America's birthday along with her own

    From Washington state on the west coast to Washington DC, many have travelled far and wide to gather at the National Mall for the 250 celebrations in the capital.

    "None of us will ever see this celebration again," says Tammy Wapshott from South Carolina – busy celebrating not just America's birthday, but her own too.

    "250 years, isn't that amazing?" she says, in reference to the age of her country, not herself. Having planned the visit since November last year, she tells the BBC she wanted to celebrate "the best country in the world" where all are "free to do what we wanna do".

    "We're all just here to celebrate our country," says Chris Cornell from Maryland, who rejects the idea that the independence anniversary has turned political.

    Shirtless man with orange-tinted wide sunglasses speaks into a microphone.

    Scott Kopaczwski from Tampa, Florida, is accustomed to the heat

    Many people are struggling with the temperature. "Hotter than heck," is how Kip Elliot from Nashville, Tennessee, is finding it.

    David Richardson has jetted in from Seattle and is using all the tools at his disposal to stay cool – water, fans, spray mist, an umbrella. And ice cream, to the delight of his young son, Elijah.

    Those who have arrived from warmer climates, like Scott Kopaczwski from Tampa, Florida, say the heat "reminds" them of home.

    South Carolina's Tammy, also acclimatised to warmer weather, admits she's "struggling" and "'burnin' up".

  17. No word yet from a still very quiet White House

    Bernd Debusmann Jr
    White House reporter

    Only a handful of reporters and staff are currently milling about the press area in the White House.

    A short time ago, many gathered outside to watch a flyover of Air Force One and various US combat aircraft, including the B-2 bombers made famous by last year's strikes on Iran.

    We have not yet received any update on President Trump's movements this evening.

    He was scheduled to speak in under two hours, but it's very possible - perhaps likely - that is delayed. Those who have left the area where he was expected to speech will almost certainly need to go through security checkpoints again. Given the crowd size, that may be a time-consuming process.

    We will give you more updates as we receive them.

  18. Evacuations from the National Mall begin amid thunderstorm warnings

    Rich Preston
    BBC News

    A screen displays a severe weather warning message, during the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, marking the 250th anniversary of US IndependenceReuters

    Just as we began setting up cameras to film the Salute to America celebrations, warnings came through about a potentially devastating thunderstorm sweeping through DC.

    We are being told to pack up and get off the press risers and seek shelter.

    Homeland Security officials are urging attendees to take cover in one of the museums that line the Mall, like Museum of Natural History, Museum of American History, or Museum of African American History and Culture.

    We do not know yet how the weather will impact the rest of the day's itinerary.

  19. Trump's new take on 250 years of American expansionism

    Anthony Zurcher
    North America correspondent

    Map of US in 1828Getty Images

    In the 250 years since the US declared its independence from Great Britain, the nation has grown from a sparsely populated collection of settlements scattered along the Atlantic coast into a global power spread over the breadth of a continent and beyond.

    Starting from the original 13 colonies that covered 430,000 sq miles (1.1 million sq km), its geographic footprint has increased eightfold, to approximately 3.7 million sq miles.

    The US population has undergone a similarly dramatic expansion. In 1790, the year of the first US Census, there were approximately four million Americans, including slaves. By 2025, this number had grown to 343 million – an 8,475% increase.

    Even though the US today may be all but unrecognisable to the nation's founders 250 years ago, the cultural and political influences in the country would likely be familiar.

    In hindsight, one can trace many of President Donald Trump's key political promises - limiting immigration, and expanding US power and territory - to the country's earliest distinctions and divisions.

    Read my full analysis here.

  20. No sign of Patriot Front near Washington celebration site

    Bernd Debusmann Jr
    White House reporter

    Earlier today, we reported that members of the Patriot Front white supremacist group were in Washington, where they were seen at various points throughout the city.

    They now appear to have left the immediate area around the celebrations, with Reuters reporting that they boarded Washington's subway system and left for New Carrolton, a suburb of the city in nearby Prince George's County, Maryland.

    It is unclear where they have gone or whether they have dispersed once arriving there.

    Reuters reported that about 400 members of the group were in the city, with hundreds visible at various points.

    Videos posted to social media and the group's own Telegram channel showed the masked, uniformed members marching to drummers near the Capitol and Union Station, the city's main passenger rail hub.

    The group was founded in 2017 following violence at the "Unite the Right" rally in Virginia, breaking off from another group.

    A commuter sits as members of the group Patriot Front ride the metroReuters

    Members of Patriot Front were seen riding the metro in Washington